Climate scientists reckon they have workied out a way to isolate the part anthropogenic (man-made) part of climate change plays in extreme weather events and the press are suggesting that would open the door for flood victims to sue the major industrial contributors to global warming (see here).

I can think of several reasons why that sort of claim might not make it to, or through, the courts. But if it did, it would have the same kind of effect as the class actions brought by smokers against the big tobacco companies in the US. And those were some mighty big payouts.