Juliana vs. U.S.: The six plaintiffs from Eugene

There's the punk rocker, the animal lover and the shy performer. A future educator, a taekwondo black belt and an outdoorsman also are part of the group.

All six young people from Eugene are among 21 youth plaintiffs suing the federal government in an unprecedented, constitutional climate change lawsuit that seeks to overhaul the nation's energy system.

The landmark environmental case is scheduled to go to trial at the U.S. Courthouse in Eugene on Oct. 29.

The youths' lawsuit, filed in 2015, asserts the government has for decades promoted fossil fuel production while disregarding dangers associated with greenhouse gas emissions that affect the climate. It seeks a court order requiring the government to make a plan that works to drastically reduce those emissions.

The plaintiffs — between the ages of 11 and 22 years old — all say their lives are affected by a changing environment. And they say it makes sense for them to sue because it's their generation and those in the future who will disproportionately face the impact of climate change.

Some of the youths assert a warming planet already has hampered their ability to learn and recreate in nature, while others say it threatens their customs and livelihoods. Others have experienced stress and loss brought on by natural disasters such as flooding, drought and wildfires. And some have expressed concern about the state of the world when it comes time for them to have children.

"We're not talking about our parents' harms," lead plaintiff Kelsey Juliana of Eugene said. "We're talking about our harms."

The group is supported by Our Children's Trust, a Eugene-based nonprofit organization founded by attorney Julia Olson that has taken similar legal actions against governments in all 50 states.

Olson credits Juliana with recruiting many of the youths to join her in suing the federal government. Some of her fellow Eugene plaintiffs signed up after they repeatedly testified in favor of a carbon-reduction climate ordinance passed by the Eugene City Council in 2014. And other young people named in the case who live elsewhere had been involved with environmental groups and Our Children's Trust-sponsored lawsuits in their home states and communities.

One takeaway from interviews with the six plaintiffs from Eugene is this: There's plenty that's normal about these young people. But what may separate them from many of their peers is a commitment — to borrow a term — to thinking globally and acting locally in regard to a societal issue that's far bigger than themselves.

"This case is for young people (and) future generations who can't represent themselves in other branches of government," Juliana said.

Follow Jack Moran on Twitter @JackMoranRG. Email jack.moran@registerguard.com.