By Garrett S. Kral, Esq.*
*Garrett S. Kral is a former U.S. EPA official and political appointee for the Trump administration.
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.
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
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
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.
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…
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…
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?
COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty to renewable energy projects. Even though the government recently enacted bills to extend renewable energy tax credits, whether this relief will be effective is of a question. As Joe Biden has put great emphasis on funding clean energy projects for his upcoming term, the questions are: what are some effective methods to boost the renewable energy industry? Are these methods viable under COVID-19?
Hydrofluorocarbons, an alternative to the ozone-depleting substances that damage the Earth’s protective ozone layer, are potent greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change. These chemicals are scheduled for reduction under international law: the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Will the United States join the majority of U.N. Member States in committing to phasing down its hydrofluorocarbon production and consumption in accordance with international law in a Biden administration?
