Hello, and welcome to 5 Things I'm Dana Taylor, today is Sunday, July 23, 2023.

A groundbreaking climate change trial known as Held vs. Montana recently came to a close

with both sides eagerly awaiting a verdict in their favor, the case pits 16 young

Montana's against the state and what's been called the first constitutional climate

trial in U.S. history.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that the state's pro-fossil fuel policies endanger

their health and livelihoods while also threatening future generations.

State officials argue that Montana's contributions to global warming are minuscule compared to

other factors and that they should not be held accountable.

Here to share their perspectives are Nate Bellinger and attorney for the nonprofit

our Children's Trust which brought the case and Olivia Vesovitch, one of the young plaintiffs.

Olivia and Nate, thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having us.

So Nate, this case represents a more than decade-long effort on behalf of our Children's

Trust to hold some level of the government, whether stage or federal, accountable for failing

to address climate change on behalf of the next generation.

What was the tipping point that finally convinced a judge to let you have your day in court?

I think what we see in Montana is a real confluence of strong legal precedent.

Our cases are based on constitutional rights, so we're building on other constitutional

cases and constitutional precedent.

We have a climate crisis that is getting worse each passing month and those are the facts

that support our case and really significant harms to the plaintiff.

...