In a landmark climate case, a judge in Montana has ruled in favor of a group of young people who had sued the state for violating their constitutional rights as it pushed policies that encouraged the use of fossil fuels. In her decision, Montana Judge Kathy Seeley wrote, “Plaintiffs have a fundamental constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment, which includes climate.” The judge went on to rule, “Montana’s emissions and climate change have been proven to be a substantial factor in causing climate impacts to Montana’s environment and harm and injury.” The case was brought by 16 children and young adults, ranging from 5 to 22 years of age. One of the plaintiffs, 19-year-old Grace Gibson-Snyder, recently appeared on Democracy Now! and talked about Glacier National Park in Montana.

Grace Gibson-Snyder: “Watching those glaciers melt is such a devastating thing, because it’s so iconic for the state. It’s so essential for the well-being of the people and of the environment here. And it’s just beautiful. And I would hate to be a part of a future where that’s not present, where that’s not a thing that my kids get to grow up with. And so, you know, those are my impacts. And the plaintiffs in the case have, you know, everything from respiratory illnesses that are exacerbated by climate change to a cattle ranch where the cattle are dying because of drought and famine and etc. And so, it’s been — we all have experiences in different capacities.”