The Juliana climate kids have won again and are now preparing to go to trial!
TAKE ACTION NOW
Directly email Attorney General Merrick Garland today, urging him to end Department of Justice opposition to Juliana v. U.S. proceeding to trial! For even greater impact during this critical moment, please call and tweet the DOJ too!
In 2015, 21 young Americans filed a landmark constitutional climate lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, against the U.S. government. Their complaint asserts that the government’s fossil fuel energy system and its affirmative actions that cause climate change violate the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as their rights to essential public trust resources like air and water. For almost eight years, these 21 young people have waited for their day in court, delayed again and again by tactics employed by the DOJ to impede or dismiss their case.
Their wait is now over!
On June 1, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken, of the U.S. District Court in Oregon, granted the young plaintiffs’ motion to amend their complaint, putting their case back on track to trial where the evidence of their government’s conduct that is causing the climate crisis and violating their constitutional rights will be heard in open court. This is the most important climate trial in the world to hold the government most responsible for climate change accountable.
However, on June 22, 2023, the DOJ filed yet another motion to dismiss the Juliana case and asked Judge Aiken to certify her forthcoming order on the motion to dismiss for interlocutory appeal, an anticipatory request. Then, on July 7, 2023, the DOJ filed a motion to stay litigation, as well as requested that Judge Aiken certify her June 1 ruling for interlocutory appeal.
The youth plaintiffs need their evidence to be heard and your help to make sure this happens!
What You Can Do!
As an organizational partner, there are several things you can do to support the 21 youth plaintiffs, amplify their case, and urge the DOJ to end its opposition to their case proceeding to trial.
IMMEDIATE ACTION: Directly email Attorney General Merrick Garland now!
Take two minutes to directly email Attorney General Merrick Garland today, urging him to end Department of Justice opposition to Juliana v. U.S. proceeding to trial! The People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition, consisting of more than 1,200 organizations fighting for climate, racial, and economic justice, in coordination with Our Children’s Trust, is once again joining the Juliana 21 by hosting this action. Let him know that people around the world who are fighting for climate justice are watching. Tell Attorney General Garland to NOT file an extreme legal tool - Petition for Writ of Mandamus - in this youth-led case to further delay justice. Learn more and take action here!
Then use this social media toolkit for organizations with sample outreach email and social media language, graphics, and videos to show your support of the Juliana 21 and encourage your supporters and networks to take action too! If your organization would like to set up your own source code to track your own outreach on Action Network, feel free to do so using these instructions.
For even greater impact during this critical moment, please call and tweet the DOJ too! Visit the Our Children’s Trust’s website for contact information and suggested language here.
Learn about the June 2023 Petition Delivered to the DOJ
Sponsored by the People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition, this global petition called on Attorney General Merrick Garland and the DOJ to end their opposition to the Juliana youth and urged the DOJ to stop their delay tactics that have shut the courthouse doors on these young Americans again and again, blocking their access to justice.
On June 21, 2023, the petition was digitally delivered to the DOJ, by John Beard, Founder and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network, and youth leader Zanagee Artis, Founder and Executive Director of Zero Hour, on behalf of the coalition, 255+ leading organizations, and over 50,000 individuals across the country and around the world!
Read the joint Our Children’s Trust and People vs. Fossil Fuels press release on the petition delivery here.
Check out the 258 original sponsors of the petition, including leading climate, public health, children’s, legal, minority, business, faith, human rights, and environmental justice organizations: Amnesty International USA, Center for Biological Diversity, GreenFaith, GreenLatinos, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Port Arthur Community Action Network, Sunrise Movement, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network, and Zero Hour.
Also, join a Congressional Action: Endorse the forthcoming Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery resolution to garner congressional support for the Juliana youth and climate justice
Sponsored by Senator Merkley and Representatives Schakowsky and Jayapal, this exciting congressional concurrent resolution, which supports the principles underpinning Juliana v. United States and children’s rights to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, will be reintroduced in mid-July 2023. Learn more about the resolution HERE.
Join leading climate, public health, children’s, legal, labor, minority, business, faith, and human rights organizations! The current list of endorsers is HERE.
Read and endorse the resolution HERE.
Stay Involved
Join the Our Children’s Trust online mailing list HERE to receive updates about the Juliana case and other youth-led climate litigation, including urgent calls to action to support these amazing young climate leaders! Stay tuned and be ready to take immediate action following the forthcoming ruling from the U.S. District Court!
Remember to watch 'YOUTH v GOV' – an independent, award-winning documentary about the Juliana v. United States case – streaming NOW on Netflix at bit.ly/yvgfilm. Then, share with your networks using this toolkit at bit.ly/YvGSocial.
The climate crisis is accelerating. At the same time, the current threat to protecting our rights in our courts has made even clearer the increasing urgency to secure children’s legal rights to a safe climate now! Now is not the time to turn our backs on the courts, but to accelerate our efforts to shine the light of injustice inside their halls.
Thank you for your partnership and support of these young plaintiffs! To learn more about their case, including the youths’ claims in the Juliana v. United States lawsuit and an historical overview of the DOJ’s delay tactics, click here.