March 31, 2021
by Alec Williams
Air
Climate change
Litigation
Public Lands
State and Local
After a record-breaking wildfire season in 2020, lawsuits are likely to flood the dockets of federal and state courts across the United States. Wildfire liability determinations at either level can be complex, typically implicating many parties and exorbitant damage awards. However, in light of the projected impact of climate change on wildfire frequency and severity, such lawsuits may become increasingly commonplace.
By Alec Williams, Managing Editor
December 1, 2020
by Alexander Collingsworth
State and Local
Water
Residents of Flint, Michigan will likely receive some compensation soon for the poisoning of their drinking water. In August, the state of Michigan settled claims against it and Michigan officials, including former Governor Rick Snyder, for $600 million. What are the implications of the Michigan Supreme Court decision that opened the way for this settlement? And how much money are individual residents likely to see?
October 20, 2020
by Camden Douglas
Air
Climate change
Fossil Fuels
Regulations
State and Local
On September 23, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newson issued an executive order[1] that is expected to reduce the impact of climate change by drastically transforming the State's transportation industry. California experiences many unique climate change-related problems. For instance, as a result of climate change, the duration of California's wildfire season has more than doubled since 1980.[2] Indeed, this year, California is experiencing a record-breaking burn,[3] with wildfires scorching millions of acres of land.[4] The executive order, in an attempt to attenuate some of these climate change-related impacts on the State, requires all new passenger vehicles sold in California to be zero-emission by 2035, effectively banning the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles in just fifteen years.[5]
March 4, 2020
by Joseph Nelson
Agriculture
State and Local
Food Freedom Laws can help us positively reorder our relationships with our food, our neighbors, and the Earth we share.
February 26, 2020
by Gabriel Dowdell
Fossil Fuels
Oil and Gas
Regulations
State and Local
Water
Should the EPA regulate fracking more heavily? Currently, states that benefit financially from fracking regulate the industry.
February 13, 2020
by Kayla Steinberg
Agriculture
Litigation
Renewable Energy
State and Local
In July 2019, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that the state’s Public Service Commission has the final say on the siting of solar and wind energy projects, prompting concerns by local governments over how to protect farmland from development.
April 26, 2019
by Ilse P. Johnson
State and Local
Whether a project is one of “special merit” is often a “tug of war” among preservationists, developers, neighbors, and the community-at-large. One way to tug towards special merit status is to incorporate eco-friendly features into the new development.
March 19, 2019
by Sylvie Yudin
Climate change
International
Oceans
State and Local
Sustainability
Scientists have recently discovered that the Thwaites Glacier, a key component of the West Antarctic glacial system, is melting faster than expected. Since many of the world’s population and financial centers are located along coastlines, the situation unfolding at the Thwaites Glacier is particularly alarming. How drastically are melting glaciers impacting sea levels, and how will governments respond to these shifts?
March 18, 2019
by Catherine Schluter
Agriculture
State and Local
Water
Pork is a big part of the American diet, but pig farming has serious environmental and human health consequences. North Carolina is one of the biggest pork producers in the country, but its state legislature, like many other states, is putting pork profits over sufficient protections.
November 15, 2018
by Ryan Levandowski
Climate change
Public Lands
State and Local
Water
As rising sea levels threaten California’s coast, the state’s characteristic beaches have become a battleground for homeowners, cities, and state regulatory agencies. Because coastal adaptation policies often pit preservation of public beaches against private property rights, recent litigation over the issue has posed a difficult question for courts: Who should (literally) give ground?
