Lead

Eighteen young Americans are asking a federal appeals court to immediately stop the Trump administration from repealing the scientific finding that underpins virtually all U.S. climate regulations. The plaintiffs filed suit in February, days after the administration revoked the 2009 "endangerment finding," which had concluded that greenhouse gas pollution threatens public health and welfare. The case, filed in the Washington D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals as Venner v. EPA, alleges that the rollback violates constitutional rights including religious freedom, life, and liberty.

Coverage Comparison

The Guardian's reporting focuses on two distinct but related legal efforts. One article details the Venner case, highlighting the urgency of the plaintiffs' request for a stay. Another article profiles Eva Lighthiser, a 20-year-old climate activist from Montana who is the lead plaintiff in a separate lawsuit, Lighthiser v Trump, challenging the administration's broader pro-fossil fuel policies. While Lighthiser v Trump was dismissed by a district court, the plaintiffs are appealing.

Key Claims

  • The Venner plaintiffs argue that the repeal of the endangerment finding is already causing damage, with car companies altering business plans to focus on gas-powered vehicles. They are asking the court to immediately halt the repeal of annual motor vehicle greenhouse gas standards.
  • The filing warns that if the lawsuit proceeds through the courts, the rescissions could result in an additional gigaton of planet-warming CO2 pollution—more than Japan's annual emissions—based on the EPA's 2024 calculations of the regulations' benefits.
  • Julia Olson, founder and chief legal counsel for Our Children's Trust, the nonprofit law firm behind the Venner lawsuit, stated, "The increased exposure to all of the pollutants that will result from this rule can’t be undone. The harm to the petitioners is irreversible."
  • In the Lighthiser case, Eva Lighthiser testified that the administration is "sacrificing the lives of myself and my fellow plaintiffs by expanding fossil fuels for the sake of power." The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Montana, is expected to decide within a month whether to reinstate the case.

Perspectives

Plaintiffs and their lawyers: The young plaintiffs, supported by Our Children's Trust, contend that the administration's policies violate their constitutional rights and cause irreversible harm to their health and the environment.

The Trump administration: The White House and the EPA declined to comment on the Venner lawsuit. The administration has not publicly responded to the allegations, though it has defended its broader energy policies as beneficial to the economy and national security.