Credit: Hartman, Steven, Peter Norrman, Julia Olson and Avery McRae. Intergenerational Justice. Originally published in bifrostonline.org, 21 September 2018 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Intergenerational Justice
A personal story of witnessing a salmon spawning in an Oregon river is a perfect metaphor for Avery McRae’s reasons for becoming involved as a youth plaintiff in the historic climate change lawsuit Juliana vs. USA. Reflecting on a salmon’s bruised and battered fight for the survival of future generations of its species, Avery keys in on the underlying principle of intergenerational justice at the heart of this historic case. This principle is addressed as well by Julia Olson, co-founder and executive director of Our Children’s Trust and Chief Counsel in the historic lawsuit, which pits 21 youth and one of the most distinguished climate scientists in the world (Dr. James Hansen) against the U.S. Federal Government. Described by writer Naomi Klein as quite possibly the most important case on the planet right now, the Juliana vs. USA trial beginning in October 2018 addresses head on the negligence of the Trump administration for not working to mitigate the causes of climate change.
Bifrost gratefully acknowledges Stephanie LeMenager, Barbara and Carlisle Moore Distinguished Professor in English and American Literature at University of Oregon, and the leadership of the research network NIES for all their valuable work and support behind the scenes that helped make this video interview possible. Grateful acknowledgment is also made to Torsten Kjellstrand of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication for providing valuable studio facilities where this and other interviews were filmed with Eugene-based activists, scholars, lawyers and plaintiffs affiliated with Our Children’s Trust.
