A federal court heard live testimony from a group of young climate activists for the first time as they pushed back against the Trump administration’s plan to increase fossil fuel production.
The Guardian reported that the activists were set to call for a federal judge to block three executive orders signed by President Donald Trump during a two-day hearing in Montana. According to the publication, the plaintiffs range in age from 7 to 25 years old.
Lighthiser v. Trump was filed in May by Our Children’s Trust, a nonprofit law firm. John Podesta, a former White House senior adviser on clean energy, reportedly served as one of several witnesses during the hearing.
“The plaintiffs make a compelling case that these orders will only make the climate crisis worse, putting at risk the health, safety, and economic well-being of these young people as well as their families and communities,” Podesta said, per The Guardian.
One of the executive orders mentioned in the litigation is intended to boost the domestic production of coal. The Trump administration recently announced plans to open 13.1 million acres of public land to coal mining and spend $625 million on coal-fired power plants.
Coal and other fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, produce planet-overheating pollution that contributes to more intense and more frequent extreme weather events, according to scientists. Per National Geographic, coal emits more carbon dioxide than any other fossil fuel.
The pollution caused by dirty energy can also be detrimental to human health. More than 17 million Americans are exposed to toxic air pollution from oil and gas wells, per the Natural Resources Defense Council. Those pollutants have been linked to cancer and blood disorders, among other health issues.
The Guardian reported that the federal government, as well as several states, called for dismissal of Lighthiser v. Trump in July. However, the move didn’t deter plaintiffs from speaking up about the consequences of using dirty energy.
“At a time when we need to reduce fossil fuel reliance, the federal government is actively setting us back with these executive orders designed to unleash fossil fuels,” Georgi Fischer, a plaintiff, told The Guardian. “It’s incredibly important for us to fight back against these unconstitutional attacks on our rights to life and liberty.”
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