Headline News: California Children take the EPA to court!

On Sunday, December 10, eighteen children under 18 filed a new federal constitutional climate lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.

Genesis B. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency asserts that for decades the EPA has intentionally allowed life-threatening climate pollution, despite knowing the harm it causes to children’s health and welfare. The plaintiffs also claim that the EPA has discriminated against them as children by devaluing their lives and their future when it decides whether and how much climate pollution to allow.

In 1970, Congress gave EPA the authority and the mandate to manage the nation’s air quality and control pollution to protect human health and welfare.

The worsening impacts of the climate crisis in the West have injured the lives of every youth plaintiff. Fire and floods have destroyed and damaged homes and forced evacuations. Smoke and extreme heat have resulted in serious health harms—from severe depression and anxiety to asthma, heat exhaustion and fear for their lives.

“These children are rising up from fire, smoke, heat, and flood to share their stories of physical harm and despair, along with their clarion call to adults, along with the clarion call to adults—our equal rights to life matter as much as yours. There is one federal agency explicitly tasked with keeping the air clean and controlling pollution to protect the health of every child and the welfare of a nation—the EPA. The agency has done the opposite when it comes to climate pollution, and it is time the EPA is held accountable by our courts for violating the U.S. Constitution and misappropriating its congressionally delegated authority.” – Julia Olson, Chief Legal Counsel, Our Children’s Trust

53 Years since the EPA was established on December 2, 1970, by President Richard Nixon.

271,922 MMT (million metric tons) of CO2 was released from 1970 to 2021 while under the EPA’s control, nearly twice as much as was emitted since the founding of the United States 200 years earlier.

63 Days is the increased length of the fire season in Central District of California where 8 plaintiffs live.

8,947,160 Children in California are harmed by the EPA’s unconstitutional actions.

Join hands with the 18 California children who are holding the EPA accountable for fulfilling their mission—to protect human health and the environment.

The time is now. We have a $75,000 challenge for a limited time.

DONATE NOW

To learn more, visit Our Children’s Trust.

ourchildrenstrust.org

Our Children’s Trust

P.O. Box 5181

Eugene, OR 97405

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