Green: Young Activists Sue U.S., States

Over Greenhouse Gas Emissions

May 5, 2011 - They might not be old enough to vote, but young climate activists are helping stage a legal campaign that seeks to force the federal government and all the states to curb greenhouse gas emissions because of their role in global warming.

Attorneys representing the children and teenagers filed yesterday, or are preparing to file, 52 separate lawsuits and petitions based on a novel legal theory: that the government has failed in its duty to protect the atmosphere as a "public trust" for future generations.

As a legal theory, the idea that the environment is a public trust has been around for centuries, and has often been used to protect water and wildlife. For instance, the Supreme Court ruled in 1892 that Illinois lawmakers couldn't hand over a large portion of the Chicago harbor to the Illinois Central Railroad because the government was responsible for safeguarding waterways. {continued}