There is an environmental activist group, along with 900 co-plaintiffs, in the Netherlands that is taking their government to court over climate change. They are basing their claim on the idea that their government is not doing enough to halt global climate change, and is thus "illegally endangering its citizens." They want the government to change their policies so that carbon emissions are reduced by 40% of the levels that were produced in 1990, which is a much more drastic goal than what the government is currently attempting to accomplish. The Netherlands are a low lying country, and 60% of their gross domestic product is below sea level, so if global climate change continues, rising sea levels will be a major problem for everyone in the country. There are similar cases happening in other parts of the world. A case like this has shown up in Belgium. There have been several attempts of this sort in the United States that have ended in failure.
It may sound crazy to sue the government over global climate change, but it is my hope that the plaintiffs win this case. If they can win, then they have brought the world one country closer to solving the global climate change crisis. We, as a global society, need to band together to make a change for the environment because if we don't, we are going to be in so much trouble soon. Perhaps, if they can win this case, other people in other countries will join in and make similar cases and fight until they win them. Perhaps we can force every developed country's government to concede that global climate change is, in fact, a real issue that needs to be addressed and solved. It is my hope that more and more American citizens attempt to open cases like this until the government gives in and admits that there is a problem to be addressed.
Sara Idol
4/19/2015
11:58 pm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/17/dutch-climate-change-case_n_7089618.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green
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