Here in Wisconsin, young people are playing an increasingly important role in opposing Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 construction proposal. MEA attorney Jorge Roman-Romero has been working with Dane County Youth Environmental Committee (DCYEC) and Action for the Climate Emergency to help them understand the issues and take action.
Earlier this year, Jorge helped DCYEC members prepare to testify at a public hearing after the DNR released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Enbridge’s proposal.
In preparation for the Dane County Climate Conference this month, Jorge and DCYEC members created a resource to help student leaders understand the concept of intergenerational equity—a principle embedded in state and federal law that requires decisionmakers to consider how climate change will affect young people and future generations. It seeks to balance the right to manage natural resources for present development with the duty to safeguard natural resources for the benefit
of those who come after us.
The concept of intergenerational equity is particularly important when evaluating the risks of oil pipeline construction and operation. By law, the federal and state government must “fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding generations.” MEA and Dane County Youth Environmental Committee are working together to make sure state and federal agencies are fulfilling this obligation when it comes to Enbridge’s construction proposal.
