Fox News Reports on Biden’s Green Agenda while Nonprofit Fights Govt Violations of Climate Rights

Fox News reported on White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich discussing President Biden promoting his green agenda in Virginia. Meanwhile, a nonprofit organization called Our Children’s Trust (OCT) has been actively pursuing legal action since its founding over a decade ago to secure young people’s constitutional rights for a safe climate due to what they see as government violations through policies that allow fossil fuel extraction, transportation and combustion. Mat dos Santos, co-executive director and general counsel of OCT, stated at a recent rally outside the White House that these youth are taking steps to right wrongs by seeing harm caused from climate change. The group has filed multiple federal lawsuits in various countries including Canada, Mexico, Pakistan, India, and Uganda with plaintiffs claiming constitutional rights violations for life, liberty, and property due to government actions contributing to global warming over the past few decades while being aware of its catastrophic impacts. The group’s most successful case so far is Held v. State of Montana where a court struck down certain state laws promoting fossil fuels in August 2023, and it has since been appealed by the state. OCT actively recruits children between ages eight to eighteen years old through an online interest form asking for personal information such as pronouns and how climate change impacts them personally. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen defended his state’s energy policies in Held v. State of Montana, stating that Our Children’s Trust exploits well-intentioned kids to achieve their goal of shutting down responsible energy development by using courts as political cover against normal processes for representative government. OCT reports having over $5.4 million net assets and received substantial financial contributions from various liberal nonprofits in 2022, including the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation which is a charitable arm of an operation focused on progressive issues, led by executive director Anna Fink who spearheaded a campaign after January 6th, 2021’s Capitol riot to divert Republican donations for organizations. Co-executive directors Mat dos Santos and Julia Olson also have extensive histories of progressive activism including leading challenges against former President Donald Trump’s immigration actions and representing transgender inmates demanding the state provide hormone therapy while advocating for LGBT rights, immigrants, and criminal justice reform at Earthjustice. Other staff members and board directors are associated with climate-focused organizations such as Women’s Environmental and Development Organization, Western Environmental Law Center, Food & Water Watch, and Columbia University’s Earth Institute. OCT and the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation did not respond to requests for comment regarding this report.