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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 5 June 2019

U.S. court weighs if climate change violates children's rights

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In a Alaska communities from
courtroom packed with en- fierce storms is forming later
vironmental activists, fed- in the year, leaving those
eral judges wrestled Tues- villages vulnerable, he said.
day with whether climate The young people argue
change violates the con- that government officials
stitutional rights of young have known for more than
people who have sued the 50 years that carbon pollu-
U.S. government over the tion from fossil fuels causes
use of fossil fuels. climate change and that
A Justice Department at- policies promoting oil and
torney warned three judg- gas deprive them of their
es from the 9th U.S. Circuit constitutional rights.
Court of Appeals that al- Lawyers for President Don-
lowing the case to go to tri- ald Trump's administra-
al would be unprecedent- tion say the young people
ed and open the doors to didn't find any "historical
more lawsuits. basis for a fundamental
"This case would have right to a stable climate
earth-shattering conse- system or any other consti-
quences," Assistant Attor- tutional right related to the
ney General Jeffrey Clark environment."
said. The lawsuit says the young
He called the lawsuit "a di- are more vulnerable to se-
rect attack on the separa- Supporters attend a rally Tuesday, June 4, 2019 for a group of young people who filed a lawsuit rious effects from climate
tion of powers" and said the saying U.S. energy policies are causing climate change and hurting their future. change in the future. The
21 young people who filed Associated Press American Academy of
it want the courts to direct Pediatrics, 14 other health
U.S. energy policy, instead ward, the judiciary would the constitutional issue of let us get the remedy that organizations and nearly
of government officials. be "dealing with different this century," Olson told the we're seeking, but not even 80 scientists and doctors
The young people are branches of government judges. let us have the chance to agreed in a brief filed with
pressing the government and telling them what to The lawsuit asks the courts prove our facts or present the appeals court.
to stop promoting the use do," said Judge Andrew to declare federal energy our case at trial," said Na- They pointed out that the
of fossil fuels, saying sourc- Hurwitz, instead of issuing policy that contributes to than Baring, a 19-year-old World Health Organization
es like coal and oil cause court orders telling officials climate change unconsti- from Fairbanks, Alaska, who estimates 88% of the global
climate change and vio- to stop doing something tutional, order the govern- joined the lawsuit when he health burden of climate
late their Fifth Amendment deemed unconstitutional. ment to quickly phase out was 15. change falls on children
rights to life, liberty and The dire threat to people, carbon dioxide emissions Baring said a social me- younger than 5.
property. particularly the young, de- to a certain level by 2100 dia campaign in the early The case has become a
The judges seemed to feel mands such action, said and mandate a national days featured the hashtag focal point for many youth
the enormity of the case, Julia Olson, chief legal climate recovery plan. #KidsvsGov, which was activists, and the courtroom
which the plaintiffs' lawyer counsel for Our Children's The Obama and Trump changed to #YouthvsGov in Portland was packed.
compared in scope to the Trust, which is representing administrations have tried as they got older. If the 9th Circuit judges de-
U.S. Supreme Court's Brown the plaintiffs. to get the case dismissed "I think eventually it's just go- cide the lawsuit can move
v. Board of Education rul- "When our great-grandchil- since it was filed in Oregon ing to have to be #Adults- forward, it would go before
ing that mandated deseg- dren look back on the 21st in 2015. vsGov," Baring said, laugh- the U.S. District Court in Eu-
regation of schools in the century, they will see that "It's just really disappoint- ing. gene, where the case was
1950s. government-sanctioned ing to see the lengths that As the case drags on, sea filed. The appeals court
If the case moves for- climate destruction was they go to — to not only not ice that protects coastal judges will rule later.q