The first trial at USA concerning its effects climate change started yesterday Monday in Montana, after 16 young people filed a lawsuit against the authorities of this northwestern state, accusing them of violating their constitutional right to “a clean and healthy environment”.

The case, known as “Held vs. Montana,” is being closely watched as the ruling could become the basis for other lawsuits elsewhere in the US against the fossil fuel industry and authorities.

The 16 plaintiffs, ages 5 to 22, allege they have been affected by “the dangerous effects of fossil fuel energy and the climate crisis.”

The lead plaintiff, Ricky Held, whose family owns a ranch in eastern Montana, explains in the lawsuit how their lifestyle has been directly affected by the wildfires, extreme temperatures and drought that are increasingly hitting that state. , known for its green landscapes.

Held, 22, cites a fire that destroyed power lines, knocking out power to her family’s ranch for a month and causing livestock to die because they couldn’t pump water.

In 2021, smoke and ash polluted the air “throughout the summer,” says Held, a graduate of environmental sciences.

At the heart of the appeal is an article of its constitution Montanawhich states that “the state and each individual citizen must maintain and improve a clean and healthy environment in Montana for present and future generations.”

The plaintiffs are also challenging the constitutionality of a Montana law that prohibits local government from considering climate impacts when considering licensing fossil fuel companies.

The 16 young people are not asking for compensation, but a public declaration that their rights have been violated. This should be the first step towards a legislative regulation.