Climate Action Now! Youth vs Gov

By Matthew Hile | April 28, 2023

The CAN! team is hosting AEU Platform on Our Children’s Trust and the first-ever constitutional and children’s climate trial in U.S. history. Our Children’s Trust is a non-profit public interest law firm that works to protect the Earth’s climate system for present and future generations by representing young people in global legal efforts to secure their binding and enforceable legal rights to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate, based on the best available science.

Sixteen young people from across the state of Montana filed their constitutional climate lawsuit against the state in 2020, asserting that by supporting a fossil fuel-driven energy system, which is contributing to the climate crisis, Montana is violating their constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment, to seek safety, health and happiness, and to individual dignity and equal protection of the law. They also argue that the state’s fossil fuel energy system is degrading and depleting Montana’s constitutionally protected public trust resources, including the atmosphere, rivers and lakes, fish and wildlife.

Participants will have an opportunity to meet the lawyer and some of the youth plaintiffs in the upcoming lawsuit Held v. State of Montana, the trial for which will begin on June 12th in Helena, Montana.

Come explore how to empower our young people to speak up and speak out and to show them a path forward that is empowering and grounded in our beliefs. Let’s support our climate activist youth and our partners in the AEU.

Presenter

Our Children’s Trust (OCT) is a non-profit, public-interest law firm that provides campaign-based, legal services to youth from diverse backgrounds to secure their legal rights to a safe climate. We work to protect the earth’s climate systems for present and future generations by representing young people in global legal efforts to secure their binding and enforceable legal rights to a healthy atmosphere and a stable climate, based on the best available science.,

Suggested Actions for CAN!

  • Support the youths’ actions (site contains how too)
    • Join the Youth v. Gov Community!
    • Call, Email, or Tweet the Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland!
  • Sign the petition to urge Attorney General Merrick Garland and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to end their opposition to Juliana v. United States proceeding to trial

Related Links

CAN! materials

These materials have been prepared by the Society’s CAN! (Climate Action Now!) team. This post and its links do not express or imply an endorsement by the Ethical Society of St. Louis or its leadership.

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