Supreme Court Shuts Down Oregon Youth Climate Activists’ Decade-Long Battle Against Federal Government
Oregon youth climate activists failed to have their case against the federal government in Eugene revived in a ruling by the Supreme Court.
The court ruling ends a 10-year struggle by 21 youths to bring their case against the government to trial.
Their petition requested that a judge order the federal government to transition away from the use of fossil fuels with the creation of an energy plan.
The youths appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that instructed the U.S. District Judge in Eugene, Ann Aiken, to dismiss the case at the request of the Biden administration.
Fight is Far From over Says Activists Attorney
The suit on behalf of the plaintiffs, Our Children’s Trust, was filed in Eugene by attorney Julia Olson, the organization’s chief legal counsel. She vowed that the ‘fight is far from over’ in a statement. Olson said the case resulted in more than 60 lawsuits globally by other youth-led climate activists.
Citing an example, Olson said a settlement was reached in Hawaii for the state to invest in electric vehicle charging equipment, expand bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.
The End of a Long Saga
The Supreme Court ruling ‘brings this long saga to a conclusion,’ said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson, of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
He said the Justice Department was enforcing environmental laws and safeguarding the water, air, and natural resources. Gustafson described the court axction brought by Our Children’s Trust as a distraction from enforcement efforts.