Judge dismisses suit by young climate activists against Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies | Law (US)

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by young climate activists seeking to stop Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel executive orders.

The dismissal by U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen on Wednesday came after 22 plaintiffs, ranging in age from seven to 25 and from five states, sought to block three executive orders from the president, including those declaring a “national energy emergency” and seeking to “unleash American energy” — as well as an executive order aimed at “invigorating” U.S. coal production.

According to the plaintiffs, the executive orders constitute illegal executive overreach and violate the state-created danger doctrine – a legal principle designed to prevent government officials from causing harm to their citizens.

The plaintiffs also included several young people who had previously participated in the landmark Held v. Montana case in 2023 – the first constitutional climate trial in the United States. In this case, a judge ruled in favor of young plaintiffs who claimed that the Montana state government had violated their constitutional right to a healthy environment.

In Wednesday’s ruling, Christensen said the plaintiffs presented “overwhelming evidence that the climate is changing at a staggering rate and that this change stems from increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, caused by the production and combustion of fossil fuels.”

However, Christensen added: “Yet while this court is certainly troubled by the very real harms presented by climate change and by the [executive orders’] effect on carbon dioxide emissions, this concern does not automatically give it the power to act.

He added: “Granting plaintiffs’ injunction would require defendant agencies, and – ultimately – this court, to review every action taken by climate-related agencies since” the start of Trump’s second presidency on January 20, 2025.

“In other words, this court would be required to monitor countless federal agency actions to determine whether they violate its injunction. This is simply an impractical request for which plaintiffs provide no precedent,” Christensen continued.

According to a new report from Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy and ethics organization, Trump chose more than 40 people directly employed by coal, oil and gas companies to serve in his administration.

Since taking office, Trump has launched broad attacks on sustainable energy alternatives and climate science. In August, his administration released a report claiming that “climate change is a challenge – not a catastrophe,” a claim that drew sharp criticism from climate experts who called the report a “farce” filled with misinformation.