{"id":1234,"date":"2019-08-13T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-13T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/article\/advocacy-impact-story-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2025-07-07T12:43:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T12:43:04","slug":"advocacy-impact-story-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/article\/advocacy-impact-story-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocacy Impact Story: Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"report-section-25\" class=\"entity entity-paragraphs-item paragraphs-item-intro-summary\">\n<div id=\"section-report-section-25\" class=\"paragraph-body\">\n<div class=\"field field-name-field-section-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<div class=\"long-form-special embiggen\">\n<h2 class=\"chalk-board\" style=\"margin: 0 auto; text-align: center; max-width: 63%; font-weight: bold;\">Millennials and Generation Z Seek Climate Justice in Court<\/h2>\n<div class=\"introduction-sidebar\" style=\"margin-top: 24px;\">\n<p><!-- pull quote --><\/p>\n<aside>\n<p class=\"pquote rt\"><strong>&#8220;The most important lawsuit on the planet&#8221; <\/strong><br \/>\n<span class=\"pquote-author\">Bill McKibben, 350.org<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 32px;\">Younger generations have the most to lose if today\u2019s leaders in government do not act more assertively to slow climate change. This is the basis for an inspired climate advocacy campaign that is currently in progress, centered on a lawsuit filed against the U.S. government in federal court. The plaintiffs, 21 children and young people ranging in age from 10 to 22, allege that the government has knowingly violated their rights by failing to respond to climate change more forcefully and effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Bill McKibben, pioneering climate activist and founder of the international environmental organization 350.org, describes the plaintiffs\u2019 day in court as \u201cthe most important lawsuit on the planet right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-10605 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1900\/08\/Figure-4A-Hunger-Report-2019.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"505\" height=\"344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1900\/08\/Figure-4A-Hunger-Report-2019.png 1192w, https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1900\/08\/Figure-4A-Hunger-Report-2019-300x204.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1900\/08\/Figure-4A-Hunger-Report-2019-768x523.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1900\/08\/Figure-4A-Hunger-Report-2019-400x272.png 400w, https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1900\/08\/Figure-4A-Hunger-Report-2019-1028x700.png 1028w, https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1900\/08\/Figure-4A-Hunger-Report-2019-570x388.png 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The case began on October 29, 2018, in the U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon. The plaintiffs want the federal government to implement a national Climate Recovery Plan consistent with the best available scientific analysis. The plan would prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2). Bill McKibben\u2019s organization is named after the number considered the maximum safe level of CO2 in the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, 350 parts per million. The level today is 408 parts per million.<\/p>\n<p>Nobel Laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz will appear as an expert witness. He has been providing pro bono analytical support, which includes a 50-page expert\u2019s report that argues that the U.S. government, through \u201cinsufficient action on climate change, [is] imposing and will continue to impose enormous costs on youth plaintiffs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The United Church of Christ (UCC) Council for Climate Justice is calling on the faith community to publicly support the children and youth who are bringing the case to court. Kiran Oommen, one of the plaintiffs, is the son of ordained UCC minister Melanie Oommen, and UCC was the first denomination to call for financial divestment from fossil fuels.\u00a0 In addition to providing financial support for the legal team, the UCC is encouraging young leaders to show their solidarity with the 21 children and youth by delivering sermons on climate justice.<\/p>\n<p>Our Children\u2019s Trust, an environmental organization, is providing legal support to the plaintiffs. It has been supporting cases brought by youth in state courts since 2011 and describes its mission as \u201celevat[ing] the voice of youth\u2014to secure the legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate on behalf of all present and future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The federal lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, was filed in 2015, but the federal government has fought at every stage to block the case from coming to trial, and it continues to petition for it to be dismissed. The case has drawn national media attention, which has given several of the plaintiffs a platform to speak out. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to call yourself an activist to act,\u201d said lead plaintiff Kelsey Juliana in an interview with Bill Moyers on Moyers &amp; Company. \u201cI think that\u2019s so important that people my age really get [that] into their heads. As a younger person, I have everything to gain from taking action and everything to lose from not \u2026 It\u2019s important that youth are the ones who are standing up because of the fact that we do have so much to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Julia Olson, chief legal counsel for the plaintiffs, believes that whatever decision is reached by the District Court is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. The U.S. government is virtually certain to file an appeal if it loses the case or key elements of it. You can follow the latest news about the case at Our Children\u2019s Trust.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">This advocacy impact story is part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Climate.pdf\">Chapter 4: Climate.<\/a><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"manual\">Sign Up<\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 18px;\">Get periodic emails with more resources about the issues discussed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Executive-Summary.pdf\"><b>Hunger Report<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<form id=\"insights-sign-up\" class=\"form-inline\" action=\"https:\/\/secure.bread.org\/site\/SSurvey\" method=\"POST\"><input id=\"cons_email\" class=\"sign-up\" maxlength=\"255\" name=\"cons_email\" required=\"\" size=\"20\" type=\"email\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"name@example.com\" \/><br \/>\n<input id=\"ACTION_SUBMIT_SURVEY_RESPONSE\" class=\"button g-recaptcha manual\" name=\"ACTION_SUBMIT_SURVEY_RESPONSE\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Sign Up\" data-sitekey=\"6Le-SrIUAAAAACFUf2uxxQE0DsS9C6T3FjHTzmME\" data-callback=\"onSubmit\" \/><\/form>\n<div class=\"section-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>| <a id=\"anchor-report-section-26\" class=\"anchor\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"report-section-26\" class=\"entity entity-paragraphs-item paragraphs-item-intro-summary\">\n<div id=\"section-report-section-26\" class=\"paragraph-body\">\n<div class=\"field field-name-field-section-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<div class=\"long-form-special embiggen\">\n<h2 class=\"chalk-board\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Print or Download Report Materials<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10545 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/cover-420.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/cover-420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/cover-420-234x300.jpg 234w, https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/cover-420-312x400.jpg 312w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Executive-Summary.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">2019 Hunger Report Executive Summary<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nEnding hunger is within reach. 2030 sounds audacious. But decades of victory over hunger, despite recent setbacks, reveal a different picture. It is rapid global progress, not any one which persuades us that ending hunger and malnutrition is possible sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Study-Guide.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Christian Study Guide<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThe study guide offers a biblically-based tool to explore God\u2019s call to protect vulnerable people in the 21st century. The guide summarizes the report\u2019s overall themes and provides discussion questions and group activities on select topics in the report.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Introduction.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Introduction: Ending Hunger is Within Reach<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nA national effort to end hunger could bring our country together and this goal has in fact, already brought the world together. Ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 by the governments of 193 countries, including the United States, with support from their civil society and business sectors.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Livelihoods.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Chapter 1: Livelihoods<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThe only way to end hunger with dignity is to enable people to earn the income they need to provide enough healthy food for themselves and their children.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Nutrition.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Chapter 2: Nutrition<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nMaternal and child nutrition is a critical factor in healthy human development. Nutrition is a lifelong necessity for the health and well-being of individuals, their communities, and ultimately their countries.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Gender.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Chapter 3: Gender<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nWomen in every society are treated as less valuable and\/or less capable. Women and girls are the largest group of marginalized people. Yet food security is dependent on them.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Climate.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Chapter 4: Climate Change<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nPopulations that are most affected by the impact of climate change are those most likely to be hungry. Climate change is the biggest barrier to ending hunger once and for all.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Fragility.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Chapter 5: Fragility<\/span><\/a><br \/>\nWhen marginalized groups or people living in extreme poverty turn to violence, hunger is very often an underlying factor. Hunger is both a cause and an effect of the violence associated with fragile environments.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Faith-Leaders-Statement.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Religious Leaders&#8217; Statement<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n&#8220;As followers of Christ, we believe it is possible to build the moral and political will to end hunger by 2030. The world has made unprecedented progress against hunger, poverty, and disease in recent decades. The United States has made progress more slowly than many other countries, but it is feasible to end hunger here, too.&#8221; <em>\u2014 excerpt from religious leaders&#8217; statement<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"no-hov\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Sponsors.pdf\"><span class=\"feat-list-item\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Hunger Report Sponsors<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Co-Publisher:<\/strong> Margaret Wallhagen and Bill Strawbridge; <strong>Partners:<\/strong> American Baptist Churches USA World Relief, American Baptist Home Mission Societies, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Christian Women Connection, Church of the Brethren, Community of Christ, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Covenant World Relief\/Evangelical Covenant Church, Evangelical Covenant Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Growing Hope Globally, Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation, International Orthodox Christian Charities, National Baptist Convention, USA, INC, Society of African Missions, United Church of Christ, Women\u2019s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Millennials and Generation Z Seek Climate Justice in Court &#8220;The most important lawsuit on the planet&#8221; Bill McKibben, 350.org Younger generations have the most to lose if today\u2019s leaders in government do not act more assertively to slow climate change. This is the basis for an inspired climate advocacy campaign that is currently in progress,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1235,"template":"","tags":[],"focus":[],"topic":[],"resource_type":[9],"class_list":["post-1234","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_type-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1234"},{"taxonomy":"focus","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/focus?post=1234"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=1234"},{"taxonomy":"resource_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_type?post=1234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}