If the appeal doesn’t include video of the youts taking fossil fueled trips the lawyers are missing a big opportunity
Montana is appealing a landmark climate change ruling that favored youth plaintiffs
The office of Montana’s Republican attorney general is appealing a landmark climate change ruling that said state agencies aren’t doing enough to protect 16 young plaintiffs from harm caused by global warming.
The state filed notice on Friday that it is going to appeal the August ruling by District Court Judge Kathy Seeley, who found the Montana Environmental Policy Act violates the plaintiffs’ state constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. The 1971 law requires state agencies to consider the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects and take public input before issuing permits.
Under a change to that law passed by the 2023 Legislature, the state Department of Environmental Quality does not have to consider the effect of greenhouses gases when issuing permits for fossil fuel projects unless the federal government declares carbon dioxide a regulated pollutant.
It’ll take months before the suit is filed, and then it must go through the court. What happens on appeal? In a sane world the original ruling would be overturned, but, you just do not know these days. The kids really failed to show any harm to themselves, and use plenty of fossil fuels themselves. None of the fires or anything else were the result of fossil fuels or a slightly warmer climate.
In the meantime, the state Department of Environmental Quality is asking Montana residents to weigh in on potential updates to the Montana Environmental Policy Act, or MEPA. The administrative rules to implement the law were passed in the 1980s.
“These regulations are showing their age and it’s time to hear from Montanans about what MEPA should look like today and into the future,” Chris Dorrington, director of the DEQ, said in a statement.
Montanans are being asked what changes, if any, are needed to modernize the regulations and how greenhouse gas emissions and climate change should be analyzed. At least three public hearings are scheduled this month, including one in Billings on Monday night. The DEQ is also taking public comment online through the end of the year.
What happens if most Montanans say they do not want to do anything?
Since when has the Democratic party or their activist groups ever cared about what the people want?
Defense of Marriage Act: Obama administration unilaterally decided to not defend it in court.
Prop 8: overturned by a single judge in California.
Obamacare: 75% of population was against it when democrats used extraordinary measures to shove it down everyone’s throats anyway.