Washington ? Northern Canadians told an international commission Thursday that carbon emissions from the United States have contributed so much to global warming that they should be considered a human rights violation. One activist said temperatures have climbed so much that Arctic residents need air conditioners.

The case was pressed by the Inuit community before the 34-nation Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In a petition, the group asked the commission’s assistance “in obtaining relief” from the impact of global warming, and makes specific reference to the United States as the country most responsible for the phenomenon.

The commission, however, lacks the legal authority to compel the United States to take action.