SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Nine-year-old Andre is one of seven children suing 47 European nations with the help of the Global Legal Action Network, arguing that the countries are not doing enough to combat climate change. (Photo: Bentler/Twitter)
Because Paris Deal Not Nearly Enough, European Climate Kids File Suit
"Whether we like it or not, we are going to be the main ones affected by the consequences that climate change entails."
Oct 20, 2017
Seven children in Portugal have hit their crowdfunding target for a lawsuit they are mounting against are 47 member nations of the Council of Europe--which they say are not doing enough to fight climate change.
The children initially hoped to raise PS20,000 (about $26,000)--a goal they reached Thursday after less than a month of crowdfunding. They're now hoping to raise a total of PS100,000.
The young plaintiffs are being represented by the Global Legal Action Network and are from the Leiria region of Portugal, where forest fires killed 62 people over the summer. Near the country's northern border, more fires have also killed at least 44 people in Portugal and Spain over the past week.
The nations named in the lawsuit are responsible for about 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. While they are all signers of the Paris climate agreement and as such have committed to cut their emissions in order to prevent the global temperature from rising more than two degrees Celsius, the children argue that they're not doing enough.
The children, who range in age from eight to 18, will demand in the European Court of Human Rights that the countries stop mining fossil fuels through fracking and other means, and enforce stronger laws to drastically cut emissions.
"Whether we like it or not, we are going to be the main ones affected by the consequences that climate change entails," said one of the plaintiffs, a 12-year-old named Sofia, in an interview with CNN. "We must act to have a better future. I think it's time to do something and fight for our future and the future of the next generations."
In the U.S., 21 young people also mounted a lawsuit this year against President Donald Trump over his climate change denial and his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Seven children in Portugal have hit their crowdfunding target for a lawsuit they are mounting against are 47 member nations of the Council of Europe--which they say are not doing enough to fight climate change.
The children initially hoped to raise PS20,000 (about $26,000)--a goal they reached Thursday after less than a month of crowdfunding. They're now hoping to raise a total of PS100,000.
The young plaintiffs are being represented by the Global Legal Action Network and are from the Leiria region of Portugal, where forest fires killed 62 people over the summer. Near the country's northern border, more fires have also killed at least 44 people in Portugal and Spain over the past week.
The nations named in the lawsuit are responsible for about 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. While they are all signers of the Paris climate agreement and as such have committed to cut their emissions in order to prevent the global temperature from rising more than two degrees Celsius, the children argue that they're not doing enough.
The children, who range in age from eight to 18, will demand in the European Court of Human Rights that the countries stop mining fossil fuels through fracking and other means, and enforce stronger laws to drastically cut emissions.
"Whether we like it or not, we are going to be the main ones affected by the consequences that climate change entails," said one of the plaintiffs, a 12-year-old named Sofia, in an interview with CNN. "We must act to have a better future. I think it's time to do something and fight for our future and the future of the next generations."
In the U.S., 21 young people also mounted a lawsuit this year against President Donald Trump over his climate change denial and his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
Seven children in Portugal have hit their crowdfunding target for a lawsuit they are mounting against are 47 member nations of the Council of Europe--which they say are not doing enough to fight climate change.
The children initially hoped to raise PS20,000 (about $26,000)--a goal they reached Thursday after less than a month of crowdfunding. They're now hoping to raise a total of PS100,000.
The young plaintiffs are being represented by the Global Legal Action Network and are from the Leiria region of Portugal, where forest fires killed 62 people over the summer. Near the country's northern border, more fires have also killed at least 44 people in Portugal and Spain over the past week.
The nations named in the lawsuit are responsible for about 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. While they are all signers of the Paris climate agreement and as such have committed to cut their emissions in order to prevent the global temperature from rising more than two degrees Celsius, the children argue that they're not doing enough.
The children, who range in age from eight to 18, will demand in the European Court of Human Rights that the countries stop mining fossil fuels through fracking and other means, and enforce stronger laws to drastically cut emissions.
"Whether we like it or not, we are going to be the main ones affected by the consequences that climate change entails," said one of the plaintiffs, a 12-year-old named Sofia, in an interview with CNN. "We must act to have a better future. I think it's time to do something and fight for our future and the future of the next generations."
In the U.S., 21 young people also mounted a lawsuit this year against President Donald Trump over his climate change denial and his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.