Climate Change

Supreme Court Won't Block Young Americans' Climate Change Lawsuit

The lawsuit was first brought against the government in 2015.

Supreme Court Won't Block Young Americans' Climate Change Lawsuit
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The Supreme Court has declined to stop a lawsuit by 21 children and young adults who hope to force the government to do more about climate change.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2015 under President Obama. It says the government ignored and even encouraged climate change, violating people's constitutional rights to life, liberty and property.

Both the Obama and Trump administrations have tried to stop the lawsuit, arguing there's no fundamental right to certain climate conditions. Eventually the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration a temporary stay of the trial, but now it's denied the government's request for another stay.

In a statement, the Supreme Court said the government can try again to have the case dismissed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The 9th Circuit has already turned down the government twice. But the Supreme Court says that was in the early phases of litigation, so maybe it won't deny the government this time.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch said they would have granted the government's request for a stay, but none of the other justices indicated which way they voted.