By Isabelle Smith, Guest Contributor
A successful transition to a low emissions economy and a prosperous, climate resilient future. The call to action for states to achieve this reality has never been stronger. But is it possible? With a new Zero Carbon Bill on the table and strong consultation feedback, Aotearoa, New Zealand may be about to show the world how.
By Alexandra Kustra, Staff Contributor
By Claire Fischer, Staff Contributor
The fight over the U.S.-Mexico border wall has sparked a very public debate in the United States. One lesser-known issue surrounding President Trump’s border wall, however, is its effect on the environment. The Supreme Court recently denied certiorari to three conservation groups seeking to halt border wall construction projects that failed to comply with long-standing environmental laws and harmed existing habitats. But why was this construction permitted in the first place?
By Robert Adler, Staff Contributor
While some companies celebrate the EPA’s deregulation efforts, other companies are starting to understand that economic and environmental efficiencies can run hand-in-hand. The Carbon Disclosure Project helps companies see the connection.
By Capriel Stevenson, Staff Contributor
The physical impacts of climate change affect companies and their profitability drastically. The SEC released guidance in 2010 urging companies to disclose the risks from climate change but has not further urged companies in recent years. Instead, the SEC has shifted towards regulating other issues the current administration has prioritized, leaving investors in the dark about the financial impacts climate change has on businesses.
By Taylor Kilduff, Staff Contributor
This post seeks to understand what caused the results of a recent United Nations (UN) report on the international environmental rule of law and outline the international community’s difficulties in implementing and enforcing environmental regulations. Both the domestic politics of individual states and the inherent nature of the international community contribute to the inability of international organizations like the UN to enforce environmental standards on a global scale.
By Rourke Donahue, Staff Contributor
Twenty-one children are suing the federal government over its failure to address climate change. But does the public have a fundamental right to the environment and is climate change an appropriate issue for courts to address?
By Scott Novak, Staff Contributor
Whereas the Refugee Convention does not provide relief for climate change refugees like Teitiota, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) might.
By Sylvie Yudin, Staff Contributor
Government shutdowns can have drastic effects on National Parks. It is up the administration under which the shutdown is occurring to decide whether or not to permit National Parks to remain open, and this decision can have lasting consequences on the environmental sanctity of the Parks.
By Leora Friedman, Staff Contributor.
The Northern District of California readies to hear the U.S.’s first federal test case regarding the carcinogenicity of Monsanto’s glyphosate-containing herbicide, Roundup. Controversially, in early January 2019, Judge Chhabria granted Monsanto’s request for bifurcation—agreeing first to litigate glyphosate’s causation to the plaintiff’s cancer and, only afterward, allowing evidence of Monsanto’s alleged efforts to sway agency positions on glyphosate. But can the reliability of scientific studies be determined without considering the institutions that may have housed and/or nurtured them?
