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this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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Climate - truthful information about climate, related activism and politics.
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Discussion of climate, how it is changing, activism around that, the politics, and the energy systems change we need in order to stabilize things.
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Folks in the comments are making assumptions about what's in the Constitution, so I decided to go take a look. If I were the petitioners, I'd point to section 1 of the 14th Amendment:
Depriving someone of clean air to breathe is depriving them of life. The medical conditions from being exposed to unclean air threaten property through medical bills in a country without universal healthcare. And finally, liberty cannot exist without life.
And since a lot of folks are going for the technically correct legislative analysis, remember that bad air causes autoimmune disorders, and thus abridge the immunities of the citizens of the United States. A stretch, but I'd say it qualifies if you're analyzing the law from a purely textual standpoint.
Can I just say I absolutely love the 14th amendment? It's not the Declaration of Independence, but it does a lot of heavy lifting for it in the Constitution.
Montana's young people have set a precedent. We can build on this and demand the same on a federal level.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/young-activists-in-montana-win-landmark-climate-change-lawsuit-against-state
They built their case around a clause in the state constitution which guarantees the right to a clean and healthful environment. It takes something more to win at the US federal level where there isn't a clause like that.