The Twenty-One
The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S. Government Over Climate Change
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Compelling and timely, award-winning author Elizabeth Rusch’s The Twenty-One tells the gripping inside story of the ongoing landmark federal climate change lawsuit, Juliana vs. United States of America. The Twenty-One is for readers of Christina Soontornvat’s All Thirteen, fans of Steve Sheinkin’s books, and anyone interested in the environment and climate change, as well as youth activism, politics and government, and the law.
From severe flooding in Louisiana to wildfires in the Pacific Northwest to melting permafrost in Alaska, catastrophic climate events are occurring more frequently—and severely—than ever. And these events are having a direct impact on the lives (and futures) of young people and their families.
In the ongoing landmark case Juliana vs. United States, twenty-one young plaintiffs claim that the government’s support of the fossil-fuel industry is actively contributing to climate change, and that all citizens have a constitutional right to a stable climate—especially children and young adults, because they cannot vote and will inherit the problems of the future.
Elizabeth Rusch’s The Twenty-One is a gripping legal and environmental thriller that tells the story of twenty-one young people and their ongoing case against the U.S. government for denying their constitutional right to life and liberty. A rich, informative, and multifaceted read, The Twenty-One stars the young plaintiffs and their attorneys; illuminates the workings of the United States’s judicial system and the relationship between government, citizens’ rights, and the environment; and asks readers to think deeply about the future of our planet.
Features extensive backmatter, including a timeline, glossary, call to action, additional resources, and photographs.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Following the groundbreaking case of Juliana v. the United States, Rusch (All About Nothing) highlights the actions of the 21 passionate teens and tweens who sued the U.S. government over climate change. Rusch employs rigorously researched, plainspoken prose to break down the case into four parts that chronicle it from its initial filing in 2015 to its current status as unresolved in the court system. Quotations from legal experts throughout provide contextualizing information. The group is represented by Julia Olson, founder of Our Children's Trust, who presented the straightforward argument that the U.S. government "knew disasters would happen... knew the planet was warming from the burning of fossil fuels," yet continued to grant leases for drilling oil and coal, resulting in irreparable harm to the plaintiffs as well as future generations. Though the youngest plaintiff, eight-year-old Levi Draheim from Satellite Beach, Fla., worried that people might not take the youths seriously because "we were just a bunch of kids," the case—which has lasted through three presidencies—could force the U.S. government to move immediately on climate change. A list of individuals addressed, timeline, source notes, and extensive back matter conclude. Ages 13–up.
