Nature 0;0;74140886;4-234/60;0/0/0;;~Sscs=%3F)

SUBSCRIBE (HTTPS://W1.BUYSUB.COM/PUBS/MD/OUM/SUBSCRIBE08.JSP? SEARCH

CDS_PAGE_ID=45307&CDS_MAG_CODE=OUM&ID=1326222970301&LSID=20101316102036544&VID=1)

CUSTOMER SERVICE (HTTPS://W1.BUYSUB.COM/PUBS/MD/OUM/LOGIN_SINGLEMAG.JSP?CDS_PAGE_ID=82339&CDS_MAG_CODE=OUM)

FACEBOOK (HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OUTSIDEMAGAZINE) TWITTER (HTTP://TWITTER.COM/OUTSIDEMAGAZINE) RSS FEED (/FEEDS/BLOG.RSS) (/) Gear Travel Fitness Adventure Blog Photography Video Magazine Promotions (/outdoor-GEAR GIRL(/adventure- (/OUTDOOR-GEAR/GEAR-GIRL)(/fitness)GEAR(/outdoor- GUY (/OUTDOOR-GEAR/GEAR-GUY)(/blog) (/photo-GEAR OF THE SHOW(/featured- (/OUTDOOR-GEAR/GEAR-OF-THE-SHOW)(/magazine)SUBSCRIBE NOW!(/promotions- FREE GIFT! (/TEMPLATES/OUTSIDE_SUBSCRIBE_IFRAME)(/TEMPLATES/OUTSIDE_SUBSCRIBE_IFRAME) THEgear) OUTSIDEtravel) BLOG adventure) galleries) videos) events)

(http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/3c28/0/0/%2a/p;44306;0- Nature 0;0;74140886;4-234/60;0/0/0;;~sscs=%3f)

Thursday, November 03, 2011 3 WHY IS 17-YEAR-OLD ALEC LOORZ SUING THE GOVERNMENT OVER GLOBAL WARMING? By Raising Rippers (/blog?author=Raising+Rippers)

Last May, while most normal high school students were out breaking curfew or killing time until summer, 17-year-old Alec Loorz from Oak View, California, had other plans: He was suing the federal government for global warming. SEARCH SITE

His lawsuit is part of a nationwide surge of youth-led litigation, filed in every state, arguing that the atmosphere is part of the public trust and that the government has an ethical responsibility to protect it CATEGORIES for present and future generations. It’s a bold move, especially since the so-called Public Trust Doctrine Uncategorized (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? has never been used to protect something as invisible and intangible as the air we breathe and the category=Uncategorized) atmosphere we live in. And never by plaintiffs who are too young to vote. Media (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Media) Books (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Books) TV (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? category=TV) Celebrities (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? category=Celebrities) Athletes (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Athletes) Politics (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Politics) Science (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Science) Nature (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Nature) Events (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Events) Photography (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? category=Photography) Water Activities (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? “The kids living today are the ones who have the most to lose,” says Julia Olson, executive program category=Water+Activities) director for Our Children’s Trust (http://www.ourchildrenstrust.org), a nonprofit that’s helping Surfing (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Surfing) spearhead the iMatter legal campaign in partnership with Alec’s organization, Kids Vs. Global Warming Sailing (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Sailing) (http://kids-vs-global-warming.com/Home.html), and is releasing mini documentaries each month Swimming (/blog/outdoor- about the youth plaintiffs to raise awareness of the eco blitz. The federal case seeks to compel agencies adventure/nature? to adopt a climate recovery plan by capping carbon emissions by 2012 and then reducing them by 6 category=Swimming) Paddling (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? percent a year starting in 2013, to put us on a trajectory to reach 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide category=Paddling) (http://www.350.org/) in the atmosphere by 2100. "This is the minimum that Jim Hansen and other Biking (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Biking) climate scientists say we need to get to a stable climate,” Olson says. Climbing (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? category=Climbing) So urgent, in fact, that it may already be too late for Alec and the other youth climate plaintiffs. Even if a Running (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Running) 6 percent recovery plan is implemented in 2013, Alec will be 104 by the time the climate returns to Hiking and Backpacking (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? equilibrium. I checked in with the boy wonder of climate activism about taking the really long view. category=Hiking+and+Backpacking) Exploration (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? RR: How’d you get involved in climate change? category=Exploration) AL: Watching “Inconvenient Truth” was the spark for me. Before that, I knew nothing. We barely Outdoor Skills (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? recycled at home. When I saw the movie, something clicked inside of me. I was 12. The next day at category=Outdoor+Skills) school, I had a heated argument about global warming with my best friend. It made me so angry that I Strength and Power Training went home and spent hours looking up scientific reports and making a presentation to show my friend (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? the next day. That’s when I knew this was something I wanted to fight for. category=Strength+and+Power+Training) Nutrition (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Nutrition) Bags (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Bags) Then what happened? Tools (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Tools) I wanted to be trained by Al Gore, but they rejected me. I was too young. Eventually I did get trained, and now I give presentations at schools around the country as part of the organization I started, Kids Vs. Cameras (/blog/outdoor- adventure/nature? Global Warming. I think I’ve spoken to 250,000 people total so far. category=Cameras) Camping (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? A few weeks ago, The New York Times ran an editorial called “Where Did Global category=Camping) Warming Go?” (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/sunday-review/whatever- Footwear (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? happened-to-global-warming.html?pagewanted=all) How do you keep getting the category=Footwear) message out given the backlash and naysayers? Paddling (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? Yeah, everyone in the environmental movement is wondering the same thing. Al Gore and his Climate category=Paddling) Reality Project (http://climaterealityproject.org/)just released a new presentation arguing the real Snow Sports (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? science. A lot of people are talking about green jobs instead, but that’s avoiding the issue. The answer is category=Snow+Sports) going above that. It’s bigger than climate change. It’s sustainability. It’s about living as if our future Skiing and Snowboarding (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? matters. category=Skiing+and+Snowboarding) Paddling (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? Do you get ever overwhelmed by how much there is to do? category=Paddling) That’s the biggest thing I’ve struggled since I went to Iceland two years ago and saw the glaciers melting. Adventure Electronics (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? category=Adventure+Electronics) The main thing I’ve figured out is to remember that my generation is being called to solve this crisis. We Gear (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Gear) were born to help our community transition to a sustainable culture. I’m always impressed by what Adventure (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? young people can do. category=Adventure) Fitness (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Fitness) Like file law suits...What made you and your fellow plaintiffs decide to take legal action? Podcasts (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? We are all in imminent danger. Scientists have said we have 10 years to make changes if we want to category=Podcasts) stabilize the climate by 2100—and that was back in 2005. We’ve already wasted five years. Climate Travel (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Travel) change is a symptom of corruption and unsustainable mindset. We care more about money and power than we do about future generations. The judicial system is the only branch of government not bought out by corporate interests. AUTHORS

How does the public trust work? Adventure Ethics (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? The government has a legal responsibility to protect the atmospheres for future generations, and we author=Adventure+Ethics) have authority to take legal action against the government for not protecting this trust. It’s like your dad Raising Rippers (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? gambling away your college fund. Young people can’t vote. We have no official political recognition. All author=Raising+Rippers) we can do is trust. Government has allowed money and power to come before our future. The courts Adventure Lab (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? have the ability to protect that trust. author=Adventure+Lab) Cold Splinters (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? Are you optimistic? author=Cold+Splinters) The lawyers are all pretty hopeful. If it goes through, it would be a landmark decision. Even if they try to Porter Fox (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? author=Porter+Fox) compromise, at least it’s on the table. If it were up to me, though, I wouldn’t compromise. Six percent is Outside Online (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? the bare minimum of what we need. And for each year we don’t do anything, that number goes up. author=Outside+Online) Adam Roy (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? Even if we do get a climate recovery plan, we won't see the benefits of a stable climate author=Adam+Roy) within your lifetime. What’s it like to realize that you might not be around to reap the Kyle Dickman (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? benefits of your efforts? author=Kyle+Dickman) It’s kind of weird, but I feel like I’m dedicated to this fight. It’s for the future. Guest Blogger (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? author=Guest+Blogger) What do you do to reduce your carbon footprint? Aileen Torres (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? We recycle and compost, and I ride my bike as much as I can. We got rid of our SUV and have a smaller, author=Aileen+Torres) more efficient car. We’re working on a solar hot water system. And we changed our light bulbs—all that The News Team (/blog/outdoor- basic energy-saving stuff. adventure/nature?author=The+News+Team) The Lab Rat (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? Is it hard to justify all the flying you do? author=The+Lab+Rat) Yeah, pretty much one flight cancels out any positive action over the past year. I’d love not to travel. I The Good Route (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? travel about one week a month. I’ve started home schooling because I travel so much. But if I reach 100 author=The+Good+Route) people and they each talk to 10 people, that’s 1,000 people. Still, if I were to think, how am I going to Media (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?author=Media) solve climate crisis on my own—that’s unhealthy. This is an intergenerational issue. The government The Powder Feed (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? author=The+Powder+Feed) needs to be the one to make the plan. The scientists say that we still have a chance if we act now . Field Tested (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature? —Katie Arnold author=Field+Tested) @RaisingRippers (http://twitter.com/#!/raisingrippers) DISPATCHES(/BLOG)

OUTSIDE(/BLOG) VOICES

CATEGORIES: Nature (/blog/outdoor-adventure/nature?category=Nature) Tweet (http://twitter.com/share) Like

After the Next Freak Storm, You've Got the Power (http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor- gear/youve-got-the- COMMENTS 3 power.html) By Gear Shed (/blog? author=Gear+Shed) 02/27/2012 (/blog? PEN DRIVE I feel he is thinking about such important matter on which the archive=02,2012) RECOVERY government must think about and took a positive and immediate Flag This (#) step for it. http://www.usbdriverecovery.com 11/04/11 3:15:AM

Unlocking the LARRY GAUTHIER I think it's a long time in coming... and is commendable of our Florida Keys with 11/04/11 8:42:AM youth, after all, they will be the ones to face better or worse Flag This (#) Kids conditions, depending on how we act or react NOW. Larry Gauthier (http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor- with the Az Floor Company. Flooring Phoenix for adventure/the-keys- LESS!http://www.azfloorcompany.com on-the-cheap.html) By Raising Rippers (/blog? author=Raising+Rippers) 02/25/2012 (/blog? archive=02,2012) LARRY GAUTHIER I think it's a long time in coming... and is commendable of our 11/04/11 8:42:AM youth, after all, they will be the ones to face better or worse Flag This (#) conditions, depending on how we act or react NOW. Larry Gauthier with the Az Floor Company. Flooring Phoenix for LESS!http://www.azfloorcompany.com Training With The 3,347-Mile Man (http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor- adventure/athletes/the-(http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/3c28/0/0/%2a/e;246105692;0- Related3347-mile- Articles 0;0;74140886;2321- POST COMMENT man.html) 160/600;43995039/44012826/1;;~sscs=%3fhttp://yukonwild.com/CathersWildernessAdventures.aspx? 1By. EXPLORERS The Cycle Life CLUB (/blog? utm_source=OutsideAdvTrvCanSki&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=skyscraper160x600&utm_campaign=gowildwinter2011) author=The+Cycle+Life) Name (HTTP://WWW.OUTSIDEONLINE.COM/OUTDOOR-02/24/2012 (/blog? ADVENTURE/EXPLORATION/BATTLE-OF-archive=02,2012) THE-BIG-SWINGING-PICKS.HTML) Comment In the heart of New York City, a power... Max 500 Characters 2. ADRENALINE NATION (HTTP://WWW.OUTSIDEONLINE.COM/ADVENTURE- TRAVEL/ADRENALINE-NATION.HTML)

3. ROCK THE RED ROCKS (HTTP://WWW.OUTSIDEONLINE.COM/ADVENTURE- TRAVEL/NORTH-AMERICA/UNITED- STATES/UTAH/MOAB/ROCK-THE-RED- ROCKS.HTML) You'll never go wrong on classic Moab...

4. WHAT SCARES ME Type the two words: (javascript:Recaptcha.reload();) (HTTP://WWW.OUTSIDEONLINE.COM/OUTDOOR- (javascript:Recaptcha.switch_type('audio');) ADVENTURE/WHAT-SCARES-ME.HTML) (http://www.google.com/recaptcha/help?c=03AHJ_VutkkY-VmSwIfe3sWkI5uV9kIWRpM9tJhqvTmzDlSj5A-mh8ItUhGgGe_uX0IaxDn1kkOb81kp1fk6KV8oK7hulNC4P7Rr_9W82dM1OLuv8L3m1YQj3cy798wmF1msuxYBVCvHSC1yw1huwC3p2_bARgggmxMA&hl=en-US) Thirteen otherwise courageous writers reveal ... Post Comment 5. TAME YOUR WORRY (HTTP://WWW.OUTSIDEONLINE.COM/FITNESS/WELLNESS/TAME- (http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/3c28/0/0/%2a/f;242158702;1-0;0;74140886;3454- YOUR-WORRY.HTML) Many of us have forgotten a paramount law of ... 728/90;46286517/46303530/1;;~sscs=%3fhttps://w1.buysub.com/pubs/MD/OUM/OUM_PROMO3626_SUBS1.jsp?