Don't mess with young people.
Climate change is being taken very seriously by the youth around us. It is their futures we tinker with when we make short-sighted decisions about pipelines and fracking and water issues and greenhouse gasses and emissions and and and... To expect them to sit idly by as the world they will inherit continues to be avoidably degraded is to not know young people very well. In a federal case brought by California youth against the US government, the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency are being accused of violation of constitutionally protected rights by refusing to take clear action about the climate crisis.
The case is on the trail to the Supreme Court, with appeals courts stops along the way. The group Our Children's Trust, an organizations dedicated to "Establishing the legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate for all present and future generations," is leading the charge.
Some eyes may roll and some may mutter about litigiousness and courtroom charades taking up valuable judicial time, but the matter is being taken very seriously, as well as several similar actions brought on state levels. While there has not been a precedent that could be categorized in the same way, there is legal standing for the accusation that the national government is failing in their responsibility as "sovereigns" required to safeguard resources that future generations will depend upon for survival.
evox ACTION: Find out more and learn ways to volunteer and take action at the website for Our Children's Trust (www.OurChildrensTrust.org)
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