The eight plaintiffs, aged 11 to 22, argue the major new fossil fuel project violates their state constitutional rights.
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Eight young Alaska residents filed a climate lawsuit against their state on Wednesday over a natural gas project they argue would violate their constitutional rights to a clean environment.
The lawsuit targets the Alaska LNG Project, a large-scale fossil fuel project developed by state-owned corporation Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) and located on more than 200 acres near Prudhoe Bay, North America’s largest oil field on Alaska’s North Slope. The plant is expected to deliver up to 3.9 billion cubic feet of gas per day, mostly to be exported to international markets.
Despite the company claiming that the $38.7 billion, 800-mile pipeline will result in “significant” environmental benefits, the plaintiffs, aged 11 to 22, claim it would triple Alaska’s greenhouse gas emissions for decades.
Alaska is home to significant fossil fuel reserves, making energy production the economy’s main driver, providing more than 80% of government revenue and thousands of jobs. The extraction and production of oil have led to increased demand for infrastructure such as pipelines and drilling facilities, resulting in significant environmental challenges such as habitat destruction, pollution from oil spills, and emissions.
The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat is the single-largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the primary drivers of global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere and raising Earth’s surface temperature. Global fossil fuel consumption has more than doubled in the last 50 years, as countries around the world aim to improve their standards of living and economic output. In 2023, all three of the most potent GHGs – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide – reached record highs.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has urged countries to halt new gas and oil field projects, arguing that this is the only way to keep the 1.5C-compatible net-zero emissions scenario alive.
The young plaintiffs, represented by Our Children’s Trust, assert the state’s support of the project infringes upon their rights under Alaska’s Constitution. These rights include their entitlement to a climate system that preserves human life, liberty, and dignity, as well as equal access to public trust resources their livelihoods depend on. They are also seeking a court order to prevent the state from proceeding with the project.
“The acceleration of climate change that this project will bring will affect what the land provides and brings to my culture,” Summer Sagoonick, the 22-year-old lead plaintiff in the case and a member of the Iñupiaq tribe, told The Guardian. “I am counting on the courts to protect my rights.”
“Alaska’s youth are on the front lines of the climate crisis, and their futures depend on a swift transition away from fossil fuels,” Andrew Welle, an attorney at the non-profit law firm representing the young Alaskans, said in a statement seen by Reuters.
Alaska is North America’s fastest-warming region, warming twice as fast as the rest of the nation. Rising atmospheric and ocean temperatures are melting glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost in the region, affecting wildlife and raising sea levels.
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