Eva Lighthiser at the Moms Clean Air Force Play-in for Climate Action, National Children’s Museum, Washington DC. The catastrophic flooding in Asheville, North Carolina, from Hurricane Helene last September is just another example of the devastating climate crisis we’re in. As humans burn fossil fuels, cut down forests, and remove legal protections for the planet , there has been a rise in global warming. In fact, 2023 was the warmest year on record since global record-keeping began in 1850, according to Climate.gov . This impacts our planet, our health and safety, and our kids — and Gen Z is sick of it. One Montana teen is making her mark by taking a stand and holding legislators accountable for their role in contributing to climate change — and her work is already having a big impact. Related story Parents of Teens: These Are the Resolutions You Should Definitely Make This Year Eva Lighthiser is an 18-year-old youth climate activist and one of 16 young plaintiffs in the historic Held v. Montana lawsuit that argued the state of Montana was failing to uphold a constitutional right to “a clean and healthful environment .” With the help of international climate experts, the youth plaintiffs challenged the state’s actions of promoting and producing fossil fuels while explicitly prohibiting climate change from being considered. The lawsuit was filed on Eva’s 14 th birthday in 2020 and received a favorable ruling in Aug. 2023 — making it the first constitutional climate lawsuit to go to trial and win. Lauded as the first big victory for youth climate activists, the group scored another big win earlier this December, when in a 6-1 decision, Montana’s Supreme Court upheld the district court’s ruling . Marching for Climate Action Even after that initial impressive win, Eva hasn’t stopped fighting […]