Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:54am ET
By Michael Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California sued six of the world's largest automakers over global warming on Wednesday, charging that greenhouse gases from their vehicles have caused billions of dollars in damages.

The lawsuit is the first of its kind to seek to hold manufacturers liable for the damages caused by their vehicles' emissions, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer said.

Press Release from Enviroment Maryland

Global Warming is impacting temperatures

September 14, 2006—This year’s unprecedented heat wave is part of a broader trend of rising temperatures in Maryland, according to a new report released today by Environment Maryland. 

In the continental United States, the first seven months of 2006 were the warmest January-July of any year on record, according to the National Climatic Data Center. In Maryland, the average temperature was 2.8° F above the 20th century average, making it the eighth warmest January-July on record. The average temperature since 2000 in Baltimore is up 0.9° F compared with the previous three decades (1971-2000).

The Voice features a Q & A column called Earth Talk, from E/The Environmental Magazine. Here's a recent submission.

There are many examples of climate change’s real and present impact. For one, the 20 hottest years since record keeping began in the 1880s have all occurred since 1983, and until this year 2005 was the hottest year ever. Now, according to a new U.S. climate report, 2006 is well on its way to taking the top spot.

Honoring Katrina's Legacy–

The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas, and the Coming Death of America's Coastal Cities by Mike Tidwell
Review by Liesl Groberg

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that nothing really “biodegrades” in a landfill?

— Laura, via e-mail

"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review,
but here they are: 'You owe it to yourself to see "An Inconvenient Truth". If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.' "
--Roger Ebert

Come to a Screening of Gore’s global warming documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” in Takoma Park on Tuesday, October 3rd.

Humanity is sitting on a time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced.

With wit, smarts and hope, AN INCOVENIENT TRUTH ultimately brings home Gore's persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue - rather, it is simply one of the biggest moral challenges facing every person in our times.

On Tuesday, October 3rd, Takoma Park Presbyterian Church will host a screening of “An Inconvenient Truth.” The screening begins at 7pm sharp and will be followed by a discussion led by Mike Tidwell about how global warming will affect you and what you can do about it. Mike is the director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, a local group dedicated to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia and DC.

Don’t miss the chance to see this life-changing movie in your neighborhood!

WHAT: Screening of Gore’s global warming documentary film, “An Inconvenient Truth”

WHEN: 7:00pm on Tuesday, October 3rd.

WHERE: Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, 310 Tulip Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912