There is an ancient principle with roots in Roman Law that states (sovereigns and governments) have a duty to manage natural resources for the benefit of the public. Though applying mainly to water resources, recent efforts have sought to expand this Public Trust Doctrine to include natural resources that are impacted by climate change.
For several years, the Eugene-based public interest law firm, Our Children’s Trust, has assisted our youth in seeking judicial application of this doctrine in defense of their future. This effort has involved suits brought by young Americans against state and federal governments for not applying laws that exist and would, if imposed, defend our natural resources against their abuse and excessive exploitation.
The 2020 film, Youth V Gov shows how Our Children’s Trust and the young plaintiffs have, through the case known as Juliana versus the United States of America, sought to require the world’s most powerful government to remedy actions it has allowed that have created and continue to create the climate crisis.
At its January General Meeting, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN) will provide a public screening of the film followed by a brief update discussion of subsequent developments plus what we can do to help move action forward.