In my March Afterthought, I urged readers to “Read, Listen, View, and Act” to address the climate crisis. In that post, I recommended Youth v Gov, a full-length documentary that tells the story of how the U.S. government has contributed to climate change for decades and of the youth who are suing it. It features Julia Olson, lead counsel from Our Children’s Trust and the twenty-one youth plaintiffs of the constitutional lawsuit, Juliana v. United States.
The lawsuit is named after Kelsey Juliana who, at nineteen, was the oldest of the plaintiffs when the suit was filed in 2015.
Last night, I finally was able to watch the film, and it was as enlightening, informative, and inspiring as I’d anticipated. The movie’s trailer should convince you.
The movie is making the rounds of film festivals; director and scientist Dr. Christi Cooper hopes soon it will find a distributor for widespread screening. Until then, check the film’s website for information about festival screenings.
While you’re on the website, check out the bios of the film’s team. Scroll down to read about Liz Smith of San Juan Island, co-producer and archival researcher. Another of Liz’s credentials includes her title of Writer-in-Residence on the Interisland Ferry.
I hope to see Liz again soon, writing on the Interisland. She has important words to share.
“YOUTH v GOV is about more than just a lawsuit. It is the story of empowered youth finding their voices and fighting to protect their rights and our collective future. This is a revolution designed to hold those in power accountable for the past and responsible for a sustainable future. And many of the movement’s leaders aren’t even old enough to vote. (Yet.)”
*Afterthoughts are my blog version of a practice followed in some Quaker meetings. After meeting for worship ends, people continue in silence for a few more minutes during which they’re invited to share thoughts or reflect on the morning’s worship. I’ve adopted the form here for last-day-of-the-month brief reflections on headlines, quotes, books, previous posts, maybe even bumper stickers and refrigerator magnets.
Iris Graville - Author 