 Energy & Environment |
Energy & Environment |
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Montana Supreme Court upholds youth climate activists' victory |
Montana's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a 2023 ruling siding with young climate activists who asserted the state government violated their right to a healthy environment. |
© Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP |
In August 2023, Montana's First Judicial District sided with the 16 plaintiffs, who cited a state constitutional provision guaranteeing "a clean and healthful environment" to argue the state violated that right with a law that barred weighing climate impacts during the approval process for energy projects. The state supreme court upheld the finding in a 6-1 ruling Wednesday, writing, "Montana's right to a clean and healthful environment and environmental life support system includes a stable climate system, which is clearly within the object and true principles of the Framers inclusion of the right to a clean and healthful environment." Justice Jim Rice, who was appointed by former Gov. Judy Martz (R), was the only dissent. The court rejected an argument from Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R) that state-level efforts will have no effect without action from the rest of the world, comparing that argument to "the old ad populum fallacy: 'If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?'" The plaintiffs' attorney, Melissa Hornbein of the Western Environmental Law Center, hailed the decision as "a monumental moment" for young people and the state. "This ruling clarifies that the Constitution sets a clear directive for Montana to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, which are among the highest in the nation on a per capita basis, and to transition to a clean, renewable energy future," she said. Read more at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. |
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How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: |
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State and federal officials declared victory over northern giant hornets, also known as "murder hornets," in a Thursday press release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). |
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Certain pricier styles of smartwatch wristband may not just be helping Americans stay fit — they may be exposing unsuspecting wearers to a hefty dose of "forever chemicals," a new study has found. |
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Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) blasted the exclusion of an agreement to reauthorize the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) from a 1,500-page bill to fund the federal government, blaming Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for its exclusion. |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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The Biden administration on Wednesday approved California's trailblazing rules that would set stricter-than-federal emissions standards, in a bid to ban gas car sales by 2035. |
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News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: |
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Insurers Are Deserting Homeowners as Climate Shocks Worsen (The New York Times) Pollution exposure linked to mental health hospital admissions, says study (The Guardian)
Coal use keeps setting new world records (Axios)
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking at a plan B to fund the government ahead of Friday's shutdown deadline as Republicans inside and outside the Capitol, including President-elect Trump and his allies, slam his spending package. Read more |
| The Senate is plowing forward with consideration of the Social Security Fairness Act, clearing its first procedural hurdle on what supporters hope is a path to passage later this week. Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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