Sue State, a young climate activist in Wisconsin,

15 young climate advocates, ages eight to 17, sued on Friday Wisconsin in its support for fossil fuel policies.

The case provides state officials with the opportunity to “decarbonize Wisconsin” because “they cause climate damage to young people,” Kaarina, 17, the chief plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Kaarina grew up in Vernon County along the Mississippi River. But in 2023, a huge rock rolled into her backyard and knocked down trees.

Her family worried about their safety, but couldn’t find an affordable home in the county to be protected from flooding, which made flooding more common and severe. They were forced to move north to La Crosse County.

In Wisconsin, events such as Kaarina experience occur more frequently because winter melts and subsequent refreezing cycles (called “freezing events”) are increasing due to global heating. Kaarina believes that her fate might have been different if it weren’t for the fuel-powered climate crisis, as the boulders that collapsed toward her home might never be expelled.

“I had to leave the childhood I planned to live in and enjoy it with my own children,” Karina said, who only used her name because she was a minor.

“Incredible trauma and life-changing experiences” helped inspire her to join the case, she said.

The new lawsuit was filed by two non-profit law firms. First of all, our children’s trust, Win the Landmark 2023 Victory In Montana’s case, the judge ruled that the state’s physical fossil fuel policy violated the state’s rights to young challengers. Second Regional Environmental Justice Law Center Midwest Environmental Advocate Wins July Case About Wisconsin Public Record Law.

In the new lawsuit, the plaintiffs specifically target two Wisconsin laws responsible for the state’s Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities. One person prohibits regulators from considering toxic and planetary heated air pollution when allowing new fossil fuel power plants, while another prohibits it from requiring utilities to increase the amount of electricity they get from carbon-free sources.

“These laws create a system where the Public Service Commission continues to approve fossil fuel power plants and cannot be more renewable online,” said Nate Bellinger, an attorney for our Children’s Trust.

Wisconsin has pledged to transition to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050, but it still gets three-quarters of the electricity from fossil fuels today.

“The state legislature and executive departments have both set goals and have the task to decarbonize the power sector,” Bellinger said. “These laws are getting in the way.”

The plaintiffs’ purpose was to declare these two laws unconstitutional, which could ultimately lead to their overthrow. The lawsuit argues that the state’s constitution covers the right to life, freedom and the right to pursue happiness, and that the ongoing harm to the power sector of oil and gas will affect this range.

“We believe that fossil fuel pollution and the climate impacts caused by the approval of fossil fuel power plants are harming the plaintiff’s health, homes, their property and safety and ultimately infringing on the constitutional rights to safety and health,” Bellinger said.

The challenger also said that Wisconsin should be forced to hold certain natural resources in government trusts so that the public’s interests can hold certain natural resources, and that Wisconsin should be forced to protect accessible waters now and for future generations, including the climate crisis.

The impact of climate on Wisconsin is continuing, including not only flooding and rapid freeze-thaw cycles, but also wildfires, ecosystem degradation and extreme heat increase. All of these have caused losses to local youth, the lawsuit says.

“I coached tennis in the summer, but I did have to give it up lately due to such extreme weather and extreme climate events, which made me no longer safe,” Kalinana said. “In addition, my family loved gardening at the nearby grandparents tree farm and my summer in the garden was shortened by such extreme heat, which didn’t make the outdoors safe, and extreme weather events ended up putting us in such incredible work.”

The plaintiffs also experienced worsening of fossil fuels, while Indigenous challengers saw access to traditional foods they received was hampered by ecosystem degradation and warming water, the lawsuit alleged.

“Our clients ask the court to uphold their right to a livable future,” said Tony Wilkin Gibart, executive director of the Midwest Environmental Advocate. “This situation is about whether they will inherit a future shaped by clean energy and stable climate, or the burden of growing due to fossil fuel pollution, extreme weather events and threats to their health and safety.”

The lawsuit is because the federal government withdraws many environmental rules and works to increase fossil fuels. In May, our children’s trust Prosecution The Trump administration has enforced orders against some of its anti-environment; the case will hold a two-day evidence hearing next month.

Carina said Donald Trump’s policies make youth climate action even more important, especially at the state level.

“At the moment, there’s a lot of dark things going on in our world, especially in our federal government,” she said. “But, I think that should squeeze the light of youth.”