The Birth of Our Children's Trust: A Mother's Day to Remember 
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The Birth of Our Children's Trust: A Mother's Day to Remember 

In May 2011, something remarkable happened in the landscape of climate activism. Our Children's Trust launched an unprecedented legal campaign that would forever change how we think about climate change and constitutional rights. We launched over 50 legal actions all at the same time to coincide with hundreds of youth-led climate marches around the world. This movement marked the emergence of our organization's public journey—one that would go on to transform climate litigation and advocacy worldwide. 

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The Power of an Intergenerational Movement in the Fight for a Safe, Livable Climate 
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The Power of an Intergenerational Movement in the Fight for a Safe, Livable Climate 

Earth Month is a time to honor our planet and the people fighting to protect it across generations. At Our Children’s Trust, this intergenerational movement grows from the power of youth-led climate litigation, where young plaintiffs work with each other, a team of attorneys, and climate, energy, and medical experts to defend their rights to a safe climate.  

In this special Earth Month Q&A, we sat down with Delaney Reynolds, the lead youth plaintiff in Reynolds v. Florida Public Service Commission, who shares how her years-long collaboration with Our Children’s Trust attorney, Andrea Rodgers, has shaped her path in climate advocacy, inspired her academic and career goals, and demonstrated the powerful impact of working with people of all ages.  

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Carrying the Legacy of Environmental Law and Protecting Children’s Rights to a Safe Climate 
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Carrying the Legacy of Environmental Law and Protecting Children’s Rights to a Safe Climate 

This Earth Month, we celebrate the intergenerational bonds that fuel climate action. At Our Children’s Trust, youth plaintiffs fight for their rights for a safe, livable future, but they’re not in it alone. Behind them are parents, grandparents, lawyers, experts, and community members committed to helping them secure their fundamental rights.  

To highlight this special intergenerational bond, we sat down with Andrea Rodgers, Our Children’s Trust Deputy Director of U.S. Strategy. Andrea shares how her father’s legacy shaped her path, what she’s learned from youth plaintiffs like Delaney Reynolds, and how intergenerational collaboration is key to a just, sustainable future.  

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Youth Plaintiffs Fight to Stop the Alaska LNG Project and Trump’s Directive to “Unleash Alaska’s Resource Potential”  
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Youth Plaintiffs Fight to Stop the Alaska LNG Project and Trump’s Directive to “Unleash Alaska’s Resource Potential”  

On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping declaration: a so-called “National Energy Emergency.” The disconnect? The U.S. is currently producing more energy than any country in history, with surpluses so large that much of it is destined for export, not domestic use. The real emergency isn’t a lack of energy. It’s the climate crisis, and in Alaska, that emergency is escalating at terrifying speed.

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Juliana v. U.S. - Ten Years of Impact
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Juliana v. U.S. - Ten Years of Impact

Juliana v. United States was filed in August 2015 to secure children’s climate rights and protect future generations. The case faced more government opposition than any in history where the United States is a defendant, but nevertheless the Juliana 21 never backed down.  

They fought for a decade across four presidential administrations andignited a global movement for recognition of our fundamental climate rights. 

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Young Women Making History: Rikki Held on Climate Litigation, Justice, and the Power of Youth Voices  
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Young Women Making History: Rikki Held on Climate Litigation, Justice, and the Power of Youth Voices  

Throughout history, young women have been at the forefront of the climate movement, challenging injustices and reshaping the future. This Women’s History Month, we celebrate those who are making history today, like Rikki Held, the lead youth plaintiff in Held v. State of Montana, the constitutional climate case that secured a groundbreaking victory for youth and safe climate. As one of nine young women plaintiffs in the case, Rikki is part of a powerful new generation of leaders proving that the voices of young women are indispensable in the fight for climate rights. Rikki holds a BA in Environmental Science from Colorado College and currently works as a science educator in Kenya through the Peace Corps. Her future plans include attending graduate school to continue earth and climate science research. 

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Honoring Women Experts in Youth-Led Climate Litigation  
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Honoring Women Experts in Youth-Led Climate Litigation  

Women have long been at the forefront of movements for justice and equality, using their expertise, courage, and persistence to drive meaningful change. In the fight for climate rights, women are again leading the charge—bringing scientific knowledge, medical expertise, and policy advocacy to youth-led climate litigation. This Women’s History Month, we recognize the extraordinary women experts who have played a pivotal role in Our Children’s Trust’s groundbreaking cases, standing alongside young plaintiffs to hold governments accountable for the climate crisis.  

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Honoring the Past and Fighting for the Future 
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Honoring the Past and Fighting for the Future 

As a daughter born in the 1970s and the burgeoning of women’s rights, I was told I could do anything when I grew up. The world was open to me, to dream big, choose my career path, marry or not, make decisions about my own body, choose to have children or not, explore the big cities and the quiet mountains on my own, and help leave the world a better place for generations to come. Before my first birthday, the US Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment by the required two-thirds vote to send it to the states for ratification. No generation of American women before had been born into this kind of freedom and opportunity. 

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Florida’s Youth Take Legal Action to End State’s Fossil Fuel Dependence  
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Florida’s Youth Take Legal Action to End State’s Fossil Fuel Dependence  

The majority of Delaney Reynolds’ life has centered around activism and changing the world for the better. A multi-hyphenate advocate, author, educator, lawyer, and soon-to-be Ph.D. holder, Delaney has spent years working tirelessly to raise awareness of the severe threat climate change poses to her beloved home of Miami and to push her government to act with the urgency the climate crisis demands. At 14, she founded the Sink or Swim Project. At 16, she helped write a solar energy ordinance for the city of South Miami, which ultimately passed.  

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Florida’s Water Reckoning and the Rising Cost of Climate Change  
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Florida’s Water Reckoning and the Rising Cost of Climate Change  

When someone hears “Florida,” the ocean and beaches are often the first image that comes to mind. Florida’s ocean connection generated $39.9 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021 and paid $20.6 billion in wages, with tourism and recreation being the largest marine employer and source of GDP.[1] In fact, Florida employs more people in marine endeavors than any other state. This is not surprising as the ocean created all the land that we call Florida today. However, it is also the ocean that is generating Florida’s greatest climate impacts.  

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Carrying the Spirit of Aloha: Pahonu’s Journey for Climate Justice in Hawai‘i 
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Carrying the Spirit of Aloha: Pahonu’s Journey for Climate Justice in Hawai‘i 

For Pahonu C., a Native Hawaiian youth plaintiff in the groundbreaking Navahine v. Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT lawsuit, climate justice is more than a fight—it’s a commitment to the land (‘āina), the community, and future generations. After achieving a historic Settlement Agreement with Hawaii’s government and HDOT, Pahonu reflects on the deep cultural values driving this work and the role young people play in shaping a sustainable future for Hawai‘i.  

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Defending Montana’s Judiciary & Constitutional Rights: A Statement from Co-Executive Directors Following Historic Ruling
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Defending Montana’s Judiciary & Constitutional Rights: A Statement from Co-Executive Directors Following Historic Ruling

It is deeply concerning to witness the attacks on Montana's judiciary by elected officials following the Montana Supreme Court's historic decision in Held v. State of Montana. These attacks, seemingly driven by fossil fuel special interests, reflect a troubling disregard for the true meaning of liberty and the right to life and property—not to mention the sworn duty of public officials to uphold and defend the Constitution.

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Youth Plaintiff Genesis B. Takes a Stand Against the Climate Crisis  
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Youth Plaintiff Genesis B. Takes a Stand Against the Climate Crisis  

At just 18 years old, Genesis B., a lifelong resident of Long Beach, California, is already confronting the harsh realities of a warming planet. As a plaintiff in the youth-led climate lawsuit Genesis v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genesis’s story sheds light on how the climate crisis is impacting young people on a deeply personal level. 

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Fighting for Montana’s Future: Grace’s Journey for Climate Justice 
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Fighting for Montana’s Future: Grace’s Journey for Climate Justice 

For Grace, a youth plaintiff in the historic constitutional climate lawsuit Held v. State of Montana, the fight for climate justice is deeply personal. Growing up in Montana, she fell in love with its breathtaking landscapes and the vibrant communities that call it home. Now, through her work with Our Children’s Trust, Grace is using her voice to hold leaders accountable and protect her state—and the planet—for generations to come. In this exclusive Q&A, Grace shares how her passion for climate rights began, her experience as a plaintiff in the first climate trial in U.S. history, and her hopes for a safe and livable future. 

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Empower Change: Activate Our Emotion
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Empower Change: Activate Our Emotion

In the wake of devastating climate-fueled hurricanes, we reflect on the personal toll of this crisis and call for collective action. From our own staff grappling with the storms’ impacts, to young people like Avery displaced in Florida, and entire communities in North Carolina struggling to rebuild, the stories are both harrowing and galvanizing. This is a fight for fundamental rights, for life, liberty, and a livable planet. Together, we can empower the youth leading this charge and turn grief into transformative action.

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Governments Are Perpetuating Climate, Health, and Nature Inequalities Hispanic Communities Face in the U.S.  
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Governments Are Perpetuating Climate, Health, and Nature Inequalities Hispanic Communities Face in the U.S.  

There are nearly 9 million children living in America, and in 2022, the majority (41%) were Hispanic children under the age of 18 living in poverty—environments often neglected, industrialized, and riddled with pollution (1). For many Hispanics and Latinos, this is a reality shaped by deep-rooted social, economic, and environmental inequities, resulting from a discriminatory system that confines marginalized groups to segregated, toxic spaces.  

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How This Latina’s Passion for Climate Justice Fuels her Impact at Our Children’s Trust 
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How This Latina’s Passion for Climate Justice Fuels her Impact at Our Children’s Trust 

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we are excited to highlight Aly Bonilla, Executive Legal Assistant at Our Children’s Trust. A proud Honduran raised in Norwalk, Connecticut, Aly joined our team earlier this year, bringing her passion and dedication to advancing our mission to protect children’s rights to a safe climate. Aly's deep-rooted commitment and her unique perspective as a member of the Latinx community enriche our work, and we are thrilled to have her as a vital part of our team. 

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Guided by Heritage, Fueled by Justice: Taleah’s Fight for Constitutional Rights and Historic Climate Victory in Montana 
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Guided by Heritage, Fueled by Justice: Taleah’s Fight for Constitutional Rights and Historic Climate Victory in Montana 

 

Rooted in the strength of her Indigenous and Hispanic heritage, Taleah is one of the courageous youth plaintiffs in the landmark Held v. State of Montana lawsuit. In 2023, she and her fellow youth plaintiffs took their state government to court for worsening the climate crisis and violating their constitutional rights. After the first trial of its kind in the U.S., Judge Seeley issued a historic ruling wholly in their favor. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we highlight Taleah, her pivotal role in this historic climate victory, and how her culture drives her relentless fight for climate rights and the protection of her land. 

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From Fighting America’s Climate Case to Lessons in Perú: A Youth Plaintiff’s Journey for Climate Justice  
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From Fighting America’s Climate Case to Lessons in Perú: A Youth Plaintiff’s Journey for Climate Justice  

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we proudly highlight Sahara, one of the 21 youth plaintiffs in the constitutional climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States. Sahara is also a college student studying abroad in Cusco, Perú, and in the Q&A below, she shares her perspective on being a youth plaintiff in America’s Climate Case and the climate challenges facing Cusco’s communities.  

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