The Akien Decision, A reread of a Very Important Document
As shown in the photo above I am a member of the climate change lawsuit featuring noted Climate Scientist Jim Hansen, as a plantiff.
This document that I am reading today I have read multiple times, it is one of the most important documents for the case, it is a decision writen by judge Ann Akien, about a year or so into the filing of this lawsuit. So I thought I should explain some context. This lawsuit was filed almost exactly three years ago, as an early freshman I was convinced that it wouldnt blossom into the most important climate change lawsuit going on in america. I was thinking that it would serve as a potential faliure that would inspire future lawsuits, and it has been a wonderful experience to watch it being proven wrong. So far we have had essentialy all positive rulings. This one essentialy catapulting the case from obscurity, with a ruling that affirms all of the points we have made so far in the case. Trial starts in 2 weeks, I am probably going to testify in court about the harms climate change has caused me.
When I read this about 2 years ago when it was first announced. I didnt understand it at all, however when i reread it I am starting to truely understand what makes the case that I am on fundamentaly different from other lawsuits of its type, how it emphasises the importance of protecting future generations, compared to other lawsuits that try to do everything based on personal harm to individuals and seeking monetary damages.
This case doesnt do that, we arnt asking for those things, and the importance of those differences is more noticeable to me now then it was when i first joined
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