Global warming lawsuit against US gets green light

Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation have supported fossil fuel projects worldwide without considering the potential harm to the planet, according to the complaint.

The suit asks the court to compel OPIC and Ex-Im, whose directors are appointed by US President George Bush, to comply with environmental regulations and shift funding to alternative energy sources and conservation programs.

"This lawsuit is part of a broader effort to realign economic and industrial activity with ecological constraints," Mayor Jerry Brown of the California city of Oakland told AFP on Thursday.