
Protecting Our Constitutional Right to Liberty
Animal Legal Defense Fund v. United States of America
The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit to protect Americans’ right to be let alone and to compel federal government action on climate change.
Status
Next Step
The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit to protect Americans’ right to liberty, which courts have called the right to be let alone, and to compel federal government action on climate change.
The plaintiffs include scientists, nature enthusiasts, and wildlife advocates who are no longer able to safely conduct their research or interact with nature because of the increased severity of wildfires, mudslides, and avalanches; disappearing snowpack and edible plants; and flash flooding, all of which have been altered due to damage caused by climate change.
Who is being sued, why, and under what law? The lawsuit has been brought against the United States, the U.S. Department of the Interior and its Secretary, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Secretary, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its Secretary, and the U.S. Department of Defense and its Secretary.
What court is the lawsuit filed in? The United States District Court for the District of Oregon
Why this case is important: This case brings together the animal protection community, environmentalists, and human rights advocates. Animals, the environment, and human beings are all threatened by climate change, and so these three communities are working together with a joint mission.
Climate change caused by carbon emissions presents critical and urgent threats to life on this planet — and to our constitutional rights. A recent study published in Nature finds that human activity has changed more than 77 percent of land, not counting Antarctica. As society becomes increasingly urbanized and digitally connected, the only place where the constitutional right to liberty truly exists is in America’s public lands.
The lawsuit is necessary, because only the federal government has the ability and power to take the necessary actions to reduce carbon emissions to an effective degree.
Recent News
-
USDA Restricting Access to Plant-Based Milks in National School Lunch Program is Dietary Racism
Proposed rule would maintain an unnecessarily complicated and confusing process for children to get access to plant-based milkMay 11, 2023 Press Release -
Animal Legal Defense Fund Urges USDA to Strengthen Regulations for Handling and Exhibiting Wild and Exotic Animals
Recommendations aim to decrease risk of zoonotic disease spread, animal escapes and attacks, and psychological and physical harm to the animalsApril 11, 2023 Press Release -
EPA to Publish Slaughterhouse Water Pollution Standards Following Lawsuit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to publish updated water pollution control standards for slaughterhouses, following a lawsuit filed by a coalition of community and conservation organizations late last year.March 1, 2023 News
Related Cases
-
Lawsuit to Force USDA to Recognize Its Authority to Take Possession of Animals Upon License Revocation
Animal Legal Defense Fund v. USDA
-
Challenging the USDA’s Secret Policy on Laboratory Inspections
Rise for Animals v. USDA
Looking for case and legal resources? View Resources
See MoreYou Can Protect Animals
Since 1979, the Animal Legal Defense Fund has led the charge to win animals the legal protection they so desperately need—and deserve. Your generous gift will assure that we can continue to take on cases that advance the interests of animals.