“The threat of global warming can no longer be ignored,” said
Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown. “I commend the Oakland City Council for
taking this step to protect the Bay Area from the detrimental
impacts of climate change.”
The unprecedented lawsuit alleges that OPIC and Ex-Im illegally
provided over $32 billion in financing and insurance for oil
fields, pipelines and coal-fired power plants over the past 10
years without assessing their contribution to global warming, or
their impact on the US environment as required under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Key provisions of NEPA require all
federal agencies to conduct an environmental assessment of programs
and project-specific decisions having a significant effect on the
human environment. According to the complaint, however, OPIC and
Ex-Im have refused to review the fossil fuel projects they are
involved in for global warming impacts as required under NEPA.
The city of Oakland is the second major US city to join this
landmark lawsuit. Boulder’s city council voted to join the suit in
August, concerned that climate change could diminish their drinking
water supplies and bring a host of other negative impacts.
“The Bush administration’s stance on climate change fails
America’s cities. Oakland and Boulder are taking a bold stand to
defend themselves and hold our government accountable,” said
Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder.
According to the Global Warming Project, the city of Oakland and
the Bay Area could face increased risk of salt-water contamination
in groundwater aquifers as a result of sea levels rising. Storm
runoff and high tides could overwhelm sewerage systems. Oakland
Airport, built on a former wetland at about 10 feet above sea level
would be susceptible to flooding from extreme tides coupled with
flood conditions and storm surges. Increasing temperatures will
aggravate respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, reduce lung
function and induce respiratory inflammation.
“We congratulate the cities of Oakland and Boulder for their
leadership in holding the Bush administration accountable for
failing to take action on global warming,” said Gary Cook,
coordinator of Greenpeace’s Global Warming Campaign.
