A federal judge in California has dismissed lawsuits filed by the cities of San Francisco and Oakland against five major oil companies.
On Monday, the judge granted a motion by those companies to throw out the suits. He said the issue "deserves a solution on a more vast scale" than a district judge or jury can provide.
Last year, San Francisco and Oakland sued BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell. The cities argued the oil companies should pay to protect their residents from the effects of climate change.
Other cities across the U.S. have filed similar suits against big oil, including New York City.
