The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday will allow a lawsuit filed by 21 young people over climate change to go to trial. The court had previously granted a stay requested by the federal government.
The government has tried repeatedly to stop the youth climate lawsuit since it was filed in 2015. Their latest attempt was a request for a writ of mandate from the Supreme Court. It declined to fully stop the trial. Justices Gorsuch and Thomas dissented from the ruling saying they would have granted the government’s application for a halt. The young people are suing the government because they say it has encouraged and fostered an energy system that it knows causes climate change. Their lawsuit claims climate change violates their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property. The trial was set to begin on October 29th in Eugene federal court. A new date has not yet been set.
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