Montana youths triumph in landmark climate case, striking fear in Big Oil and Coal

Young environmental activists have achieved a significant legal victory in Montana, where a judge ruled that state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by allowing fossil fuel development. This groundbreaking decision adds to a small number of global legal rulings that establish a government duty to protect citizens from climate change. The ruling, if upheld, could set an important legal precedent, although immediate impacts are limited and state officials plan to appeal. The judge found that the state's policy of not considering greenhouse gas emissions in evaluating fossil fuel permits is unconstitutional. Montana, a major coal and oil producer, argued that its emissions were insignificant, but the judge disagreed, stating that they were a substantial factor in climate change.