Online Articles

Workers at the Field Museum in Chicago inspecting birds that were killed when they flew into the windows of the McCormick Place Lakeside Center. Credit: Lauren Nassef/Chicago Field Museum, via AP

Bird-Safe Building Policies Slowly Take Off Across the United States

November 30, 2023 by Giancarlo Vargas Endangered Species State and Local Wildlife

Each year in the United States, hundreds of millions of birds die after colliding with glass structures they cannot see. In the absence of federal action, cities and states are taking the lead to adopt bird-friendly architecture and policies.

Lush community garden tucked between colorful homes.

Thinking – and Acting – Expansively to Fight Climate Change

November 20, 2023 by Rachel Garwin Climate change State and Local Sustainability

Can broadening visions for climate action and building solidarity across social movements protect against climate anxiety and encourage the urgent emissions reductions needed by the end of the decade?

Plaintiffs in Held arrive for the final day of the historic trial. Credit: Thom Bridge, Independent Record via AP

What Held v. Montana immediately offers for Constitutional Environmental Rights

November 16, 2023 by Matthew Grabianski Climate change Litigation State and Local

Held v. Montana,[1] decided by Montana state court Judge Kathy Seeley last August, is already widely recognized as a landmark case in environmental law.[2] Much has been written about the ruling, which struck down a Montana provision that forbade state…

Coal ash impoundments at retired Cape Fear power plant in North Carolina. Photo by Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc.

By Air, By Land, By Sea: EPA’s Comprehensive Approach to Addressing the Legacy of Coal Ash

November 15, 2023 by Chelsea Welch Chemicals Fossil Fuels Natural Resources Regulations State and Local

Newly proposed EPA regulations targeting coal ash pollution and an expected denial of Alabama’s proposed state regulatory program show EPA’s willingness to flex its muscles in addressing the legacy of one of the country’s largest industrial waste streams.

Flash Flooding Across Roadways in Flatbush, Brooklyn New York on September 29th, 2023.

Disclosure is Not Enough: Assessing New York’s New Flood Disclosure Laws in Light of New Flooding

October 6, 2023 by Connor Kolet Climate change Regulations State and Local

After New York City experienced shocking flash floods on September 29th, its lack of long-term solutions to chronic flooding has come under media scrutiny. In this article, Connor Kolet addresses the shortcomings of new short-term disclosure policies for renters in flood zones, and why more needs to be done for low income and vulnerable tenants.

City skyline in orange haze

Inadequate Protections for Workers In a Warming World

October 2, 2023 by Agnes Enochs Air Climate change Litigation State and Local

July 2023 was the hottest month on record. As extreme temperatures become the norm, many workers find themselves without adequate workplace protections. With heat-related deaths on the rise, more must be done to secure workers' safety in a warming world.

Horseshoe Bend on a sunny day.

Drought in the American West and Equitable Water Use

April 10, 2023 by Benjamin Wilken State and Local Water

The American West is dry. Despite extreme weather events like the series of atmospheric rivers that doused the West Coast (from late 2022 until the time of this piece’s composition), capable of dumping up to half an inch of rain an hour,[1] the overall…