Why Two Ex-Surgeons General Support the 'Juliana 21' Climate Lawsuit
Source: New York Times
Why Two Ex-Surgeons General Support the ‘Juliana 21’ Climate Lawsuit
Young people like the plaintiffs are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of global warming.
By Richard Carmona and David Satcher
Drs. Carmona and Satcher are former surgeons general of the United States.
In 2015, 21 young people from around the country and various walks of life sued the federal government over its role in creating a “dangerous climate system” that violates their right to an environment “capable of sustaining human life.” The Trump administration has sought to have the case dismissed, and on Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is scheduled to take up the question of whether it can proceed.
As former surgeons general of the United States, we were responsible for providing Americans with the best scientific information on how to improve their health and protect against illness and injury. Because climate change represents a profound threat to the public’s well-being, we support the Juliana 21, named after the lead plaintiff, and believe their case should go to trial.
Even in this time of deep social and political division, individuals of good will can agree on certain fundamental premises. Investment in public health is one of them. The country has eliminated polio, reduced cancer death rates and raised life expectancy over time. Now, as the country faces the potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change, the country needs to understand the public health implications of a warming climate.
Progress has been fitful in educating and mobilizing elected officials to address climate-related threats to health and safety. A rising generation, frustrated with the wholly inadequate response, is demanding better. The Juliana 21 are making their case in a campaign they call Our Children’s Trust. Their lawsuit aims to compel the federal government to act in their best interest, to secure “the right to a safe climate and healthy atmosphere for all present and future generations.”
From our positions as physicians, we believe they have a convincing and compelling case. They were born into this problem; they did not create it. They are uniquely vulnerable: their developing bodies suffer disproportionately from climate change’s most serious and deadly harms.
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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/opinion/climate-change-juliana-21.html
