Judges Explain Why They Are Knocking Down Enviro Attempts To Sue Oil Companies Into Oblivion

Activist-led attempts to hold the government and oil companies responsible for climate change through the court system are hitting a brick wall as judges argue such efforts are unlikely to gain traction.

A panel of judges knocked down a lawsuit on Jan. 17 in which a large group of young people sued the Trump administration for not doing more to tackle global warming. One of the judges in that case strenuously dissented, suggesting that the court might curse the day it nixed the argument.

Children do not have standing to sue the federal government for not adequately addressing climate change, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California ruled in the case. The 21 young people argued the government had a constitutional responsibility to cut support for fossil fuels.

President Donald Trump has made headway in recent months changing the makeup of the 9th Circuit Court. He nominated Patrick Bumatay and Lawrence VanDyke to the court in September. They would raise the number of Trump’s 9th Circuit appointees to nine.