White House Works To Scuttle Kid Climate-Change Suit

The Trump administration is working to keep a lawsuit filed by 21 children, asserting their right to a liveable planet, out of court. The lawsuit, the first of its kind, argues that the federal government has violated the constitutional rights of the 21 plaintiffs to a healthy climate. It has been hailed by environmentalists as a bold new strategy to push for movement on climate issues. Last week, the administration filed a motion to overturn a federal judge’s ruling last November to clear the lawsuit for trial, and filed a motion to delay trial preparation until that appeal is considered. The lawsuit, filed during the Obama administration, accuses the federal government of consistently engaging in activity that promotes fossil fuel production and greenhouse gas emissions, aggravating climate change and violating the childrens’ rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as the public trust doctrine.