Last Tuesday marked the anniversary of “skolstrejk för klimatet” (School Strike for Climate) campaign by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
Her protest has reached the ears of many youngsters who fear their future will resemble a Hollywood dystopian flick.
Children all over the world took this as an inspiration to start their movement, asking adults to stop shitting on their future.
The Victory Of Dutch Citizens Over The Government Regarding Climate Change
In 2015, the Dutch government lost the world’s first climate liability lawsuit; this was a landmark case against the government’s greenhouse emissions plans.
The plaintiffs included around 900 citizens and children and the class action suit was brought forward by the environment group ‘Urgenda’.
The suit stated that the government’s gas emissions plans were insufficient, and hence it “knowingly exposes its citizens to dangerous situations.”
The judges ruled in favour of the suit and ordered the government to cut down the emissions by at least 25 per cent by 2020.
Protection of Colombian Amazon From Deforestation
On April 5, 2018, Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia ruled in favour of a group of 25 children who sued the government with the claim that the deforestation and increased temperature threaten their rights to a healthy environment, life, health, food, and water. An “intergenerational pact for life of Colombian Amazon” is to be created with the help of the plaintiffs.
Demands To Disclose Information On Climate Change Business Risk In Australia
Australian Mark McVeigh challenged the Retail Employees Superannuation Trust for violation the Corporations Act 2001, by not providing data about climate change business risks and any plans to address those risks.
7-year Old Rabab Ali Takes on Pakistan’s Government
The petition asserts the government’s violation of Public Trust Doctrine and constitutional rights to life, liberty, human dignity and equal protection of law through continued promotion of fossil fuels.
Ashgar Leghari, a farmer sued the government for its failure to implement the National Climate Change Policy of 2012.
Irish People Don’t Want Another Hurricane Ophelia
It was responsible for severe flooding, an impact of climate change which also disrupted polar vortex.
Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) brought the lawsuit against the Irish government to account for its role in knowingly contributing to dangerous levels of climate change, which was heard in High Court of Dublin from 22-25 January 2019.
Canadian Kids Want To Start A Climate Change Fund
Environment JEUnesse alleges that Canada’s greenhouse reduction targets are not enough to make an impact, and the people are asking the government to invest $100 for every citizen under 35, in total around $340 million, to be used for addressing climate change issues.
Also Read: In Pics: Images From The 2010s Alone That Show The Devastating Impact Of Climate Change
The Hopefulness Of Ugandan People To Set Precedent On Climate Change
Drought, food shortages and violation of the constitutional right to a healthy environment are the complaints of 4 Ugandan youths and local NGO Greenwatch for which they sued the government in 2018. This is the country’s first climate change case.
The Inadequate Target For Greenhouse Gas Reduction In New Zealand Challenged
Law student Sarah Thomson filed a statement in 2015 against New Zealand’s Minister of Climate Change Issues for failing the country’s target of greenhouse gas emission deduction and not revising the targets to keep up with the analysis reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was a requisite from the New Zealand’s Climate Change Response Act, 2002.
All these cases are awaiting an outcome.
Gathering Momentum In India
On 29 September 2015, parents of 3 babies filed a petition to ban air-polluting fireworks in Delhi, stating their right to clean air. This was weeks before Diwali, a festival that usually raises the air contamination rate.
Delhi ranks highest in the annual concentration of small airborne particles (PM2.5), which causes chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, etc so this is a major problem.
9-year-old Ridhima Pandey, whose domicile state of Uttarakhand faced disasters like flash floods, landslides, etc. sued the Indian government for its incompetence against the growing concerns of climate change in 2017.
National Green Tribunal, a specialized court for environmental cases has received the petition filed by attorney Rahul Choudhary that asks the government to create a carbon budget and national climate recovery plan.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a global community that attracted a lot of Indian youth with its mission of fighting against human extinction. XR India, unlike NGOs, isn’t looking for a tax rebate, but is seeking “to avert climate breakdown, halt biodiversity loss, minimize the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse.”
Even with Board Exams looming over, 200 children protested against the irresponsibility of the government, on March 15, 2019. This shows the seriousness of children and how far they are willing to go. Roused up from their stupor, Indian children are not lagging in this fight.
More lawsuits will follow in as more and more people start to feel the implications of climate change. The issue has taken up steam since the burning of the Amazon rainforests.
Children have the highest stake in this as their future remains in perils so it’s no wonder that they are skipping schools in support of Greta and her vision.
Tell us your thoughts on the matter.
Image sources: Google Images
Sources: National Geographic, The Scientist, The Independent
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