The Kids Take the Climate Change Fight to Court

This week, a historic case has landed in a Montana courtroom. A group of young environmentalists is suing the state, arguing that its embrace of fossil fuels is destroying pristine environments, upending cultural traditions and robbing young residents of a healthy future.

David Gelles, a climate correspondent for The Times, explains why the case could be a turning point, and what a win in Montana would mean for the future of the climate fight.

Guest: David Gelles, a climate correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading:

• The landmark youth climate trial, which has been more than a decade in the making, began on Monday in Montana.
• Sixteen young Montanans have sued their state, arguing that its support of fossil fuels violates the state Constitution.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.