Climate lawsuit a useless pursuit changing nothing

In the recently published article about the case of Marin's lawsuit against oil and gas companies (“Marin wins key ruling in climate suit, April 22), Judge Sandra Ikuta calls it a “novel and sweeping cause of action.” Novel, indeed.

Seeking money from energy producers is not like damages from tobacco companies. Since the commercialization of fossil fuel production more than 160 years ago, nothing has been more important for the advancement of humankind. The world lives on energy. It is an essential ingredient of life. In parts of the world where these resources are not readily available, people continue to live in poverty and misery.

It's good that advanced societies should seek alternative energy sources. It's important to address concerns about climate change. It is not appropriate, however, to seek monetary damages from those who have made our lives better.

Let's focus on the future, rather than wasting time and capital on this useless pursuit that changes nothing.

Some will say that they knew their products would cause climate change, so they must be punished. Does anyone believe that oil producers purposely set out to produce global warming? The world demands the abundant energy source stored in the ground. I think of this resource as prior life on Earth paying it forward for our benefit.

Would it really have been better if fossil fuel production had never started? Compare life in 1860 with the abundance today that would not have been possible without plentiful energy.

— Peter Van Meter, Sausalito