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TellUs: Greta Thunberg & Fifteen Teens Sue Five Countries Over Climate Crisis

Greta Thunberg along with fifteen other children sue five countries over climate change

Photo: Mark Lennihan (AP)

On Monday 23 September the international law firm Hausfeld, on behalf of the children, announced that they’re suing five of the world’s major carbon polluters on the grounds that the countries are violating their rights as children. This is in relation to the 1989 United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, giving them the right to life, health and peace. These rights are all things climate change is upending. There’s ample, scientific evidence proving that climate change is already making kids, as well as adults sick, uprooting their lives and even causing fatalities.

The countries involved are Germany, Argentina, Turkey, Brazil and France. If the suit proves successful, the United Nations would classify the climate crisis as a children’s rights crisis. What’s more is also it would compel the five countries governments to create binding agreements with other nations to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases. The complaint was announced during a press conference held at the UNICEF Headquarters in New York. 

Every child involved in the lawsuit has had their own terrifying climate change experience, four children come from four out of the five countries being sued. Alexandria Villaseñor - who has striked outside of the UN for 41 weeks and counting - asthma was greatly exacerbated by the recent wildfires in Northern California. She ended up having to leave visiting her family early, due to the toxic smoke being too dangerous. The wildfires were attributed to climate change and rising temperatures, due to increased greenhouse gas emissions - making the perfect, dry conditions for wildfires. 

Ayakha Melithafa, a 17-year-old from Cape Town, had to leave abruptly fearing the running out of water during the city’s climate change-fuelled drought. 

Left: Wildfires North California (Source: Newsweek) Right: South Africa Droughts (Source: Quartz)

Debbie Adegbile, a 12-year-old from Lagos, Nigeria, has seen her asthma become worse during increasingly severe heatwaves. This is one of the most prevalent climate indicators, as well as more intense flooding which increasing the risk of waterborne diseases massively. 

“Our homes are being swallowed by the ocean, the places where memories are made,” Carlos Manual, a 17 year old from Palau, said at a press conference announcing the suit. “I am standing in front of you because I care about my generation.”

In a brief provided to reporters, many of the young people - all of whom are under the age of 18 -used words like “scared,” “sad,” and “angry” to describe their feelings about climate change.

“Thirty years ago, world leaders made a historic commitment to the world’s children by adopting the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Today, the world’s children are holding the world accountable to that commitment,” UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Charlotte Petri Gornitzka stated, “We fully support children exercising their rights and taking a stand. Climate change will impact every single one of them. It’s no wonder they are uniting to fight back.”

In conjunction with the lawsuit Thunberg made her iconic speech, where she told leaders all over the world that enough was enough. “You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you,” Thunberg continued. “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”

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Check out my previous blog: https://www.tellusabouttheenvironment.com/2019/09/tellus-luckys-legacy-rescue.html
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