Supreme Court urged to clarify climate laws

(The Center Square) - Advocates are calling for justices on the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify federal laws regarding climate change lawsuits. The Maryland Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a lawsuit from Baltimore, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County seeking large damages from fossil fuel companies. The government entities claimed the companies misled the public in its contributions to global climate change. “No amount of creative pleading can masquerade the fact that the local governments are attempting to utilize state law to regulate global conduct that is purportedly causing global harm,” Justice Brynja Booth wrote in the court’s majority opinion. A footnote in the opinion referenced a U.S. Supreme Court case, expected to come in the fall, that would focus on a similar case out of Colorado. Phil Goldberg, special counsel for the Manufactures’ Accountability Project, said this note will give justices on the high court a more pressing reas