Youth activists take Montana to court over climate change after 12-year battle.

A lawsuit going to trial in Montana will determine whether a constitutional right to a healthy, livable climate is protected by state law. The case, brought by 16 young plaintiffs, is the first of its kind in the US and seeks to establish a government duty to protect citizens from climate change. The plaintiffs, ranging in age from 5 to 22, will detail how climate change has harmed their physical and mental health. The trial comes after the state’s Republican-dominated Legislature passed measures favoring the fossil fuel industry. A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could have ripple effects in other states.