August 13, 2023
Amid all the depressing and apocalyptic climate news of the past few weeks, from deadly wildfires to crippling heat waves, a recent Washington Post article about a group of young people taking groundbreaking action felt like a breath of fresh air. The Held v. Montana court case, which wrapped its proceedings on June 20 and now awaits a verdict, represents the collective effort of 16 young Montana residents who fear that climate change will cause irreversible damage to their home state. Montana’s constitution states that the “state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment,” and the plaintiffs argue that state lawmakers have violated this right by encouraging the use of harmful fossil fuels. Held v. Montana is the first constitutional climate case to go to trial in United States history. This article, which I will link below, particularly moved me because it included testimony from six of the plaintiffs, ages 15 – 20, about their personal connections with Montana’s natural resources and their motivations for helping to arrange the lawsuit. Their words reflected an admiration for the lush environment they grew up in and a firm desire to maintain its health and beauty. 19-year-old Grace Gibson-Snyder summed it up perfectly: “this is a case out of love.” I view my generation as the future of climate advocacy, so it always excites me to see young people standing up and proving that they hold the power to make a real difference. I can only hope that these 16 activists find success with the upcoming ruling, but I feel greatly inspired by their aspiration and tenacity nonetheless.
