Pirate's Cove

The Australian government should stop by turning off the power to the court, taking away all their fossil fueled

Australian government must protect young people from climate crisis harm, court declares

Australia’s federal court has formally declared the nation’s environment minister has a “duty to take reasonable care” that young people won’t be harmed or killed by carbon dioxide emissions if she approves a coalmine expansion, in a judgment that could have wider implications for fossil fuel projects.

In the federal court case, brought by eight schoolchildren and an octogenarian nun, Justice Mordecai Bromberg on Thursday also ordered the minister pay all costs.

The judge had indicated he would make a declaration during the case in May, when he rejected a request by the children to issue an injunction blocking Whitehaven Coal’s plans to expand its Vickery coalmine project near Boggabri, New South Wales.

Climate campaigners said there should be “no moral, legal or rational way” environment minister Sussan Ley could now approve the project.

Bromberg declared that when the minister makes her decision over the coalmine, she has a duty “to take reasonable care” to “avoid causing personal injury or death” to Australian residents under 18 “arising from emissions of carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere”.

“We are delighted that the law of the land now states that the government has a duty to avoid causing harm to young people,” said Anj Sharma, a 16-year-old Melbourne student and one of the eight children supported in court by Sister Brigid Arthur.

So, when is the government going to stop using fossil fueled vehicles? When will they make sure the kids live like it’s the 1500’s?

Sharma said the “historic ruling” would make it harder for politicians “to continue to approve large-scale fossil fuel projects that will only fast-track the climate crisis.”

Enjoy your fast rising energy prices, Aussie’s, thanks to a silly judge.