The Sink or Swim Project

It’s an incredibly exciting day in Florida today and one that’s filled with hope for the future as two historic voyages take important steps in journies that hold the promise to change our world for the better for generations to come. I do hope that you will come along for the ride.

Near 4:30 pm EST this afternoon two brave astronauts plan to blast off into space from Florida soil for the first time in nearly a decade as they depart on a mission to the International Space Station as a first step in America’s quest to travel to Mars. In a historic public/private business partnership with America’s space agency (NASA), Elon Musk’s SpaceX will send two brave astronauts on a scientific mission that holds the promise of mankind’s future dreams of discovery and inspiration.

And speaking of historic milestones in the making, back here on earth today at 12 pm EST seven brave young friends of mine and I will participate in a webinar along with our lawyers that’s being hosted by The Invading Sea to discuss the constitutional climate change lawsuit we filed in April 2018. In today’s webinar we will talk about the fact that we will finally have our first day in an actual court on June 1^st at 1:15 PM when the Honorable Kevin J. Carroll, Circuit Court Judge, considers the state’s Motion to Dismiss our case as well as our response to the State at the Leon County Courthouse in Tallahassee.

During today’s webinar we will also participate in a Q&A with co-host The Invading Sea, a news and editorial collaborative on climate change. We plan to answer your questions about the constitutional foundation of our case, the experiences my friends and I as plaintiffs have had that led us, a bunch of kids, to file the lawsuit, and what we are asking the court to do and why.

Our core complaint centers on the fact that the State of Florida is violating our constitutional rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness, by allowing harm to take place to constitutionally protected, essential public trust resources. I can tell you that we feel more strongly about those allegations today than ever before. My friends and I are desperately afraid that without material action by our government to enforce its laws and protect us that special places that we love (that you love) and cherish all over Florida will be lost forever.

To join today’s webinar please visit: https://bit.ly/2WJm2vC. To learn more about Reynolds v. State of Florida, please visit the Our Children’s Trust website here: https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/florida and to submit any questions you might want addressed during today’s webinar please send them to: erin.barnhart@ourchildrenstrust.org.

Yes, it’s a historic time for science here in Florida. The countdown has begun for America to return to space, including one day visiting Mars, while a countdown focused on protecting our precious environment’s future back here on earth prepares for an important next step. It’s history in the making and the stakes are ultra-high in both cases. I do hope that you will join my friends and I on today’s webinar, as well as for next week’s hearing (stay tuned for the public link so you can watch!) and, until then, wish Godspeed to our brave astronauts and everyone at NASA and SpaceX in support of their mission.