Energies Media
  • Magazine
    • Digital Magazine
    • Digital Magazine Archive
  • Features
  • Upstream
  • Midstream
  • Downstream
  • Renewable
    • Solar
    • Wind
    • Hydrogen
    • Nuclear
  • People
  • Events
  • Advertise
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Energies Media
No Result
View All Result

Hawaii Settles Lawsuit from Youths Over Climate Change

by Energies Media Staff
June 24, 2024
in Environment, News, Oil and Gas News, Scoop.it
433bee50 d55b 49a8 bc0d 43b54c8f440c
Tungsten mega deposit

A Critical Mineral at a Critical Moment: The Importance of Restoring Domestic Tungsten Production in the U.S.

September 2, 2025
A Revolutionary Way to Understand Energy Customers

A Revolutionary Way to Understand Energy Customers

September 1, 2025

About two years after 13 children and teens sued Hawaii over the threat posed by climate change, both sides reached a settlement that includes an ambitious requirement to decarbonize the state’s transportation system over the next 21 years.

It’s another example of a younger generation channeling their frustration with the government’s response to the climate crisis into a legal battle.

Navahine v. Hawaii Department of Transportation is the world’s first youth-led constitutional climate case addressing climate pollution from the transportation sector, according to statements from both sides.

InventU

The lawsuit said one plaintiff, a 14-year-old Native Hawaiian, was from a family that farmed taro for more than 10 generations. However, extreme droughts and heavy rains caused by climate change have reduced crop yields and threatened her ability to continue the cultural practice.

The complaint said rising sea levels also threaten to put their lands underwater.

Another plaintiff lost her home twice, due to climate change-induced events, according to Our Children’s Trust, a public interest law firm that is representing the plaintiffs: flooding from a hurricane in 2018 and last year’s deadly wildfire that ravaged Lahaina, on the island of Maui.

Here are some things to know about the historic settlement:

First Circuit Court Judge John M. Tonaki signed a settlement agreement Thursday between the plaintiffs, who are also represented by another law firm, Earthjustice, and the state of Hawaii and its Department of Transportation.

The lawsuit argued that Hawaii was violating the state constitution by operating a transportation system that harms the climate and infringes upon the right to a clean and healthy environment. It accused the Department of Transportation of consistently prioritizing building highways over other types of transportation.

The burning of fossil fuels – oil, gas and coal – is the main contributor to global warming caused by human activity. Hawaii is the state that most depends on petroleum, according to Our Children’s Trust.

A key term of the settlement requires Hawaii to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions across all transportation modes, including ground, sea and air, “no later than 2045.”

The state must also come up with a greenhouse gas reduction plan within a year.

The transportation department must complete pedestrian, bicycle and transit networks in coordination with Hawaii counties within five years, while dedicating at least $40 million to expanding the public electric vehicle charging network by 2030.

The settlement terms may seem ambitious, but as an isolated island chain the middle of the Pacific, Hawaii is on the “front lines” of climate disasters, Our Children’s Trust attorney Andrea Rodgers told the Associated Press on Friday.

“They really have no choice but to step up and address the climate crisis in order to protect their residents and young people who want to live here,” she said.

Also under the settlement, Hawaii will be accountable to a judge who will enforce the agreement if disputes arise.

The lawsuit, filed in June 2022, had been scheduled to go to trial next week. The state is not admitting any liability or wrongdoing by settling.

The parties said the settlement was also the first of its kind between a state government and youth plaintiffs to address constitutional issues arising from climate change.

Rodgers is also involved in similar legal battles in Montana and Oregon, however.

The Montana case prevailed at trial, when a judge ruled last year that state agencies were violating the constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment by allowing fossil fuel development.

Early this year, the state Supreme Court declined a government request to block the ruling pending appeal. Oral arguments before the high court are set for July 10.

In the Oregon case, a federal appeals court panel rejected a long-running lawsuit brought by young climate activists challenging the U.S. government’s role in climate change. The case is still at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Overseas, six young adults and children from Portugal are arguing before the European Court of Human Rights that governments across the continent are not doing enough to protect people from climate change.

While Gov. Josh Green, Director of Transportation Ed Sniffen and plaintiffs’ attorneys all celebrated the settlement, it was a hard-fought battle.

“The defendants aggressively defended the case,” Rodgers said.

The state spent nearly $3 million on an out-of-state law firm and other costs, including expert witness fees. The attorney general’s office said it remained the lead on the case despite help from the outside firm.

The state initially moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the court “cannot coopt legislative and executive power by issuing an injunction ordering HDOT to create new regulatory programs.”

The state also had to agree that depositions of plaintiffs would be conducted with the sensitivity appropriate for their ages, Rodgers said.

“There was resistance,” Rodgers said of reaching the settlement. “But at the end of the day, Gov. Green and … Sniffen displayed incredible leadership and made the decision to work with the youth and not against them.”

Implementation over the next 21 years will require both commitment from Hawaii’s leaders and involvement by young people, Rodgers said.

There will also have to be a cultural shift in Hawaii, which is car-dependent and has bad traffic.

“I think once people start seeing the investments that are needed to be done into the bike, pedestrian and transit assets, people are really going to start seeing that this is a system that works better for Hawaii and for the community,” Rodgers said.

“Having youth voices a part of this process will be essential,” she added.

Read the full article at: www.washingtontimes.com

Author Profile
Energies Media Staff
Website
Author Articles
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    Global Shale Oil and Gas Landscape Set for Growth Beyond US
    August 26, 2025
    Global Shale Oil and Gas Landscape Set for Growth Beyond US
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    E-Fuels
    August 13, 2025
    2nd Annual World E-Fuels Summit
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    What Happens to Solar and Wind Systems During Natural Disasters?
    August 6, 2025
    What Happens to Solar and Wind Systems During Natural Disasters?
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    ship on body of water at night
    August 1, 2025
    Industry leaders to speak at Wood Mackenzie’s Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Conference 2025
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    ROGII and NRGX Technologies Ltd. Partner to Deliver Seamless LAS Data Integration for Upstream Workflows
    July 31, 2025
    ROGII and NRGX Technologies Ltd. Partner to Deliver Seamless LAS Data Integration for Upstream Workflows
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    Europe Nuclear Energy & SMR Conference (ENES2025)
    July 31, 2025
    Europe Nuclear Energy & SMR Conference (ENES2025)
ADIPEC

In This Issue

Energies Media Summer 2025

ENERGIES Media (Summer 2025)


Why Energy Companies Need a CX Revolution


Dewey Follett Bartlett, Jr.: Tulsa’s Champion of Independents


How to Deploy Next-Gen Energy Savers Without Disrupting Operations


Letter from the Managing Editor (Summer 2025)


Bringing Safety Forward in Offshore Operations


ENERGIES Cartoon (Summer 2025)


Moving Energy Across Space and Time


Energies Media Interactive Crossword Puzzle – Summer 2025


The Hidden Value in Waste Oil: A Sustainable Solution for the Future


U.S. Oil Refineries Face Critical Capacity Test Amid Rising Demand


NeverNude Coveralls: A Practical Solution for Everyday Dignity


Maximizing Clean Energy Tax Credits Under the Inflation Reduction Act


Meeting Emergency Preparedness and Response Criteria

InventU
Gastech
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • 3 Ways Technology is Going to Shape the Oil and Gas Industry
  • About Us
  • Advanced Technologies in Renewable Energy
  • Advertise
  • Cartoons
  • Case Studies in the Digital Transformation of Renewable Energy
  • Contact
  • Contributors
  • Digital Transformation Framework for Oil and Gas Operations
  • Digitalization and Smart Technologies in Oil and Gas
  • Digitalization and Smart Technologies in Renewable Energy Operations
  • Energies Digital Magazine
  • Energies Media
  • Energies Media Digital Magazine
  • Energies Media Magazine
  • Energies Media Magazine Archive
  • Energy Industry Events
  • Energy Markets Dashboard
  • Future Trends in Renewable Energy Technology
  • How Real-life Data Guides the Agility of Oil and Gas Companies
  • Navigating Careers in Oil and Gas
  • Navigating Careers in Renewable Energy
  • Newsletter
  • Oil & Gas Prices
  • Oilman Digital Magazine
  • Oilwoman Digital Magazine
  • Organizer Dashboard
    • Event Organizers
    • Submit Organizer Form
  • Press Releases
  • Prices & Marketcap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Puzzles
  • Quizes
  • Subscribe
  • Subscription Account
    • Access Restricted
    • Log In
    • Subscription Billing
    • Subscription Cancel
    • Subscription Checkout
    • Subscription Confirmation
    • Subscription Invoice
    • Subscription Levels
    • Your Profile
  • Team
  • Terms of Service
  • US Energy Media Kit
  • Venue Dashboard
    • Event Venues
    • Submit Venue Form
  • Webinars
  • Your Complete Guide to Essential Oil & Gas Industry Software

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.