In California, 18 youths are plaintiffs in a constitutional lawsuit called Genesis B. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for violating children’s rights. The EPA was created in 1970 by President Nixon, and according to its website, its purpose is “(to) protect human health and the environment.”

Among the 18 is a student at our high school, Emma Weibel, a Junior and climate activist. Weibel is a plaintiff in the case and hopes to build a better future for everyone. She stated that the EPA is failing at its one job to control climate pollution and has instead allowed it to occur. She explained, “A lot of the ways that they decide what type of air pollution or what type of drilling and different pollutants they allow is with these cost benefit analyses…that discount the lives of future generations.” Weibel further said that the EPA is violating equal protection under the law because they are “disproportionately hurting future generations…their laws are not equally protecting children and future generations”.

The plaintiffs are suing the EPA through the organization “Our Children’s Trust” which have had successful and well-known lawsuits such as Juliana v. United States and Held v. Montana both of which were youth who sued the government and won for abuses committed against the environment that violated their rights. When asked how she got this opportunity to be a plaintiff in this case, Weibel stated that when she learned of it, she didn’t believe she would get a spot. She was surprised when she was chosen to be a plaintiff and eventually was flown out to San Francisco to file the lawsuit. She stated, “I want to be an environmental lawyer, so it kinda felt like fate.” Later, she explained that though this case is influential and important, it likely won’t go to trial for a while. Weibel then expressed her optimism in our system of checks and balances, “I have a lot of hope in our system, and I am really hoping for a favorable outcome.”