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For Immediate Release
February, 27 2019, 11:00pm EDT
Contact:
Zero Hour Founder
Jamie Margolin, 206-698-0441, jamie.s.margolin@gmail.com
Our Children’s Trust Communications Director
Meg Ward, 503-341-8590, meg@ourchildrenstrust.org
Over 30,000 Youth Urge U.S. Court to Allow Juliana v. United States to Go to Trial
Zero Hour to file Amicus Brief tomorrow with Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after Years of Trial Delays
WASHINGTON
Youth-led climate group, Zero Hour, will file the Young People's amicus ("friend of the court") brief tomorrow with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the 21 young Americans behind the landmark lawsuit, Juliana v. United States. Responding to the Trump administration's latest attempt to get the case dismissed, the brief will urge the Court to allow the constitutional climate lawsuit to proceed to trial.
In the amicus brief, Zero Hour represents the nearly 30,000 young people under the age of 25 from across the United States and abroad who added their names to support the youth climate lawsuit. The signatures were gathered through the #JoinJuliana campaign over the course of two weeks. The campaign continues to receive 500 additional signatures each day, and includes youth sign-ons from across 144 countries.
Jamie Margolin, 17-year-old founder of Zero Hour and plaintiff in the Washington state climate lawsuit Aji P. v. State of Washington, supported by Our Children's Trust, said:
"The Trump administration is doing everything it can to stop Juliana v. United States from going to trial. The youth cannot let that happen. We are filing the Young People's brief to show that thousands of youth across America not only feel the urgency of climate action, but also understand that the youth climate lawsuit must proceed to secure a livable future."
Miko Vergun, 17-year-old Juliana plaintiff from Beaverton, Oregon, said:
"I'm part of an amazing group of plaintiffs who won't put up with adults jeopardizing our futures any longer. I am so hyped to see how many other young people feel empowered to support us in this amicus brief and push for change for our futures and future generations. The amount of young people, in the United States and around the world, who added their names to support this brief is a representation of all the youth who know that their futures and their planet are at stake."
Young plaintiffs between the ages of 11 and 22 assert that the U.S. government, through its affirmative actions in creating a national energy system that causes climate change, is depriving them of their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, and has failed to protect essential public trust resources. The case is one of many related legal actions brought by youth in several states and countries, all supported by Our Children's Trust, and all seeking science-based action by governments to stabilize the climate system.
The court has scheduled oral arguments in the appeal for June 3-7 in Portland, Oregon. The exact date has not been set.
Counsel for Plaintiffs are Julia Olson, Esq. of Eugene, OR, Philip L. Gregory, Esq. of Gregory Law Group of Redwood City, CA, and Andrea Rodgers, Esq. of Seattle, WA.
Our Children's Trust is a nonprofit organization advocating for urgent emissions reductions on behalf of youth and future generations, who have the most to lose if emissions are not reduced. OCT is spearheading the international human rights and environmental TRUST Campaign to compel governments to safeguard the atmosphere as a "public trust" resource. We use law, film, and media to elevate their compelling voices. Our ultimate goal is for governments to adopt and implement enforceable science-based Climate Recovery Plans with annual emissions reductions to return to an atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of 350 ppm.
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