News from a Changing Planet -- This Week on Earth #3

Kids v. Montana, the geopolitics of submarine cables, weird animal stuff and other stories I read this week.

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS: Young plaintiffs in Montana are alleging that the state has violated its own constitution when it comes to environmental protection.

The first ever constitutional climate trial, Held v. Montana, began on Monday. The plaintiffs are 16 young residents of the state, who are arguing that the state has not upheld part of its constitution, which guarantees that “the state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations.”

The plaintiffs allege that two state policies violate the constitution: the state energy policy, which controls energy policy and use, and a part of the Montana Environmental Policy Act, because it doesn’t allow the state to consider the contributions of its energy procurement and use on climate change.

I’m wondering what a victory would look like in this trial and what it would mean for Montana, whose state constitution is somewhat unusual (though Pennsylvania’s has a similar provision), and how a ruling of unconstitutionality might affect both fossil fuel extraction and consumption in the state, which currently gets about 40 percent of its electricity from coal and is the 4th largest coal-producing state in the country? What would happen to existing mines and power plants? (The Guardian)

There is enough fiber optic cable in the ocean to go around the Earth more than 30 times! And then to go to the moon and back and then to the moon again and then like halfway back! Credit Financial Times

UNDER THE SEA: An interesting look at the geopolitical machinations in the effort to lay fiber optic internet cables on the bottom of the ocean.