New Constitutional Right: Government duty to protect citizens from climate change

#1

"HELENA, Mont. — A Montana judge on Monday sided with young environmental activists who said state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate.

The ruling following a first-of-its- kind trial in the U.S. adds to a small number of legal decisions around the world that have established a government duty to protect citizens from climate change.

District Court Judge Kathy Seeley found the policy the state uses in evaluating requests for fossil fuel permits — which does not allow agencies to evaluate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions — is unconstitutional."

4 Likes
#2

They also said the involvement of financial institutions in the financing of Saudi Aramco’s activities could be in violation of international human rights law and standards.

It is the first time the UN experts have taken action about an oil major’s human rights responsibilities for climate change under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), or against financial backers of oil and gas expansion.

A ClientEarth spokesperson said: “Today’s warnings set a new legal standard for fossil fuel companies’ human rights responsibilities for the climate crisis, as recent extreme heat spikes, floods, wildfires and storms continue to cost lives across the globe.

UN warns Aramco and its financiers over their role in driving climate-fuelled human rights violations | ClientEarth

Blockquote

1 Like
#3

Montana’s coal mining industry has some of the highest-paying and most sought-after jobs in the state. It really is not a large number of workers since only about 880 coal miners were employed in 2021. But the typical salary of a coal miner is nearly 3 times the average salary per capita in Montana according to Montana’s Coal Council.

What all of the judges throughout all of the world cannot do is stop Climate Change nor can they stop the underground coal fires in Montana, or in the other huge, vast, ginormous amounts of land throughout the World.

In Montana’s eastern area alone is part of the Fort Union Rock Formation. It covers most of eastern Montana, and lots and lots of North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Some of that coal has been periodically burning under the surface for millions of years.

Anyone here remember the old fable about ‘tilting at windmills’?

2 Likes
#4

image
image465×547 34.7 KB

3 Likes
#5

NPR is the radio equivalent of CNN… Whats interesting is that apart from all the usual dregs who sponsor them like the Gates foundation and the Rockefeller foundation… Is that the Koch brothers are one of their major donors… I find it odd because they are literally pushing the climate change narrative and manage to work it into the broadcasts at least once (often more) every hour of everyday without exception.

1 Like
#6