Youth climate activists to join Sweden's Thunberg in protest at U.S.
Supreme Court
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[September 18, 2019]
By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seven young
Americans who have sued the U.S. government for failing to take action
on climate change will join Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg on the
steps of the Supreme Court on Wednesday to urge political leaders and
lawmakers to support their legal fight and take action to phase out the
use of fossil fuels.
In the 2015 lawsuit, 21 activists, ages 11 to 22, said federal officials
violated their rights to due process under the U.S. Constitution by
failing to adequately address carbon pollution such as emissions from
the burning of fossil fuels.
Both the Obama and Trump administrations have failed in efforts to have
the lawsuit thrown out, and it is currently under consideration in a
federal appeals court in Oregon.
"What we're pushing for ... based on decades of climate science coming
out is that we have to limit (the global temperature rise) to 1 degree
Celsius," said Nathan Baring, a plaintiff in the climate case known as
Juliana vs. the United States.
The Paris Climate Agreement aims to limit the global average temperature
increase to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius, while seeking to tighten the
goal to 1.5 C. Current policies put the world on track for a rise of at
least 3 C by century’s end, and scientists say more aggressive action is
needed.
Further warming could push the climate system closer to irreversible
tipping points, scientists warn, raising the risk of harvest failures,
forced migration, mass extinction of species, ecosystem collapse and
societal breakdown.
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Swedish 16-year-old youth climate activist Greta Thunber sits on the
side amongst other youth climate activists at a news conference
about the Green New Deal hosted by U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) on
the Northeast lawn in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S.,
September 17, 2019. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger
The Trump administration has said a courtroom is not the appropriate
venue for a debate on climate change policy.
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, told a group of
youth climate activists including some of the Juliana plaintiffs on
Tuesday that the court case is crucial for the country to be able to
go after fossil fuel companies.
"I appreciate the importance of your case," he said. "The courts are
where this issue does belong. That's where we will get at the
truth."
Thunberg, the Juliana plaintiffs and other youth activists will also
spend time on Capitol Hill on Wednesday at a hearing of a House
foreign affairs panel.
Thunberg is due to address lawmakers late on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici)
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