Eva Lighthiser Leads Youth Lawsuit Over Fossil Fuels
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- Eva Lighthiser is a 20‑year‑old climate activist and one of 23 youth plaintiffs in the lawsuit Lighthiser v Trump, which accuses the U.S. government of violating constitutional rights by issuing executive orders that expand fossil‑fuel use.
- Lighthiser v Trump was dismissed in the fall, but the plaintiffs traveled to Portland in April to push for reinstatement, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Montana, will decide the case in the coming months.
- Held v Montana, filed on Lighthiser’s 14th birthday, alleged that the state’s pro‑fossil‑fuel policies breached Montana’s constitutional guarantee of a clean and healthful environment; the case went to trial in 2023 and resulted in a judge’s ruling in favor of the youth plaintiffs.
- Our Children’s Trust, the non‑profit law firm that supports youth climate litigation, connected Lighthiser to the Montana case and helped her become a plaintiff.
- Eva Lighthiser grew up camping and climbing mountains in Livingston, Montana, and was homeschooled while traveling to national parks, shaping her lifelong connection to the natural world.
Why it matters: The 23 youth plaintiffs stand to gain a judicial check on the administration’s fossil‑fuel‑friendly orders, while the federal government and fossil‑fuel industry risk having to halt or revise expansion plans before the Ninth Circuit’s decision in the coming months.
