In an unprecedented trial, a group of young individuals aged 5 to 22 has taken a climate action case to a state court in Montana. The group’s argument is centered around the right to a “clean and healthful” environment, as guaranteed by the state’s constitution.
The case holds significant weight due to Montana’s status as a major coal exporter, and environmentalists aim to convince District Judge Kathy Seeley that the state’s support for fossil fuels poses a threat to their health, livelihoods and future generations.
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Representing the state, a lawyer said sparsely-populated Montana produces “minuscule” emissions given its population of just over a million people.
“Climate change is a global issue that effectively relegates Montana’s role to that of a spectator,” Montana Assistant Attorney General Michael Russell said.
One of the teenagers involved in the case emphasizes the worsening air quality, describing it as an increasingly defining experience.
“It’s not pleasant,” Grace Gibson-Snyder, 19, said. “It’s so uncomfortable as you’re breathing deeper and deeper.”
State experts are expected to present evidence suggesting that climate extremes have existed for centuries, per The Associated Press.
Regardless of the outcome, environmentalists view the trial as a turning point, as similar cases in other states have failed.
However, climate activists have celebrated victories in countries like the Netherlands, where a ruling in 2019 affirmed the government’s explicit duties to protect its citizens in the face of climate change.
Activists like Greta Thunberg have inspired climate strikes throughout Europe, but Thunberg has also faced criticism from those who view her actions as performative and extreme.
Carbon dioxide levels in the air this spring reached the highest levels they’ve been at in over 4 million years, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said earlier in June.
While there is broad consensus that humans are responsible for rising temperatures, there is disagreement regarding whether these changes pose an existential threat.
According to Pew Research, approximately 57% of U.S. adults consider climate change a very serious problem, while about 20% disagree. The data suggests that young adults are more concerned than their elders, potentially indicating a trend of more cases like the one happening in Montana in the years to come.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
