Youth climate plaintiffs group scores again in Hawaii

Plus, Diablo Canyon nuclear deal keeps lights on in California, but nobody's happy.

In today’s edition:

— Our Children’s Trust notched a second victory for youth climate plaintiffs in under a year

— PG&E loan deal for Diablo Canyon stinks of political necessity

— Hajj heat deaths will change the way we travel

— U.S. climate disasters could top last year’s record 28 individual billion-dollar events

— LA project combines water conservation and carbon removal technology

Young climate activists have won an ‘unprecedented’ settlement in their lawsuit against the state of Hawaii. The state’s must fully decarbonize and achieve zero emissions by 2045. Photo: Our Children’s Trust.

Fresh from a victory in a Montana courtroom last year, Our Children’s Trust scored a second legal win last week when a suit by young climate plaintiffs was settled by the state of Hawaii.

The settlement calls for Hawaii to make more progress in decarbonizing its transportation sector, which is responsible for almost half the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Hawaii is one of a handful of states targeted by Oregon-based Our Children’s Trust that have a clause written into their constitutions that guarantees citizens the right to a healthful environment.

Both the Hawaii and Montana lawsuits, filed on behalf of local youths, cited examples of how climate change impacted them in dangerous ways. Mat dos Santos, an attorney for OTC, told Callaway Climate Insights in January that the trust had a nationwide strategy to push forward the environmental interests of the young generation.

Each legal win sets more precedent for future plaintiffs against local governments or fossil fuel companies. They also set a more productive path for young climate activists than, say, throwing paint on Stonehenge or disrupting sporting events in protest.

Don’t forget to contact me directly if you have suggestions or ideas at dcallaway@callawayclimateinsights.com.

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Tuesday’s subscriber insights

Temperatures in the holy city of Mecca topped 125°F during the five-day pilgrimage that started June 14, according to the Saudi meteorological center. On Sunday, Saudi officials said 1,301 deaths had been reported. Image: Climate Reanalyzer.

Hajj heat deaths will change the way we travel