Twenty-two young people are suing the Trump administration, and some of the plaintiffs know a thing or two about taking the government to court.
The new suit against President Donald Trump claims that three of his executive orders that promote fossil fuel production and hinder renewable energy development and climate science will make global warming worse.
The young plaintiffs are arguing that the orders therefore amount to a violation of their constitutional rights to life and liberty.
"Essentially, what we're seeing is the government is creating a danger that they know is harmful to children," said attorney Andrea Rogers with Our Children’s Trust, who is representing the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit seeks to block Trump's orders. It brings together young people from Montana, Hawaiʻi, Oregon, California, and Florida — many of whom have been involved in landmark climate litigation led by Our Children’s Trust before.
"I am a theater kid, and as we would say in theater: kid, we are a stacked cast," said 21-year-old Kalālapa Winter, one of two plaintiffs from Hawaiʻi.
At age 16, Winter signed onto another lawsuit against the state of Hawaiʻi, known as Navahine F. v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation.
That case claimed that the state was not doing enough to reduce climate pollution in the transportation sector. It hinged upon the argument that the state's lack of progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions violated the plaintiffs' right to a "clean and healthful environment," which is protected under Hawaiʻi's constitution.
The state settled with plaintiffs last summer, and Gov. Josh Green made it a point to thank the plaintiffs for taking action.
"You have a constitutional right to fight for life-sustaining climate policy, and you have mobilized our people," Green said.
Since then, the Department of Transportation has been working on an ambitious plan to reduce emissions. The department plans to release a draft report later this month.
But Winter said Trump's executive orders put all that work in jeopardy.
"Our state, in order to comply with our settlement, needs federal funding," she said. "Because Trump and his executive orders are pulling the federal funding…the state cannot uphold our settlement."
