October 27, 2021
by Alec Bowman
How many dollars must the United States government spend to save life as we know it from climate catastrophe? Answers vary: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says at least $10 trillion.[1] The American Action Forum, led by the former Director of…
October 19, 2021
by Jaclyn Lee
Energy
Renewable Energy
State and Local
In September 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) began its highly anticipated proceeding to reevaluate the state’s net energy metering successor (NEM 2.0) tariff. Expected no later than January 2022, the decision from the national leader in solar electricity production could have far-reaching impacts on the future of customer-owned solar generation and battery storage.
August 19, 2021
by Garrett S. Kral, Esq.
Litigation
Online Supplemental Article
Regulations
By Garrett S. Kral, Esq.*
*Garrett S. Kral is a former U.S. EPA official and political appointee for the Trump administration.
April 20, 2021
by Blake Ellis
Climate change
Energy
Fossil Fuels
Renewable Energy
In February 2021, the state of Texas experienced unprecedented power outages caused by severe winter storms. Conservative politicians and media were quick to blame the use of renewable energy as the culprit of the outages. The facts present a different explanation.
April 15, 2021
by Myles Douglas Young
Litigation
Natural Resources
Public Lands
State and Local
The utilization of the Public Trust Doctrine in litigations is often premised on its supposed ancient Roman pedigree. This article explores the origins of the doctrine and finds that, in fact, the ancient doctrine was quite different from the one we see in the United States today. What errors do scholars make, and what do those errors mean for the survival of the modern doctrine?
By Myles Douglas Young, Administrative Editor
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
March 29, 2021
by Rachel Schwartz
Oceans
Renewable Energy
Sustainability
On March 8, 2021, the Biden Administration took a significant step toward finalizing the approval of America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm. Vineyard Wind 1, located 14 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, has the potential to power 400,000 homes.
March 28, 2021
by John Pullman
Endangered Species
Natural Resources
Public Lands
Wildlife
What is it?
Biodiversity–a metric that accounts for the number of distinct species of flora and fauna on Earth–is greater now than ever before.[1] However, scientists expect that to change. Historically, there have been five mass extinction events…
February 19, 2021
by Sara Zaat
Chemicals
The Biden administration recently released a list of agency actions it will review, many of which impact the environment.[1] One such remnant of the Trump administration is the regulation (or lack thereof) of a particularly pernicious pesticide: chlorpyrifos…
January 29, 2021
by Eleanor Hildebrandt
Climate change
International
Oceans
Water
The effects of climate change will make swaths of the planet uninhabitable, displacing millions of people. How can the United States’ legal system facilitate an equitable, humanitarian response to those seeking safe resettlement within its borders?