Youth climate lawsuit in Montana reaches trial, with plaintiffs arguing the state has violated their constitutional rights.
In court: Sixteen young plaintiffs are suing Montana state leaders, claiming the promotion of fossil fuels and neglect of scientific evidence on climate change violates their right to a “clean and healthful environment”.
* This is the only youth climate lawsuit to reach trial in the US.
Plaintiff experiences: Twelve of the plaintiffs took the stand, sharing their experiences living in Montana’s changing climate due to wildfires and thick smoke.
* The plaintiffs are asking the state to set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions.
State defense: Montana’s attorneys argued that the state’s emissions are too small to make a difference in global climate change, effectively relegating Montana’s role to that of a spectator.
* The state’s attorneys will not call one of their top expert witnesses, Judith Curry, a climatologist who disagrees with the scientific consensus on climate change.
This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.
Leave a Reply