Climate justice

All people have unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and Property

The U.S. Constitution, the basis of our democracy, recognizes all people are created equal, endowed by their Creator with intrinsic rights. Extreme weather events, caused by man-made climate disruptions threaten these rights. Puerto Rico has not recovered from the 2017 massive flooding and severe winds; South Florida and Houston had a faster recovery. Economical and geographical conditions impact some people more than others. We share a small planet, everyone is at high risk.

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the main driver of climate change. Justice demands urgent actions to stop burning fossil fuels and draw down excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Preserving standing forests and planting millions of trees are part of the solution.

Climate justice

Levi D. is a 10-year old climate warrior from Satellite Beach, Florida, a barrier island 13-ft above sea level. His home has been hit by environmental issues from red algae blooms to increasing storms. In 2015, Levi and 20 smart young climate activists, the Climate Kids, filed a Landmark U.S. Federal Climate Lawsuit against the U.S. government. Our Children’s Trust, the voice of young people, strives to secure the legal right to a stable climate for the benefit of all present and future generations.

In the lawsuit, “Juliana vs. U.S.” the 21 plaintiffs claim the Federal Government knew about man-made climate change for decades but continued to promote fossil fuel extraction and use. The plaintiffs ask the Trump administration to institute a national science-based climate recovery program, stop greenhouse emissions, and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.

Last week, a Federal Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Climate Kids. The three-judge panel unanimously ruled against the Trump administration’s petition to dismiss the lawsuit. Julia Olson, executive director and chief legal counsel of Our Children’s Trust will ask the District Court for a trial date this year. Dr. James Hansen, their science advisor, is hopeful for the results of the trial and the effectiveness of available technology. He says, “Our latest report, Young People’s Burden: Requirement of Negative CO₂ Emissions, shows it is readily possible to keep global warming within the targets specified by the United Nations.”

Climate opportunities

Resilience is the capacity to bounce back, adapt to changing conditions, and regain functionality under stress. Resilient individuals, households, communities, and regions endure under extreme weather, loss of power, and service interruptions.

Manufacturing has changed over time, from mass production, to quality excellence, then increased reliability, and now enhanced resilience. Industrial and architectural designs determine the desired performance. Investors will run away from wood pellet mills, pipelines, deep water drilling, and fracking. Thousands of new jobs will be created to fill the new needs. New community banks, co-ops, shops, education, and health services will emerge all over America.

Climate threats

Climate mitigation is all about time. Each year electric power plants and other industrial facilities, and over one billion cars and trucks around the world spew over four billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from burning fuels. At this rate, the total amount of carbon dioxide that can be released before 2°C of warming could be used up within 30 years. Please stop for one minute and think what this means to you and your family.

How can you help?

Dr. Hansen says intensive extracting and refining tar sands would be “game over for the climate.” Two new massive pipelines must be stopped. Their combined volume would be equivalent to adding 12 million new cars to U.S. roads.

Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion. Greenpeace is helping Canada’s First Nations stop an 890,000 bpd tar sands pipeline. Please visit “Together We Rise: the fight against Kinder Morgan about to reach new heights.”

Enbridge Line 3 Expansion pipeline would carry 760,000 bpd of tar sands from Canada, to Minnesota. Please visit “Enbridge Line 3 Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition, is all risk no reward.”

To help the Climate Kids, please visit www.ourchildrenstrust.org.

The Memphis jury trial for the Valero 12 is coming up. Please visit “Arkansas Rising Water Protector’s Legal Defense Fund.”

Dr. Luis Contreras