Good morning!
I’m Lacy McKay.
Here’s the KSJD outdoor report for Tuesday, August 12th.
On this day in 2015, 21 young people filed Juliana v. United States, a landmark constitutional climate lawsuit claiming federal policies worsened climate change and violated their rights to life, liberty, and property.
Represented by Our Children’s Trust, the plaintiffs won a 2016 ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken recognizing, for the first time in federal court, a stable climate as a fundamental right.
In June 2023, Judge Aiken ruled the case could proceed toward trial after the federal government tried for dismissal for years.
In March 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, effectively bringing an end to the decade-long legal battle.
Although the courthouse doors have closed on Juliana, its legacy endures. Lawyers with Our Children’s Trust say the case “sparked a global youth-led movement for climate rights,” and they’re preparing new actions based on similar constitutional principles in other states where recent legal victories have laid new groundwork for climate litigation
A complete timeline of the case's events with references is here.
That’s the KSJD Outdoor Report for today.
Stay safe out there.
