Thursday January 17, 2013, 4:16 am
Yes they should.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 5:17 am
I think no one can prosecute countries that cause pollution , Because they have influence.Noted ,Thanks Cal .

Thursday January 17, 2013, 6:34 am
Not necessarily - but the corporations responsible should -- that might be a solution to the ongoing Plutocracy we're sufferring through in this country!

Thursday January 17, 2013, 10:07 am
Yes, the nations responsible should be liable. The governments of those nations should be taking steps to make corporations compliant with certain pollution limits. Those corporations who aren't taking responsibility should be heavily fined until they clean up their act.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 11:12 am
The fastest way to get corporations and governments to transition from dirty technology to environmentally "clean" technology is hit them hard with penalties until they stop their toxic ways.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 11:43 am
Of course!

Thursday January 17, 2013, 12:51 pm
Is it the countries causing the pollution or corporations? If you prosecute the country, will that make them go after the business or individual that's causing the pollution? Either way, everyone is responsible for maintaining this earth for the next generations. We are only borrowing it. We don't own it.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 1:02 pm
Yes, most definitely. It is also imperative to connect people with their consuming habits and choices. L♥ve ☮ Peace.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 1:05 pm
Of course they should be held responsible. We should all be responsible for our actions. Especially when it involves others, not to mention world climate. Jeesh!!! Isn't this question/answer obvious?
Also, countries/governments are allowing corporations to pollute. Need better laws and controls OR less people getting under the table payoffs.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 1:20 pm
clean up USA first that would be a good start

Thursday January 17, 2013, 1:50 pm
YES. Countries and corporations should be held to the same responsibility people are especially since their actions have a far greater impact upon people.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 2:02 pm
Yes.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 2:25 pm
If the causers of pollution are not responsible, who is?

They think they are entitled to the perks, why should they not be entitled to ALL the consequences - most especially the negative ones?
Failing that, at least they should repair as much of the damage as is possible - and refund the irreplacable damage out of their personal profits. No tax breaks for the recuperation programmes.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 2:33 pm
noted

Thursday January 17, 2013, 3:05 pm
noted

Thursday January 17, 2013, 3:11 pm
If corporations are punished for polluting, they might stop.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 4:01 pm
thanks for the share!

Thursday January 17, 2013, 4:15 pm
Noted. Thanks.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 4:15 pm
Noted. So many of these corporations are multi-national and hard to pin down. But, this just might be the answer.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 4:38 pm
They definitely should be held responsible!

Thursday January 17, 2013, 5:00 pm
YES.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 5:12 pm
Resounding YES!

Thursday January 17, 2013, 5:34 pm
noted

Thursday January 17, 2013, 7:35 pm
Thanks Cal for the link to the opinion piece by Fred Pearce. The threat of litigation and/or compensation just might do the trick. The countries and their polluting company need to be held accountable for their actions. Read and noted.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 7:53 pm
It occurs to me that corporations would stop their polluting ways if consumers stopped buying their toxic products. The solutions are almost always simple, but they're never easy.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 8:19 pm
Yes! but so should people, I live in the country and I see people burning garbage, tires, and all sorts of toxic crap.
I want to stop and ask them what they are thinking but I would probably be chased off with double barrel shot gun.

Thursday January 17, 2013, 8:21 pm
Of course the answer should be "yes!" That is like asking if someone should be held accountable for shooting someone else!!! We are making such a mess out the planet. I sometimes think of the actions of humans like a paper mache project that gets goopier the longer we keep touching it!!!

Thursday January 17, 2013, 11:09 pm
I definitely believe polluting nations should be held liable, but I agree with Samir N. that the likelihood of success is small since the rich, polluting nations have influence and will refuse to pay. Embarrassingly, I can see the US fighting this.

Friday January 18, 2013, 5:29 am
Everybody should play a part

Friday January 18, 2013, 5:38 am
yes

Friday January 18, 2013, 5:53 am
This is so obvious, but at the same time so called advanced societies should be judged according to what we know, despite the idiot corporations who exploit with no regard to the overall costs involved. It wouldn't take long for us personally to clean up our acts if we paid for our culpability through our pocket books.

Friday January 18, 2013, 6:32 am
I have no doubt about this. These nations must be rigorously questioned.

Friday January 18, 2013, 7:32 am
Thanks for the very informative article Cal. The rule of law should be applied to climate change, and climate justice is an issue that we will have to address. The nations most adversely affected by the crisis of climate change are those with the least contribution to the causes.
Countries like the U.S. and China, which do the most to damage the planet with their greenhouse gas emissions, need to take responsibility for their lack of action. Sadly, it may take the threat of financial penalties to force us to take leadership on reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the damage. Why does everything always seem to come down to money?

Friday January 18, 2013, 8:16 am
Loverly idea, unfortunately the Sun will grow old and go out before the cases that might make it to court are ever settled. Consider that more than a generation was required for the settlement of Valdez where there was an actual smoking gun on film with witnesses.

Friday January 18, 2013, 8:17 am

Noted..

Friday January 18, 2013, 8:21 am


Noted....

Friday January 18, 2013, 10:04 am
Noted, Part of the New Economy? WHO-EVER IS CAUSING THE POLLUTION NEEDS TO PAY-- country, city, county, village, company, corporation -- needs to pay all health bills for people, and damage to the earth, and the clean- up cost to environmentalists -- so they will use those monies to clean up the earth. WE MAY NEED TO CHANGE THIS ECONOMY AS IT IS WILLING TO BE CHANGED.

Friday January 18, 2013, 12:21 pm
Yes. Costs should be deducted before profits taken. It is a part of the cost of the product.

Friday January 18, 2013, 12:23 pm
Yes. Everyone has to do their part for this earth. After all, we are only borrowing it. We don't own it.

Friday January 18, 2013, 1:46 pm
Yes, they should.

Friday January 18, 2013, 2:30 pm
Yes there should be some worldwide government body for climate change and yes fine the worse polluters because there are some countries doing a lot and others doing next to nothing and wont make any agreements

Friday January 18, 2013, 2:32 pm
Margery amde me realise (aka real-ise) that of course corporations should clean up their messes.

People have to, don't they?

And "corporations are people, my friend!"

Who said that again? One of the most high-profile polluters to whom we can currently put a name . . .

Friday January 18, 2013, 2:43 pm
Of course they should be accountable

Friday January 18, 2013, 3:36 pm
Definitely yes.

Friday January 18, 2013, 3:51 pm
The problem here is how do you justify punishing governments for what their private sector is doing? A better approach is to find a way to convince governments to crack down on corporate polluters.

Friday January 18, 2013, 9:48 pm
I agree that they should. Thanks Cal

Saturday January 19, 2013, 12:53 am
Absolutely yes. Because we share the same atmosphere. Each nation's government needs to tax the heavy polluting industries and use the derived funds for creating and transitiioning to renewable, sustainable green energy.

Saturday January 19, 2013, 5:50 pm
Yep, you betcha! If you are big enough to pollute, you are big enough to be sued by the little guy.

Wednesday January 30, 2013, 11:09 pm
Countries that pollute like China and others are in control of this planet and will only blame others when things go wrong. But in the end we all die together. Our planet MAY recover in a million years, I am sure there will be no humans involved in that cycle and no $$$! We never deserved to be on this planet earth. Maybe there is a planet hell, where we came from?