Get Ready for Climate Change Human Rights with All the Trimmings! By James Reed

The April 2024 decision by the European Court of Human rights, was that a group of old women were having their health adversely affected by climate change. They had a right not to be harmed by climate change. And the mainstream position is that climate change is a product of carbon dioxide production, which in turn is as product of techno-industrial society. Hence, as this is supposedly under human control, it can too be controlled. And as governments are moving too slowly, the feeling from the activists is that the time is ripe to push climate change ideas in the courts.

The following extract is from a pro-climate change site, discussing climate change litigation as a method to force governments to go to net zero emissions, as soon as possible, mainly by abandoning the use of fossil fuels. Many of these cases have failed, but it is early days yet, just like in the toxic torts and cigarette litigation cases of the 1960s and 1970s. The culture is ripe for the courts, increasingly composed of Left-wingers brought up on climate change alarmist ideology, to rule that their societies are illegal. But it will be too bad when the lights go out in the court rooms.

Here is a view from the mainstream narrative, for ready reference:

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-climate-human-rights-issue.html

"In April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a group of seniors who alleged that the Swiss government's failure to meet climate change mitigation targets is having an adverse impact on their health, well-being and quality of life.

This landmark decision by the highest human rights court in Europe confirms not only that climate change is intimately linked to human rights, but effectively holds all European governments accountable to adopt more rigorous measures to combat climate change. …

Taking legal action

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has long underlined that climate change threatens a variety of human rights, including the right to life, food, health, housing, culture and development. In particular, marginalized populations—including children, girls and women, migrants, people with disabilities and Indigenous peoples—are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

In the face of government inaction on climate change, there has been a rise in climate litigation.

In the landmark Urgenda case, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands affirmed there is an obligation to take more effective action to prevent dangerous climate change to protect the life and well-being of all citizens, including those not yet born.

Children across the globe have also been taking legal action against governments.

A case in Canada filed by children and youths alleged that climate inaction will expose them and future generations to physical and psychological harm in violation of several sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. While the case eventually failed, it also set an important example.

At the international level, Colombia and Chile have requested the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to clarify obligations under the frame of international human rights law with regard to the climate crisis. Meanwhile, several island states (including Vanuatu) have requested both the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the International Court of Justice to elaborate on the obligations of States to ensure the protection of the climate system for present and future generations.

While these actions may seem small in the face of the crisis, they all present enormous opportunities to correct inaction and set new global precedent.

Continuing challenges

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time.

If unaddressed, climate change will cause untold ecological disaster and human suffering—and even threaten international peace and security. The consequences of warmer oceans and uncontrolled gaseous emissions transcend borders, ethnicities and political divides to affect all.

The recent European decision is one of a number of climate change cases that are currently ongoing. Though climate litigation can be costly and time-consuming, such cases underline the powerful role that individuals, young and old alike, can play to hold decision-makers to account and prompt greater action on climate change.

Governments must be reminded that they shoulder the twin responsibilities to both fulfill environmental commitments and to protect human health and human rights. In light of the pressing climate crisis and countdown to 2030, concrete action and change cannot come soon enough."

Well, at least they have warned us about what is coming.