Young climate activists ask US Supreme Court to revive their lawsuit against the government

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Young climate activists in Oregon have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their long-running lawsuit against the federal government in which they argued they have a constitutional right to a climate that sustains life.

Their petition, filed Thursday, asks the high court to reverse a rejection of the lawsuit issued by a federal appeals court panel earlier this year, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. It seeks to have the ruling thrown out and the case sent back to federal court in Oregon so it can go to trial.

The landmark case was filed in 2015 by 21 plaintiffs who were between the ages of 8 and 18 at the time.

The suit was challenged repeatedly by the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, whose lawyers argued it sought to direct federal environmental and energy policies through the courts instead of the political process.

In May, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, acting on a request from the Biden administration, directed U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Eugene, Oregon, to dismiss the case.

“Our petition to the Supreme Court is essential to correct this overreach by the Ninth Circuit and uphold the rule of law,” Julia Olson, chief legal counsel at Our Children’s Trust, the nonprofit law firm representing the activists, said in a statement. “Upholding these principles of fair process is vital for maintaining trust in our judicial system, regardless of what the Justices may think about the merits of the case.”

Another climate lawsuit brought by young people was successful: Early this year the Montana Supreme Court upheld a landmark decision requiring regulators to consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions before issuing permits for fossil fuel development.

That case was also brought by Our Children’s Trust. The law firm has filed climate lawsuits in every state on behalf of young plaintiffs since 2010.

FILE - Supporters attend a rally for a group of young people who filed a lawsuit saying U.S. energy policies are causing climate change and hurting their future, in Portland, Ore., June 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola, File)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them.

The pagers were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, based in Hungary’s capital, according to a statement released Wednesday by Gold Apollo.

Gold Apollo said the AR-924 pagers used by the Hezbollah militant group were produced and sold by a company called BAC that was authorized to use Gold Apollo’s trademark in some regions.

“According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,” the statement read.

Experts believe explosive material was put into the pagers prior to their delivery and use in a sophisticated supply chain infiltration.

Gold Apollo chair Hsu Ching-kuang told journalists Wednesday that his company has had an authorization agreement with BAC for the past three years.

“This company has cooperated with us and represents many of our products,” Hsu said. “They also wanted to make pagers and asked me if they could use our company’s brand name.” He added the products involved in the explosion were designed by BAC.

Hsu and other Gold Apollo representatives did not disclose more details about BAC and did not show any proof of the organizations’ agreement. When pressed for information on BAC, Hsu became quiet and left.

A police officer inspects a car in which a hand-held pager exploded, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

People gather outside the American University hospital after the arrival of several men who were wounded by exploded handheld pagers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bassam Masri)

Lebanese soldiers stand guard at a street that leads to the American University hospital where they bring wounded people whose handheld pager exploded, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)