Landmark youth-led climate trial begins in Montana

Jun 13, 2023

Mahmoud Bennett Reporter/Producer

By Mahmoud Bennett (Reporter/Producer)

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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.

This story is considered a media miss on the right and has been underreported by right-leaning news outlets, according to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss tool.

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

Tags: Coal, Fossil Fuels, Greta Thunberg, Media Landscape, Montana

IN A FIRST OF ITS KIND TRIAL – A CLIMATE ACTION CASE HAS MADE ITS WAY TO A STATE COURT IN THE U.S. AND IT’S BEING LED BY A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN MONTANA

THE GROUP AGED 5 TO 22 IS ARGUING FOR THEIR RIGHT TO A CLEAN AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AS GUARANTEED BY THE STATE’S CONSTITUTION –

WITH MONTANA BEING A MAJOR COAL EXPORTER – ENVIRONMENTALISTS WANT TO CONVINCE THE DISTRICT JUDGE THAT THE STATE’S SUPPORT FOR FOSSIL FUELS ENDANGERS THEIR HEALTH, LIVELIHOODS AND THREATENS FUTURE GENERATIONS

THIS IS A STORY WE’RE COVERING IN PART BECAUSE IT WAS FLAGGED AS A MEDIA MISS BY THE RIGHT – MEANING NEWS OUTLETS THAT LEAN CONSERVATIVE ARE UNDERREPORTING IT AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON OUR MEDIA MISS TOOL – THE STORY IS GETTING MOST OF ITS COVERAGE ON LEFT AND CENTER ORIENTED NEWS OUTLETS – GIVEN THAT SUCH A CASE COULD VERY WELL HAVE LASTING IMPLICATIONS WE’RE CHOOSING TO COVER IT SO YOU GET ACCESS TO THE NARRATIVES ONE SIDE MAY NEGLECT… HEAD TO STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. COM AND USE OUR MEDIA MISS TOOL FOR YOURSELF

A LAWYER REPRESENTING THE STATE IS MAKING THE CASE THAT MONTANA PRODUCES MINUSCULE EMISSIONS WITH ITS POPULATION OF JUST OVER A MILLION PEOPLE

QUOTE CLIMATE CHANGE IS A GLOBAL ISSUE THAT EFFECTIVELY RELEGATES MONTANA’S ROLE TO THAT OF A SPECTATOR

MEANWHILE ONE OF THE TEENS FIGHTING THE STATE SAYS THE AIR QUALITY IS BECOMING SO UNHEALTHY THAT IT’S NOW A DEFINING EXPERIENCE

QUOTE IT’S NOT PLEASANT. IT’S SO UNCOMFORTABLE AS YOU’RE BREATHING DEEPER AND DEEPER

EXPERTS FOR THE STATE ARE EXPECTED TO COUNTER THAT CLIMATE EXTREMES HAVE EXISTED FOR CENTURIES, ACCORDING TO THE AP

REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME – ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE HAILING THE FACT THIS TRIAL IS EVEN HAPPENING AS A TURNING POINT GIVEN THAT SIMILAR SUITS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORTH IN OTHER STATES BUT ALL EVIDENTLY FAILED… AT LEAST IN THE U.S.

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS *HAVE SEEN* VICTORIES IN PLACES LIKE THE NETHERLANDS WHICH RULED IN 2019 THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS EXPLICIT DUTIES TO PROTECT ITS PEOPLE IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

MEANWHILE ACTIVISTS LIKE GRETA THUNBERG HAVE RISEN TO GLOBAL PROMINENCE – INSPIRING CLIMATE STRIKES IN OTHER PLACES ACROSS EUROPE – WHILE DRAWING CRITICISM FROM THOSE WHO SEE HER ACTIONS AS PERFORMATIVE AND EXTREME

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION ICO2 LEVELS IN THE AIR ARE THE HIGHEST THAT THEY’VE BEEN IN OVER 4 MILLION YEARS – AND WHILE THERE IS BROAD CONSENSUS HUMANS ARE TO BLAME – THERE’S A DISAGREEMENT ON WHETHER THESE CHANGES POSE AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT

APPROXIMATELY 57% OF US ADULTS THINK CLIMATE CHANGE IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM – WHILE ABOUT 20 PERCENT SAY IT’S NOT ACCORDING TO PEW RESEARCH

EVIDENTLY YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE MORE CONCERNED WHICH COULD BE A PREDICTOR FOR WHETHER MORE CASES LIKE THE ONE HAPPENING IN MONTANA WILL PLAY OUT IN THE YEARS TO COME

THAT TRIAL OPENED ON JUNE 12TH AND IS SCHEDULED TO LAST TWO WEEKS – TO FOLLOW OUR LATEST UPDATES YOU CAN HEAD TO STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS . COM