Climate Advocacy Day Sign-On Letter
A coalition of over 20 Montana organizations committed to protecting our right to a clean and healthy environment have drafted this letter to our representatives - we hope you join us in signing it! Thank you.
Climate Advocacy Day Letter
We, the undersigned Montanans, call on the Montana Legislature to consider the following.
Montana is at a historic crossroads.
We can choose to be at the forefront of the renewable energy transition, and grow a healthy economy sustained by the environmental conditions that allowed human civilization to develop over thousands of years.
Or, we can choose to continue burning fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide which traps heat and raises global average temperature, currently at 1.4 Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Montana’s snowpack is shrinking, and wildfires and extreme weather events such as this summer’s windstorm in Missoula are growing in frequency and ferocity, threatening homes, cultural traditions, agriculture, and tourism. As the court found in the recent Held v. State of Montana ruling, every ton of greenhouse gas emissions matters.
Decision-makers in Montana need to recognize that the fossil fuels we are burning are making these and other problems worse.
We have an obligation to our kids and future generations to leave them a livable Earth for their sustenance and joy. Elected officials have sworn to uphold our Montana Constitution by taking their oath of office, which includes supporting, protecting and defending “the right to a clean and healthful environment.”
Youth will live out the impacts of the decisions we make today, and it is crucial we think long term. The cultures of Montana's Tribes have understood this obligation for centuries. Their voices should be lifted up, and we should invite them to lead and to share their knowledge and wisdom in the hopes that the dominant society will listen and change course.
If we act now, the impacts would be extensive:
More affordable electricity.
Reliable electric service and reduced fuel price risk.
Strengthened rural economies.
Smart, clean resource development.
Protected hunting and fishing opportunities.
Strengthened conservation.
Let’s support connection and equity within our communities. Let’s cultivate safety from extreme weather and pollution. Let's create good jobs and localized, clean energy systems for all. Let’s stand together to protect our people and our home.
Montana is ready. Let’s build a better future, together.