The Ongoing Story of the Youth Who Sued The US Government Over Climate Change with Elizabeth Rusch, Ep.68

Forces for Nature

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What happens when you have a constitutional right that's being violated but you're too young to vote for the constituents who might fix it? These kids asked the courts to step in.

Today's guest, author Elizabeth Rusch, has captured this gripping story in her latest book, The Twenty-One. We dive into how, in 2015, twenty-one young Americans, ages 8-19, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government. In this ongoing landmark case, Juliana VS. United States, the plaintiffs claim that the government’s support of the fossil-fuel industry is actively contributing to climate change and, therefore, violating the young generation’s Fifth Amendment rights. They insist that having life, liberty, and property are intrinsically linked to a stable climate. Many legal experts initially thought the case wouldn't go anywhere, however, over the past eight years it has become a potential legal game-changer for our environmental future.

If you're a fan of the underdog giving "the big guys" a run for their money, you won't want to miss this episode.

Elizabeth Rusch is also the author of You Call This Democracy?, a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, and more than a dozen acclaimed children’s books, including picture books, middle-grade, fiction, nonfiction, and a graphic novel. In a starred review, Kirkus calls her book, THE TWENTY-ONE, “a nail-biting account of a still unresolved landmark case”.

Highlights

• How a small-town lawyer created a case that could have global repercussions.
• What evidence do the plaintiffs have that their rights, and yours, are being violated?
• How does the recently successful case of Held v. Montana compare to this one and can it help?

What YOU Can Do

• Call, Email, or Tweet the Department of Justice for your support of the case.
• For a list of other ideas on how you can get involved, go to the Our Children's Trust website.

Resources

• Buy the book, The 21
• Elizabeth Rusch's website
• Twitter/X
• Instagram
• Facebook

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