Eight young Florida residents took aim at Governor Rick Scott for what they describe as his inaction in the face of climate change by filing a constitutional climate lawsuit against him, the state, and several state agencies on April 16.
The complaint claims that the state has denied the youngest generation its “fundamental rights to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and property, which includes a stable climate system capable of sustaining human life.” Reynolds v. State of Florida takes specific umbrage with the state’s largely fossil fuel–dependent energy system, which it claims produces “dangerous levels of greenhouse gas pollution” and damages public trust resources like beaches and marine life.
“Our global climate change crisis is the biggest issue that my generation will ever face, and it will be up to today’s youth to solve this problem before it is too late,” Delaney Reynolds, 18, the lead plaintiff, told Teen Vogue. “Our politicians have failed us and sit back and watch communities all over the state, including where I live, being forced to begin addressing what is happening without helping.”
According to a press release, the plaintiffs hope that the suit will lead to the court-ordered creation of a science-based Climate Recovery Plan and that the state will acknowledge that climate change is real. The plaintiffs range from 10 to 20 years old according to that release, and they are being supported by Our Children’s Trust, an Oregon-based environmental nonprofit.
“I hope the judicial system will step up and require that the state begin fixing the problem before places like Miami, Miami Beach, the Everglades, and the Florida Keys disappear,” Delaney told Teen Vogue.
The complaint outlines current and future impacts of climate change upon the state, including “ocean acidification, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion into drinking water wells, health-related threats from insect-borne diseases, lower agricultural yields, severe droughts, increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, and reduced availability of fresh water due to increased evaporation and sea water intrusion,” the release said. According to the Nature Conservancy, 75% of the state's population lives in the coastal zone and billions of dollars in existing property could be under water by 2050 due to rising sea levels.
Scott is a former for-profit hospital CEO who assumed the governorship in 2011. His environmental record has been called “abysmal” by the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund, particularly in light of the fact that Florida is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Most memorably, when asked if he thought manmade climate change was real in 2014, he responded, “I’m not a scientist.” After taking office, the “pro-growth” politician, NPR reported dismantled a state agency that was designed to curb overzealous development. He also cut or eliminated funding for statewide land conservation, water management districts, and protection of the Everglades. A 2014 op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times argued that “Scott has bulldozed a record of environmental protection that his Republican and Democratic predecessors spent decades building.”
In 2015, it was revealed by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting that Scott banned the use of the phrases “global warming” and “climate change” by employees, contractors, and volunteers of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He later denied those allegations.
That same year, a report released by the Florida chapter of the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility stated that in 2014 there was an 85% drop in environmental regulation cases opened by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection compared to 2010 numbers.
In 2017, Scott supported President Trump in his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, arguing, “You cannot invest in your environment without a good economy.”
This isn’t the first such suit for Our Children’s Trust. In 2015, the nonprofit helped file a landmark federal complaint, Juliana v. United States, on behalf of 21 young plaintiffs from Oregon, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. That case was originally filed while Barack Obama was president, but is now targeting Donald Trump's administration. Aji Piper, a plaintiff on that case, told Teen Vogue last August, “We are arguing that the government has known about climate change for 50 years. We see that and have evidence for it.” He continued, “Because the government has violated our rights for so long, they now need to be held accountable and take responsibility and reduce the effects of climate change and reduce our emissions.”
In addition to Delaney, a marine science student and NGO founder from Miami, the group's press release lists the other Florida plaintiffs in the Florida suit as Levi Draheim (10) from Satellite Beach, Oscar Psychas (20) from Gainesville, Isaac Augspurg (12) from Alachua County, Jose Phillips (12) from Miami, Lushia Phillips (14) from Miami, Valholly Frank (15) from Big Cypress, and Oliver Chamblin (14) from Pensacola. The release notes that 10-year-old Levi is a plaintiff in both cases.
Related: Teens are Suing the U.S. Government Over Climate Change
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