Montana bans consideration of climate impacts for new projects

Occasionally, we’re reminded that despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary there are climate change deniers out there. And to make matters worse, they still hold positions of authority. The Montana Free Press has a story about the US state of Montana’s legislature has passed a law that bars the state from considering climate impacts in its analysis of large projects such as coal mines and power plans. The law has been signed by Governor Greg Gianforte, who unsurprisingly is a Republican, as is the majority in both houses of the Montana state legislature.

The law, known as HB 971, received more than 1,000 comments from the public - 95% of which opposed the law.

Montana, like the rest of the US, is facing a shrinking snowpack and longer, more intense wildfire seasons as a result of climate change. The state is also home to part of Yellowstone National Park, widely held to have been the first national park in the world.