Kelsey Juliana (Photo : Facebook/TRUSTCampaign)
Two teenagers from Oregon filed a complaint against the state officials due to failing to protect public resources and Oregon's air from climate change impact for the future generations.
The above mentioned lawsuit will be heard by an Oregon judge on Tuesday. Olivia Chernaik and Kelsey Juliana accused three state officials of failure to comply with pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The lawsuit was filed on 2011 and it argues that the state's failure to lessen the emissions below 1990 levels by 2050 signifies a violation of the public trust doctrine, International Business Times reported.
The old doctrine states that any land submerged underwater and the waterways are public resources that need to be protected for the future generations. It was violated by the state officials and is being backed by Our Children's Trust, a national group that is concerned with climate change and has pursued similar legal cases in the past.
The national group is planning have a protest rally in front of the Lane County Courthouse Tuesday before the courtroom hearing.
"This could be a landmark decision on the question: Does government, as trustee over our essential natural resources, have to protect it from carbon pollution and the impacts of climate disruption?" explained Julia Olson, Executive Director of the group Our Children's Trust.
The lawsuit filed by Chernaik and Juliana was dismissed in 2012 due to the judge ruling out that courts do not have the proper jurisdiction to order state officials to plan about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, according to City News Line.
The 18-year-old Juliana disclosed how she felt by saying that she wanted to remind the state officials that the citizens are their employers and the government works for the citizens. If these government officials are not doing their job, they will be called for it.
