To the Point
Climate change and the constitutional right to a livable future
The federal government may have to stand trial for violating the rights of young people. Their lawsuit making Washington liable for climate change is being taken seriously by the Supreme Court. If the verdict was guilty, what would the remedy be?
By Warren Olney • • 28m ListenFour years ago 21 young Americans came up with a new legal theory: the Constitution protects their right to a livable future. Last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments that federal policy has violated their right for 50 years by supporting and subsidizing fossil fuels. The result could be a trial and an order for the government to come up with a remedy. We’ll hear about 4 years of judicial action from a reporter and the plaintiffs’ attorney. A leader of youthful activists describes a nationwide movement for action.
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Andrea Brody
Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast
Julia Rosen
Science reporter for the Los Angeles Times
Andrea Rogers
Senior Staff Attorney with Our Children’s Trust, an organization working to elevate the voice of youth in an effort to secure the legal right to a stable climate system
Elsa Mengitsu
17 year old high school senior from North Carolina. She’s an organizer and activist focusing on climate, justice and their intersections between society.