Judge Throws Out Children’s Lawsuit Against Trump’s Energy Policies

In a surprising move, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of children against President Trump's energy policies, citing that the suit was too broad in scope. The plaintiffs, who had challenged the president's executive orders as unconstitutional, had argued that the policies would harm their future and violate their rights to a safe and healthy environment.The lawsuit, which was filed in 2015, claimed that Trump's executive orders on energy and climate change, including the Keystone XL pipeline and the rollback of environmental regulations, would have a disproportionate impact on future generations. The plaintiffs, who ranged in age from 8 to 17, had sought to have the court declare that the president's actions were unconstitutional and to order him to develop a plan to protect the climate.However, Judge Ellen L. Hollows of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the suit was too broad and vague, and that the plaintiffs had not provided sufficient evidence to support their claims. While expressing sympathy for the plaintiffs' concerns about climate change, the judge said that she was bound by the law and could not rule in their favor."Reluctantly, I find that plaintiffs' claims are too broad and amorphous, and that they have not provided sufficient evidence to support their allegations," Judge Hollows wrote in her opinion. "While I understand and appreciate the plaintiffs' concerns about climate change and its impact on their future, I am constrained by the law and cannot grant the relief they seek."The plaintiffs' lawyers had argued that the court had a duty to consider the long-term consequences of the president's actions and to protect the rights of future generations. However, the judge disagreed, saying that such decisions were properly left to the executive and legislative branches of government.The dismissal of the lawsuit is a significant setback for the plaintiffs, who had hoped to use the courts to force the Trump administration to change its energy policies. However, the case is likely to be appealed, and the issue of climate change and its impact on future generations is likely to continue to be a contentious and litigious one.