Children’s Climate Change Lawsuit Moves Forward in Court

Interview with Kelsey Juliana, Our Children's Trust lawsuit lead plaintiff, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

On April 27, 14 of the 21 youth plaintiffs in a historic lawsuit against the U.S. government held a press conference in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. Their case, filed by Our Children’s Trust, aims to hold the federal government accountable for the failure to protect their right to a stable climate.

A federal district judge in Oregon last April denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, an attempt brought by the federal government and the fossil fuel industry, which had joined the Obama administration to oppose the youth plaintiffs’ filing. That judge’s opinion was confirmed by a second judge in November, setting the case on its way to be adjudicated. The young people announced at the press event that the name of the lead defendant in their suit has now been changed from Barack Obama to Donald Trump.

Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus was at the event just two days before the People’s Climate March in the Capitol and spoke with 21-year-old Kelsey Juliana, a young woman from Oregon who is the lead plaintiff in the case. Here, she explains the evolution of the lawsuit and what the young people who are involved, ages 9 to 21, hope to accomplish.

For more information on Our Children’s Trust’s climate change lawsuit, see www.ourchildrenstrust.org/us/federal-lawsuit/ at ourchildrenstrust.org

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