Billings Climate Week - Thirsty for Climate Discussion
Making butterflies for the FLC tree at Petro Hall before Dr. Running’s lecture
Billings Climate Week, a week before the launch of the historic Held v. State of Montana youth-led climate lawsuit, brought Dr. Steve Running (who testified as an expert witness in the Held v. MT case) to Billings to share his expansive knowledge about climate system changes. Dr. Running is a retired University Professor of Ecology at the University of Montana, NASA scientist, and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the IPCC. The idea of a full week of events organically grew out of a passionate coalition of 38 different organizations and businesses leading up to the event.
Recording of Dr. Running’s lecture at Montana State - Billings
Steve Loken, Monica Tranel, Mary Fitzpatrick, Derf Johnson, Steve Running during energy panel
Billings Climate Week started on a Monday night in a small church meeting room. As we waited for people to arrive for a panel discussion on energy consumption and use in Montana, co-hosts of the event chatted about the week’s upcoming events and set up plastic chairs. The line- up of speakers was sure to draw a crowd in other cities: Monica Tranel; Steve Running; Derf Johnson; and Steve Loken…but this was new to Billings - so we didn’t know what to expect.
The room started to fill with people. We grabbed more chairs and packed people in. The information was dense and the room engaged for more than 3 hours of discussion about global impacts of fossil fuel consumption, the Northwestern Energy rate case, the Laurel gas plant litigations, and alternative energy sources. People waited in line to ask questions until 9pm. The energy panel that started the Climate week, was an indicator of the desire for more climate discussions in Billings.
Recording of the Energy Production and Montana rate case panel
Rikki Held, Caitlyn Lewis, Katy Spence, Katie Harrison at Youth v Gov screening
Community garden tour at St. Andrew’s church
Katie Harrison, of SustainaBillings, mentions a desperate need for more climate-related events in Billings in her climate story, “There is a desperate thirst [for sustainability work], definite need, excitement, interest, and holy cow moment,” when she saw the potential for sustainability fairs, and movements around climate work in Billings.
The jammed-packed week wrapped up with a screening of Youth v. Gov and chance for folks to meet the lead plaintiff of the Held v. Montana case, Rikki Held. As momentum and excitement grew throughout the week, many planners stated, “This will be the first annual Billings Climate Week!”