Environmental Law
Environmental Law Prof Blog 
Coverage includes agriculture, timber, energy, mining, fisheries, land use, forests, marine resources, water resources, water quality, air quality, climate change, endangered species, biodiversity, environmental impact assessment, NEPA, environmental science, physical and social science, policy, legislation, law, case law, governance, management, and international law. News and analysis of environmental law; upcoming colloquia, conferences, and meetings; abstracts of working papers and recently-published scholarship in law, natural sciences, social science, economics; book reviews; career moves; other items of interest to faculty in the area.
Post Frequency: 1.3/day Last Entry: October 04, 2009 at 08:50:35 Recent Entries: 445
By Susan Smith
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About Environmental Law Prof Blog
Posted on October 04, 2009If you are interested in serving as an editor of Environmental Law Prof Blog for the Law Professor Blogs Network, please contact Paul Caron and Joe Hodnicki by email.
Conn. v. Amer. Electric Power Co. public nuisance case
Posted on September 23, 2009John Bonine sent out an immediate e-mail to the ENVLAWPROF listserve, giving a succinct summary of the 2nd Circuit's opinion in the Connecticutt v. American Electric Power Co. public nuisance. He's given me permission to share it with you: An...
Here's something to aspire to:
Posted on September 23, 2009Green Buildings: Is Your City in the Top Ten? The U.S. Green Building Council ranked cities across the country with the most LEED certified green buildings. A total of 88 green buildings makes Chicago number one. Portland and Seattle follow...
John Bonine sent out an immediate
Posted on September 23, 2009John Bonine sent out an immediate e-mail to the ENVLAWPROF listserve, giving a succinct summary of the 2nd Circuit's opinion in the Connecticutt v. American Electric Power Co. public nuisance. He's given me permission to share it with you: An...
1 million trees
Posted on September 16, 2009I prefer reforestation in developing countries like Haiti where reforestation has great social justice impacts, but the bottom line is great: actually removing CO2 from the atmosphere: BALTIMORE STUDENTS AND LAWYERS TEAM UP TO LAUNCH THE ABA?S ONE MILLION TREES...
New CAFE-GHG Proposal
Posted on September 16, 2009The Obama administration on Tuesday formally proposed joint CAFE-CAA fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks that link fuel economy to reduced emissions from vehicles. Manufacturers would need to increase fuel economy 5 percent per year from 2012 to 2016,...
For those of you interested in
Posted on September 16, 2009For those of you interested in mercury issues: MERCURY FREE PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPS DRAFT OF GROUNDBREAKING LEGISLATION TO KEEP AIR AND WATER CLEAN Communities and Individuals Form Coalition Focused on Mercury Reduction within Broad Environmental Policy September 9, 2009?The Mercury Free...
The Changing Shape of the World Economy
Posted on September 15, 2009Take a look at this chart available at Visualizing Economics You can also click the image to see it in a pop-up window. It shows China, India, Russia and Brazil with rapidly growing GDPs between now and 2050.
Environmental Law Preference Rankings: a Prospective Student's Statistical Perspective
Posted on September 15, 2009Here's an interesting new law ranking system authored by Josh Gellers, a 3rd year PhD student in Political Science at UC Irvine, who is applying to law school and interested in practicing environmental law. He devised a statistical ranking of...
Climbing to Copenhagen -- rough going in September
Posted on September 10, 2009Reuters reports that September U.N. summit seen key to climate deal OSLO (Reuters) - A drive to agree a U.N. climate pact in Copenhagen in December risks failure unless world leaders revive bogged-down negotiations at a U.N. summit in New...
New Model of Decision-making Incorporates How People Change Their Minds in the Midst of Making a Decision
Posted on September 09, 2009NATURE published a summary of research on changes of mind in decision-making on September 10th. It summarized the research in this fashion (Nature link) : How do we change our minds? Theoretical neuroscientists have developed plausible models for how the...
GAO Report on Wildfire Management
Posted on September 09, 2009GAO on September 9th published a report "Wildland Fire Management: Federal Agencies Have Taken Important Steps Forward, but Additional, Strategic Action is Needed to Capitalize on Those Steps." GAO-09-877 . A summary, the GAO Highlights, is contained in this link.
Light at the end of the recession tunnel
Posted on September 09, 2009According to the Fed's Beige Book report, the economy appears to be stabilizing across much of the country, with a pickup in factory activity and improvement in residential real estate. Manufacturers are "cautiously optimistic," with several districts reporting gains in...
Are Speculators Driving Up Oil Prices?
Posted on September 09, 2009The Economist published an article Data Diving discussing new data that allows closer analysis of whether speculators are responsible for driving up oil prices. The short answer according to the speculators is probably not. And, even if they were, in...
Making the World a Better Place
Posted on September 09, 2009Here is New Scientist's list of the top 10 ways to make the world a better place. The article itself contains more discussion, but you need to subscribe. Comments anyone??? BLUEPRINT FOR A BETTER WORLD We live in an imperfect...
Sustainable Fisheries Law
Posted on September 09, 2009I teach Sustainable Natural Resources Law in the spring. Here's a new publication brought to my attention by Gerd Winter that looks like a great fit for introducing students to the fisheries area. A slightly edited summary of the book...
BNA Green Tax Incentive Teleconference Tomorrow
Posted on September 09, 2009Tax Incentives for the ?Green? Industry Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009 Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM ET Between Lamborghini developing a hybrid and the proliferation of ?green? marketing, there can be no doubt that green is going mainstream. Congress....
World Council of Churches Statement
Posted on September 04, 2009Many of us attempt to bring ethical perspectives to bear on issues raised by our classes in addition to ecological and economic perspectives. Although it may be a bit late for those of you who have already started class, here...
NWF Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education
Posted on September 04, 2009Its always interesting to see different perspectives on sustainability. While the most recent Sierra Club list puts Willamette at 17th, the NWF last year conducted a more comprehensive study for its 2008 National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education...
Climate Planning
Posted on September 04, 2009My law school, Willamette, is in the process of creating its action plan for going climate neutral. Although the University has not yet adopted an official target, I expect that it will strive for climate neutrality before 2015. This, of...
Sierra Club's Cool Schools
Posted on September 04, 2009Check out where your school ranks on the Sierra Club's list of Cool Schools. Willamette made the top 20, but has lots of room for improvement. Cool Schools
August in Palo Alto
Posted on August 23, 2009Here's how I spent part of August, watching my son's team participate in the National Junior Olympics. OK, what's the link to environmental law???? I don't know....but it involves water!!!
Tundra changing rapidly, exacerbating the effects of global warming
Posted on July 31, 2009Planet Ark reports that a study by Dr. Greg Henry of the University of British Columbia indicates that global warming is encouraging thicker plant growth across the tundra, making the region darker and absorbing more heat, which in turn causes...
Good news: world fisheries could avoid collapse by using new management tools in both developed and developing countries
Posted on July 31, 2009Planet Ark reported that Dr. Boris Worm of Dalhousie University and colleagues are publishing a paper in Science that suggests world fisheries may avoid a total global collapse by using proven management tools in both the developed countries and the....
According to the Environmental
Posted on July 31, 2009According to the Environmental News Service, a report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy reports that energy efficiency investments can provide up to half of the 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions reductions the US committed to with...
A week in Haiti - Part I
Posted on July 31, 2009I am gradually making good on my promise to write some of what I learned over the summer. This is the beginning of my Haiti trip. As I go along, I'll try to separate the wheat from the chaff for...
Baby, its hot out there!
Posted on July 30, 2009Record-setting temperatures have been experienced all over the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday's high in Salem of 106 far exceeded the previous high for the day of 101, set recently in 2003, and approached the all-time high of 108. In both Portland...
Reasons to Lower Stress for Our Students
Posted on July 30, 2009Here's a new study previewed by Science, confirming what we already know -- stressed students make poor decisions, failing to learn new lessons and continuing to do things that don't work: Flustered Rats Stuck in a Rut By Michael Torrice...
Flying
Posted on July 23, 2009If you had one magical power what would you want it to be? Submitted by Violet?s New Vintage.
Independent Expert supports the recognition of sanitation as a distinct right
Posted on July 21, 2009News from the Ecumenical Water Network The UN Independent Expert on human rights obligations and water and sanitation, Ms Catarina de Albuquerque, has submitted her report on sanitation to the UN Human Rights Council for its next session in September...
PACE shifts to peer review: announcement follows
Posted on July 21, 2009As of August 1, 2009, Pace Environmental Law Review (PELR) will use a new Peer Review process to select articles for publication. Submissions will be reviewed internally and then forwarded to a select group of Peer Reviewers - academics, practitioners,...
Environmental Liability Journal Solicits Articles
Posted on July 21, 2009Brian Jones, a UK law professor who edits the Environmental Liability journal, is soliciting articles. The journal deals with environmental law issues with a clear financial impact for business, aimed at environmental lawyers in commercial law firms. Although published in...
Call for Papers: Willam Mitchell Law Review Symposium on Carbon Management
Posted on July 21, 2009William Mitchell is inviting abstracts of papers to be presented at their November symposium. Presentation drafts are due in October and final publication papers in January. See the Call for Papers PDF below: Download Call for papers - William Mitchell...
Report on Climate Change Impacts in the US
Posted on June 28, 2009On June 16, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released the NOAA-led study, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States" - which it describes as a "state of knowledge" report about current and project impacts of global warming on...
Haiti and the environment
Posted on June 27, 2009The first thing that anyone learns about Haiti and the environment is that Haiti is the most deforested country in the world, having shifted from 60% forest cover to less than 2% forest cover. And the immediate image in one's...
I'm back
Posted on June 27, 2009My last post was from before my early summer travels. Since then, I spent 10 days going to and from the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation's Natural Resources Law Teacher's conference in Chico Hot Springs, Montana. But perhaps more importantly,...
The Washington Post reported today
Posted on May 18, 2009The Washington Post reported today on the Iqbal case alleging that former attorney general John Ash croft and FBI Director Robert Mueller knew that the prison guards holding Arab Muslims swept up after the September 11 attacks were torturing them...
How Green is Our Recovery?
Posted on May 14, 2009The economic recovery packages put forward by many countries spend lots of money, but a key question is whether the packages will have a beneficial impact on greening the global economy. Although few contain adequate detail for full assessment, some....
New Method to Address Corruption in Developing Countries?
Posted on May 07, 2009Corruption and poor governance are generally recognized as a key obstacle to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, ecological sustainability, social equity, and economic development as well as realizing human rights in many developing countries...
Good News! Officials waffle "maybe," but the report that Mexico's reported deaths were too high by an order of magnitude provides a partial explanation for the difference in lethality between Mexico's flu and the flu as experienced elsewhere
Posted on May 03, 2009This just in from the NY Times: NYT link May 2, 2009 Outbreak in Mexico May Be Smaller Than Feared By LIZ ROBBINS and DENISE GRADY The swine flu outbreak in Mexico may be considerably smaller than originally feared, test...
Pan American Health Organization - May 2 PM update
Posted on May 03, 2009PAHO link PAHO Confirmed case interactive map PAHO May 1 Incidence map *Emergency Operations Center (EOC) ? PAHOPage 1 For public distribution Saturday, May 02, 2009 6pm EST EOC SITUATION REPORT #9 Influenza A/H1N1 Summary ? The situation continues to...
Confirmed cases - May 2nd am
Posted on May 03, 2009*Deaths: 168 deaths in Mexico, 12 confirmed as swine flu. One confirmed in U.S., a nearly 2-year-old boy from Mexico who died in Texas. **Confirmed sickened worldwide: 504; 300 confirmed as having swine flu in Mexico; 133 in U.S.; 35...
WHO update May 3
Posted on May 03, 2009May 3 Confirmed cases Austria: 1 Canada: 70 Costa Rica: 1 Denmark: 1 France: 2 Germany: 6 Hong Kong: 1 Ireland: 1 Israel: 3 Mexico: 506 and 19 deaths Netherlands: 1 New Zealand: 4 South Korea: 1 Spain: 13 Switzerland:...
Jurist Op-Ed by Ed Richards about Adequacy of Existing Public Health Laws
Posted on May 03, 2009Fighting H1N1: Why Laws are Not the Answer Jurist link JURIST Guest Columnist Ed Richards of Louisiana State University Law Center says that in the midst of current concerns about the spread of the H1N1 virus (popularly known as "swine...
Oregon H1N1 flu update - May 2nd
Posted on May 03, 2009H1N1 influenza 4 p.m. update __________________________________________________________________________ Cases: As of late Saturday, Oregon had identified eleven probable cases of H1N1 influenza virus with additional specimens being tested at the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory in Hillsboro...
CDC Swine Flu Report - May 3rd - 226 confirmed cases, just 1 death, in 30 states
Posted on May 03, 2009H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Site last updated May 3, 2009, 11:00 AM ET U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of May 3, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) States # of laboratory confirmed cases Deaths Alabama 1 Arizona 18 California...
Total emisions approach - accurate but not novel and a flawed basis for policy
Posted on May 03, 2009As this report on the new studies published in Nature indicates, the global warming problem is and always has been understood to be a matter of the total loadings of GHG emissions in the atmosphere, not a matter of timing....
US officials continue to close schools
Posted on May 01, 2009On Thursday, the swine flu outbreak caused schools in 14 states to shut their doors on more than 160,000 schoolchildren, and additional closures could affect as many as 223,700 students in 17 states.In total, more than 100 school systems have...
WHO raises alert level to Phase 5 - there will be a pandemic.
Posted on April 30, 2009WHO link to Video of press conference Press conference video file for direct downloading There will be a pandemic -- the question is how severe? Dr. Chan says WHO is now mobilizing every resource - financial resources from donor countries...
Colorado confirms 2 cases
Posted on April 30, 2009Colorado health officials said Wednesday they were awaiting test results for what they called five suspected cases of swine flu. Thursday morning, they announced 2 cases have been confirmed. The 2 confirmed cases are in Arapahoe and Douglas counties.News link
WHO Update 6 - April 30th
Posted on April 30, 2009Influenza A(H1N1) - update 6 30 April 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 17:00 GMT, 30 April 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 257 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. The United States Government has reported...
CDC Swine Flu Report - April 30th: South Carolina added to list of states with confirmed cases (10 cases) and Texas also adds 10 more cases
Posted on April 30, 2009Swine Influenza (Flu) Swine Flu website last updated April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection (As of April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET) States # of laboratory confirmed cases Deaths Arizona 1 California 14...
Mexico to take 5 day break at home to stop spread of swine flu -- but ever optimistic Americans are going about business as usual
Posted on April 30, 2009The NY Times reported this morning: As the swine flu virus appeared in new locations as far apart as Peru and Switzerland on Thursday, Mexicans braced for a national shutdown of offices, restaurants, schools and even the stands of soccer...
Below is the best North American
Posted on April 30, 2009Below is the best North American map I've seen. It is the map from the Pan-American Health Organization -- which is the WHO region for the Americas. It doesn't contain some of the Central American and South America information, but...
April 30th Information from the Pan-American Health Organization
Posted on April 30, 2009To date, the United States has confirmed a total of 109 human cases of swine influenza A H1N1: 1 in Arizona, 14 in California, 1 in Indiana, 2 in Kansas, 2 in Massachusetts, 1 in Michigan, 1 in Nevada, 50...
Check out Peter Gleick's blog on water issues
Posted on April 29, 2009Gleick Joins the Blogosphere Read and discuss everything water with internationally renowned expert Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute, on his new blog. Featured on City Brights, San Francisco Chronicle's luminary blogger site, Gleick explores the water challenges facing...
NEW GLOBAL WATER AND SANITATION BILL: "THE SENATOR PAUL SIMON WATER FOR THE WORLD ACT OF 2009"
Posted on April 29, 2009Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives on Earth Day would put the United States in the lead of responding to the worldwide crisis in drinking water and sanitation. The new bill, "The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World...
Bush Administration Midnight ESA Consultation Rule Revoked
Posted on April 29, 2009FWS Press Release: Salazar and Locke Restore Scientific Consultations under the Endangered Species Act to Protect Species and their Habitats WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the two...
Huge chunk of Wilkins Ice Shelf collapses
Posted on April 29, 2009When the Wilkins Shelf ice bridge shelf collapsed earlier in April, it was the beginning of the end of the whole shelf. Today, a 270 square mile chunk of the northern ice front of the Wilkins Ice Shelf broke off....
How this virus developed and why it may be a killer
Posted on April 29, 2009The Mexican swine flu virus is a swine influenza A/H1N1 virus hybridized (mixed) with human and bird viruses. We have some immunity to human flu and to some strains of swine influenza A/H1N1; We don't have immunity to bird flu,...
WHO Update 5 - April 29th
Posted on April 29, 200929 April 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 18:00 GMT, 29 April 2009, nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases,...
CDC US information
Posted on April 29, 2009Swine Influenza (Flu) Swine Flu website last updated April 29, 11:00 AM ET U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection (As of April 29, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) States # of laboratory confirmed cases Deaths Arizona 1 California 14 Indiana...
Its time to undertake all of the community mitigation efforts: we have a PSI category 4 pandemic at least and WHO is set to declare the pandemic to be stage 5
Posted on April 29, 2009Even a day makes a difference! WHO is now considering increasing its phase to Phase 5. The US now has a death rate that exceeds 1%, so the Pandemic Severity Index in the US is a Category 4 severity, especially...
Swine Flu Sells
Posted on April 29, 2009I haven't tried to find out other blog and website traffic figures, but based on my figures, swine flu "sells." This might be a good time to remind readers that all royalties from this blog go to fund water and...
Six Month Contraction of Economy Greater than any Prior Six Months during Post WWII Recession
Posted on April 29, 2009I saw the news from the Commerce Department today that the US economy contracted at a 6.1% annual rate during the first quarter of this year following a 6.3% loss in GDP during the fourth quarter of 2008. A quick...
AAAS Policy Alert
Posted on April 29, 2009For those of you who try to stay current on science policy, I am a member of AAAS and receive its policy alerts. I encourage all of you to join and subscribe to Science. Here is today's policy alert: AAAS...
WHO publishes the 2009 Pandemic Preparedness and Planning Recommendations
Posted on April 28, 2009By an accident of timing, WHO just published new recommendations about pandemic preparedness and planning. WHO Pandemic Influenza Planning document The recommendations have been 18 months in the making...but I guess WHO thought it was time to push them out...
Swine Flu spreads worldwide -- 14 nations have suspected cases, 5 nations have confirmed cases
Posted on April 28, 2009New Zealand news link There have been six lab-confirmed cases of mild swine flu in Canada and one in Spain, which became the first country in Europe to confirm a case after a man who returned from a trip to...
California swine flu cases rise to 13; Texas to 6; total US now 55
Posted on April 28, 2009With three cases in Sacramento as of Monday evening, the California case count has risen to 13. Sacramento news link While CDC still has a total of 40 confirmed cases posted on its site, the number of confirmed cases appears...
Enormous Gap between WHO figures and Mexico figures about extent of swine flu
Posted on April 28, 2009The report from Mexico is at least 20 confirmed deaths and up to 149 deaths from the swine flu epidemic: Mexico cancelled school nationwide Monday and warned the death toll from a swine flu epidemic believed to have killed 149...
Comparison of EPA Authorities under CAA with Proposed Cap-and-Trade
Posted on April 28, 2009Here's an interesting paper produced by NYU's Institute for Policy Integrity, outlining EPA's obligations under the CAA given the endangerment finding and contrasting that approach with the proposed cap-and-trade legislation pending in Congress. The Road Ahead
CDC Raises Case Count to 64; Increase due to NYC Count; 3 Cases Counted by California as Confirmed Still Missing from CDC Count
Posted on April 28, 2009CDC Swine Influenza (Flu) Page CDC link Swine Flu website last updated April 28, 2009 11:00 AM ET U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection (As of April 28, 2009 11:00 AM ET) State # of laboratory confirmed cases California...
Findlaw environmental case summaries February 2009
Posted on April 28, 2009Table of Contents - February 23rd - 27th ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? US v. Holden ? Sierra Club v. EPA ? Am. Farm Bureau Fed. v. EPA FindLaw's case summaries are copyrighted material and are not intended for republication without...
Findlaw environmental case summaries March 2009
Posted on April 28, 2009Table of Contents - March 16-29th ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? Trout Unlimited v. Lohn ? Natural Resources Def. Coun. v. EPA FindLaw's case summaries are copyrighted material and are not intended for republication without prior approval. You may, however, freely...
Findlaw environmental case summaries - March 30 - April 3
Posted on April 28, 2009Table of Contents ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? Entergy Corp. v. Riverkeeper, Inc. ? New Jersey Dept. of Envtl. Prot. v. US Nuclear Regulatory Comm'n ? Columbia Venture LLC v. S.C. Wildlife Fed. ? Center for Biological Diversity v. Marina Pt....
Now back to our regularly scheduled program: Findlaw environmental case summaries
Posted on April 28, 2009Here are the Findlaw case summaries from mid-April. No cases of interest were published during the last week. Table of Contents ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? Ecology Center v. Castaneda ? Kane Cty. v. Salazar ? Arizona Pub. Serv. Co. v....
Bending over backwards: Waxman and Markey grant Republicans another day of hearings on climate change bill
Posted on April 28, 2009Listing the 40 days of hearings that have already been held, Waxman and Market nevertheless agree to hold another day of hearings on May 1, 2009. The list is a good beginning for a legislative history on the bill. hearings...
House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing on Swine Flu Scheduled for Thursday
Posted on April 28, 2009Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing on ?Swine Flu Outbreak and the U.S. Federal Response? Publications - Media Advisories April 27, 2009 The Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled, ?Swine Flu Outbreak and the U.S. Federal Response,? on Thursday,...
California declares state of emergency as confirmed cases rise to 15; LA coroner investigating 2 flu-related deaths discounts swine flu in one case and is still investigating the other
Posted on April 28, 2009ABC news reports: link Alarmed by the growing number of swine flu cases and the possibility that a California man may have died from the disease, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency today to help deal with the...
WHO Continues to Advocate No Restrictions on International Travel
Posted on April 28, 2009I wonder whether WHO has been captured somehow by the WTO or perhaps just aliens. It continues to advocate no restrictions on international travel: WHO does not recommend to restrict international travel. As usual it is considered prudent for people....
WHO Swine influenza - update 4 - additional confirmed cases in Israel, Spain, and US
Posted on April 28, 200928 April 2009--The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 19:15 GMT, 28 April 2009, seven countries have officially reported cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 64 laboratory confirmed human cases, with no deaths...
Current WHO information -- about 16 hours old
Posted on April 27, 2009Here's the latest from WHO -- it appears to be lagging about 8 hours: 27 April 2009 -- The current situation regarding the outbreak of swine influenza A(H1N1) is evolving rapidly. As of 27 April 2009, the United States Government...
Assessing Community Mitigation Efforts that Should be Implemented - Second Guessing the CDC
Posted on April 27, 2009I admit that there are enormous information asymetries between the CDC and me -- as well as an enormous difference in expertise. However, I worry that CDC is moving too slowly because it has never dealt with a pandemic within...
CDC Guidance regarding Swine Flu
Posted on April 27, 2009How to Care for Flu Victims at Home Circumstances Requiring Preventative Use or Treatment with Anti-Viral Drugs Recommended Community Mitigation Measures Prior Community Mitigation Measure Recommendations based on pandemic severity index Use of Face Masks or Respirators
US Count at 40 cases in California, Kansas, NYC, Ohio, and Texas as of 11 am PST
Posted on April 27, 2009Here's the latest from CDC: Swine Flu website last updated April 27, 2009 1:00 PM ET U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection (As of April 27, 2009 1:00 PM ET) State # of laboratory confirmed cases California 7 cases...
Day late and a dollar short on swine flu response
Posted on April 27, 2009Reasonably intelligent people could tell on Saturday morning that the appropriate pandemic level was Phase 4 (or even 5), that people should be advised not to travel to Mexico, California, and Texas, and I would argue that travel be stopped....
CDC Health Advisory
Posted on April 25, 2009This is an official CDC Health Advisory CDC Link Distributed via Health Alert Network April 25, 2009, 3:00 EST (03:00 PM EDT) CDCHAN-000281-2009-04-25-ALT-N Investigation and Interim Recommendations: Swine Influenza (H1N1) CDC, in collaboration with public health officials in California and...
Local flu preparedness planning
Posted on April 25, 2009As of 4:30 pm PDT, 11 cases of H1N1 swine flu have been confirmed in the US -- now including Kansas. U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection State # of laboratory confirmed cases California 7 cases Texas 2 cases...
Swine Flu with Pandemic Potential Hits US and Mexico: Previous Study indicated that the only way to delay spread of an epidemic is to contain the local epidemics and to prevent international travel
Posted on April 25, 2009WHO warned today that it may be too late to prevent the spread of the swine flu that has been reported in three places in Mexico as well as California and Texas. WHO Swine Flu Home page WHO Swine flu...
G8 + 10 summit seeks consensus on climate change
Posted on April 22, 2009International environmental ministers of G8 + 10 will meet tomorrow in Sicily to try to achieve consensus on climate change. President Obama's pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 may be a catalyst, especially if...
Ocean acidification
Posted on April 22, 2009According to the Science blog: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked scientists how to revise the Clean Water Act to protect seas against ocean acidification from atmospheric carbon dioxide. Under the current rules, waters are designated as impaired if...
Catholic Coalition Pushes Climate Change Action
Posted on April 22, 2009Grist reports: Citing dual obligations to care for God?s creation and the world?s poor, a broad coalition of Catholic groups today announced a new commitment to take action climate change. The ?St. Francis Pledge,? named after the patron saint of...
Earth Week on Capitol Hill - News from Markey's Select Committee
Posted on April 22, 2009TUESDAY 4/21: -The Energy & Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment began hearings on the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation. -Speaker Nancy Pelosi held an event with House committee chairmen, faith and business leaders -The Catholic Church...
CEO salaries - from NY Times - no comment!
Posted on April 21, 2009Visit the NY Times for an interesting interactive graphic about CEO salaries Pay at the Top Here's an example of the information available for about 200 top CEOs.
US News and World Report
Posted on April 21, 2009TaxLawProf blogged the peer reputation ratings of all law schools based on the USN&WR list. You can view that peer rating list here. What should you make of all this? Well, not much. I routinely refuse to fill out USN&WR...
Wilkins Shelf Ice Bridge Disintegrates
Posted on April 20, 2009Montabay.com reported: As though commenting on world leader's lack of progress in combating climate change at the G20 conference last week, an ice bridge connecting the Wilkins Ice Shelf to the Antarctic continent broke off over the weekend. Long expected...
Watershed Management
Posted on April 17, 2009Cool new site: US EPA Watershed Central gives you one-stop shopping for anything related to watershed management: Watershed Central link
EPA releases endangerment finding
Posted on April 17, 2009Here it is: EPA GHG Endangerment Proposal -- Prepublication Copy EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare / Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling Release date: 04/17/2009 Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn, 202-564-4355 /...
Call for Entries - 4th International Water Film Festival
Posted on April 17, 2009If you're traveling this summer, you might want to film something about water and submit your masterpiece to the 4th International Water Film Festival. Entries are due July 31st. For more info, visit Drink Water for Life blog - water...
EPA to issue endangerment finding
Posted on April 17, 2009The NY Times reported that U.S. EPA will issue a formal endangerment finding today, declaring carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases to be pollutants that threaten public health and welfare. This will cause EPA to begin the process of regulating...
E.O. Wilson seeks to create networked encyclopedia of life
Posted on April 13, 2009E.O. Wilson's TED talk pleads for a networked encyclopedia of life, because of the dimensions of the unknown regarding life on earth. E.O. Wilson is, of course, the sage advocate for biodiversity protection and the most famous voice associated with...
Refuge regulations limiting commercial fishing operations are not a taking
Posted on April 11, 2009Palmyra Pacific Seafoods, L.L.C. v. U.S., No. 08-5058 (Fed. Cir. April 09, 2009) PDF Yesterday, the Federal Circuit decided a takings case where the U.S. created a wildlife refuge around an island on which the plaintiff had acquired contractual rights...
Add State of the World 2009 to the Climate Change Syllabus
Posted on April 11, 2009Here's a free copy of Robert Engelman's chapter on Sealing the Deal to Save the Climate. State of the World Chapter 6 I'd suggest adding SOW2009, which is devoted to climate change, or perhaps Worldwatch's Climate Change Reference Guide (table...
65% see current economic crisis as opportunity for sustainability
Posted on April 11, 2009I was browsing at Worldwatch Institute and saw these results from their poll. By the way, I voted for reengineering the energy system: What opportunities for sustainability may emerge in 2009 because of the current economic crisis? The world could...
Foreign Affairs "syllabus" on Climate Change
Posted on April 11, 2009This is Foreign Affairs "syllabus" on climate change compiled by David Victor of Stanford. If you ever wondered whether the Council on Foreign Affairs is hopelessly mainstream and slightly behind-the-times, this provides a good basis for analysis. Geo-engineering is prominently...
Elizabeth Royte's new blog -- more on bottled water than you'd ever want to know
Posted on April 11, 2009Go visit Elizabeth Royte's new blog: Water. waste. and whatever She's got more information on bottled water than anyone else in the world -- remember, she's the author of Bottlemania.
Pacific Northwest Climate Change
Posted on April 11, 2009Phillip Mote, head of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, recently spoke about likely effects of climate change in the Pacific Northwest. WaterWired recapped his comments. For those of us who live on either side of the Cascades, he didn't...
Early Spring by Amy Seidl - the everyday impacts of climate change
Posted on April 11, 2009RealClimate has posted a fittingly poetic book review of Early Spring by Amy Seidl, entitled "Breaking the Silence about Spring." Real Climate The excerpts below make the case for reading the review and reading the book: Did you know that...
Spotted Owl Taking a Dive
Posted on April 10, 2009The Justice Department has signaled that the US Fish and Wildlife Service plans to revisit the northern spotted owl recovery plan and the reduced critical habitat designation issued last year at the end of the Bush administration. The Bush administration's...
Wildfire Future
Posted on April 10, 2009ScienceNOW Daily News reported today on the paper by Moritz, et al. analyzing global fire activity published on PLos ONE, which reports on the variability of probable wildfire impacts from climate change over the next 30 years. About 20% of...
Global Warming Reduces Capacity of Ocean to Store Carbon
Posted on April 10, 2009An article by Wohlers, et al. published yesterday on-line in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) indicates that increasing ocean temperatures associated with global warming reduce the ocean's capacity to serve as a carbon sink. This establishes...
Arctic Sea Ice Melting Fast
Posted on April 03, 2009According to a new report by Wang and Overland in Geophysical Research Letters, the arctic sea ice is melting fast enough that it will be largely gone within 30 years. The ice is melting so fast because arctic temperatures in...
U.S. Babies Drinking Formula are Exposed to Unsafe Levels of Perchlorate
Posted on April 03, 2009One of the joys of blogging is all the good news that various organizations share with bloggers. However, here's a story that isn't such good news, but needs to be told. Joaquin Sapien of Propublica, which does public interest journalism,...
Waxman-Markey Discussion Draft on Energy and Global Warming: the AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY and SECURITY ACT
Posted on April 02, 2009Reps. Waxman and Markeyhave released a discussion draft bill on clean energy and global warming. Here is a Summary of the Discussion Draft and here is a copy of the Bill The global warming title establishes a cap and trade...
ALI-ABA April 15th Conference Call on Adaptation
Posted on April 02, 2009ALI-ABA Forum on Strategic Adaptation to Climate Change Offers Opportunities for Environmental Community Philadelphia, PA??The American Law Institute-American Bar Association is jointly sponsoring a 90-minute audio webcast addressing strategic adaptation to climate change on April 15, 2009 from 1:00 pm...
Science - Scientists Track Changes in Oceanic Biological Productivity Caused by Climate Change
Posted on April 02, 2009What a tangled web we weave..... everything really is connected to everything. Over the past several decades, the climate of the western shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) has been changing from a cold, dry polar climate to a warmer,...
Science - Scientists Develop Evidence on CO2 Concentrations During Post-Glacial Warming Periods
Posted on April 02, 2009Scientists have long sought to unravel the combination of physical and biogeochemical processes responsible for the tight coupling between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and Earth?s climate. Researchers suspect that the Southern Ocean may have provided a reservoir for atmospheric carbon...
Interesting History Question
Posted on April 02, 2009The Environmental History List has an interesting question -- what is the origin of "green" as denoting environmentally friendly. My answer was Charles Reich, Greening of America, circa 1970. If one had a copy, I'm sure he must reference some...
Harvard University Center for the Environment - Events List
Posted on April 02, 2009As always, Harvard and MIT have an enviable set of environmental, energy, and resources events. The list provides food for thought about speakers and materials that may be available. Highlights: Tuesday, April 7: Harvard faculty John Briscoe (SEAS, HSPH) and...
Water News from Water Advocates
Posted on April 02, 2009New Congressional Legislation: Strong support for drinking water and sanitation continues on Capitol Hill, where legislation introduced in the Senate would put the U.S. in the lead among governments in responding to the Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation...
World Seeks Major Changes in International and National Economic Systems
Posted on March 31, 2009The G-20 group of industrialized and developing country leaders meets April 2 to address the global economic crisis. One thing is clear, we're ready for some change! Major reform of the international economic system is needed in order to solve...
World Water Forum Ministerial Declaration Refuses to Acknowledge Human Right to Water
Posted on March 28, 2009With US encouragement, the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the World Water Forum declined to recognize a human right to water: Its time for US policy to change. ENS reported today: Twenty countries have officially challenged the Ministerial Declaration released Sunday...
Just How Many Deaths Are Attributable to Lack of Clean Water and Sanitation?
Posted on March 27, 2009I've been having a hard time pinning down how many people die each year from lack of clean drinking water and sanitation. The figure I had used for the last three years was 2 million deaths annually. I read a...
BNA Environmental Case Summaries
Posted on March 27, 2009TABLE OF CASES Central Valley Chrysler-Jeep Inc. v. CARB (E.D. Cal., 6/24/08) ... More » Oregon Natural Desert Ass'n v. U.S. Forest Service (9th Cir., 12/11/08) ... More » Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine v. EPA (9th Cir., 9/5/08) ......
Where has all our money gone?
Posted on March 27, 2009Remember that old folk song Where Have All the Flowers Gone? If you don't, go listen:it was a classic back in its day. Well, I've got a new version: Where has all our money gone, Long time passing, Where has...
Clinton urged by prominent women to place priority on safe drinking water and sanitation
Posted on March 27, 2009Water advocates sent a letter today to Secretary of State Clinton asking her to prioritize the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation, arguing that women bear a disproportionate share of the burden. WATER ADVOCATES, a Washington, D.C. group formed...
Check out the Drink Water for Life site
Posted on March 27, 2009Visit the Drink Water for Life Website
NAS Summit on Climate Change
Posted on March 24, 2009This strikes me as a little late given the approaching Copenhagen deadline, but better late than never. The Summit on America's Climate Choices, to be held March 30-31, 2009 in Washington, D.C., provides an opportunity for study participants to interact...
Briefing on Proposed CO2 Endangerment Finding
Posted on March 24, 2009In the first few weeks of my introductory Environmental Law and Policy course, I ask students to prepare a presidential briefing on a current issue. If any of you have the same approach, you might want to take a look...
North Carolina v. TVA
Posted on March 24, 2009A frequent reader brought this article in Toxic Law Reporter to my attention. Trent Taylor's article discusses the implications of the district court ruling in North Carolina v. TVA and other recent public nuisance rulings. Here's the opening paragraph: On...
Who's (or what's) on first
Posted on March 23, 2009Above you'll find the Recovery.gov image of where the $819 billion stimulus money is going. Below is the CBO's analysis, with graphics by the Washington Post. Clicking on either image will pop-up a full-size image.
Oil Spill along Australia's Sunshine Coast
Posted on March 15, 2009Reuter's reported tomorrow -- the joys of the international dateline -- that Queensland premier Anna Bligh declared Moreton Island, Bribie Island and southern parts of the Sunshine Coast to be disaster zones after an oil spill from a cargo ship...
Let them sue!
Posted on March 15, 2009They still don't get it. AIG's CEO who was brought in after the government took over an 80% stake in AIG is continuing to pay bonuses and "retention pay" to people who have virtually destroyed the global economy -- almost...
Climate Change from the Markey Committee
Posted on March 11, 2009Chairman Edward J. Markey Select Committee UPDATE The Markey Memo Monday, March 9, 2009 UPCOMING HEARINGS: TUESDAY: ?The Future of Coal Under Climate Legislation? Chairman Ed Markey and the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will hold a hearing titled, ?The...
Supreme Court Rejects Drug Manufacturer Claim that FDA Precludes More Stringent Label Warning
Posted on March 04, 2009The Saga of Snowbasin - Book Review
Posted on February 26, 2009Here's a book review I published in American Scientist about Stephen Trimble's recent book. AmSci link BARGAINING FOR EDEN: The Fight for the Last Open Spaces in America. Stephen Trimble. xiv + 319 pp. University of California Press, 2008. $29.95....
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Gives Willamette University?s Dempsey Environmental Lecture
Posted on February 26, 2009Prominent environmental activist and attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will address ?Our Environmental Destiny? Friday, March 6, at 8 p.m. at the Salem Conference Center as part of the Willamette University Dempsey Lecture Series on Environmental Issues...
Outstanding environmental law professors join the green team
Posted on February 26, 2009Wow. Obama's talent is awesome! JODY FREEMAN: COUNSELOR FOR ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, WHITE HOUSE Harvard Law School Professor Jody Freeman is serving as a senior advisor to Carol Browner, the White House energy and climate ?czar,? as Counselor for....
President Obama's "State of the Union" Speech
Posted on February 25, 2009The White House has published the "Remarks of President Barack Obama -- Address to Joint Session of Congress" as prepared for delivery on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009. White House link The President called for Congress to send him a cap...
Creating a Sustainable Society - the Role of Social Entrepreneurs and Volunteers
Posted on February 25, 2009Today, the House Committee on Education and Labor had a Congressional hearing on volunteerism. Both Van Jones and Cheryl Dorsey testified to the value of volunteerism for the future of the green movement and social entrepreneurship. Cheryl Dorsey?s video testimony...
National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
Posted on February 25, 2009Congratulations to all of the participants in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition held at Pace University during the last few days. Roughly 70 law schools participated in the competition, which featured a difficult and oft-times confusing problem about...
Obama gains nothing on tar sands in Canada
Posted on February 25, 2009President Obama appears to have made no progress with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the Canadian tar sands issue. Harper has requested that tar sands production be excluded from any global climate treaty -- which would be disasterous in...
Will Obama say "NO" to tar sands?
Posted on February 16, 2009The environmental community is mobilizing to get Obama to reject imports of oil produced from tar sands. While the campaign primarily focuses on the climate change impacts, the most pernicious effects of tar sands production are on water, both in...
Christopher Field and Anny Cazenave AAAS reports on rapidly worsening climate change
Posted on February 15, 2009On Saturday, I noted the AAAS meeting report on climate change by Christopher Brown.Climate change worsens more rapidly than IPCC anticipated Here's a bit more on Christopher Field's report from MSNBC:Carbon emissions have been growing at 3.5 percent per year...
Peasant Movement of Papaye
Posted on February 14, 2009Our congregation, 1st Congregational United Church of Christ, is launching our 2009 Drink Water for Life challenge this Lenten season, hoping to collect another $ 8 - 10,000 to help the Peasant Movement of Papaye provide water for three communities...
Ehrenfield Thinking about Sustainability
Posted on February 14, 2009John Ehrenfield recently wrote an editorial in the e-journal Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy entitled "Sustainability needs to be attained, not managed" Ehrenfield link Since I am in the middle of a short article about sustainability, I found his discussion...
Climate Change Likely To Be More Devastating Than Experts Predicted, Warns Top IPCC Scientist
Posted on February 14, 2009ScienceDaily (2009-02-15) -- Without decisive action, global warming is likely to accelerate at a much faster pace and cause more environmental damage than predicted, says Stanford scientist Chris Field, a leading member of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate...
Here Comes the Sun!!!!
Posted on February 13, 2009As we approach spring in Oregon, we get more and more desperate for the sun (actually its been a great, cold and sunny winter for the most part, but we've got to complain to keep immigrants out). Here's a welcome...
Guns in Parks
Posted on February 13, 2009Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, posted a blog entry last night (post link) about the Bush Administration guns-in-National-Parks rule. The post is featured onHuffington Post's Environment page today.HP Envt page link The post itself...
Green companies win: companies with a commitment to sustainability tend to outperform their peers during the financial crisis
Posted on February 10, 2009A study released yesterday by A.T. Kearney, Inc, titled Green Winners: The Performance of Sustainability-focused Companies in the Financial Crisis, found that in 16 out of 18 industries companies with a commitment to sustainability were the clear leaders in the...
Access to water and sanitation is the largest driver of human development
Posted on February 05, 2009Here's a BBC article I received today. It confirms what I've been told by public health experts studying Haiti and others: access to water and sanitation is the largest driver of human development. Its the key to jump-starting the whole...
Global water scarcity: the blue gold rush....
Posted on February 05, 2009Frank Rijsberman, Program Director at Google.org and formerly Director General of the International Water Management Institute, investigates the global water scarcity problem in an essay published on Boston Review. Global water scarcity A rapidly growing population means that we need...
New 6th Circuit Rapanos decision
Posted on February 05, 2009Chris Brown who practices in the Sixth Circuit saw this 6th Circuit application of the Rapanos case and passed some comments along: U.S. v. CundiffCundiff decision The Court (Judges Martin, McKeague, and a District Judge Collier, with Martin writing for...
Red Queens or Court Jesters: How Species Evolve
Posted on February 05, 2009A review in this month's science by Michael Benton discusses two prominent models of evolution.Science article The abstract and some snippets of the article are below:Evolution may be dominated by biotic factors, as in the Red Queen model, or abiotic...
We all expected this....
Posted on February 05, 2009There is talk in the Oregon legislature of eliminating or streamlining environmental impact assessment/environmental permit requirements on projects related to the Oregon stimulus package. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
What Levels of Warming Might Be Safe?
Posted on February 05, 2009Here's Worldwatch Institute's cut at the necessary emissions reduction. Remember Hansen says we need to go carbon negative and reduce GHG levels to 350 ppm. Despite nearly 20 years of international attention, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise rapidly...
Chartering Sustainable Transnational Corporations
Posted on February 01, 2009This link connects to a paper I just posted on SSRN. I presented the paper at the 6th Colloquium of the IUCN International Academy of Environmental Law in Mexico City in November 2008. I am submitting a short version of...
The Credit Picture's Still Grim
Posted on February 01, 2009A picture is worth a thousand words. Here are charts from the New York Times Economix Blog, circulated by Visualizing economics, showing five indicators of the dimensions of the credit crisis that began last year. Certainly some of the measures...
AMS seminar on sustainable practices and consumption patterns
Posted on January 27, 2009American Meteorological Society's Environmental Science Seminar Series Coming to Grips with Sustainable Practices: Where Do We Go from Here? What are the forces that shaped consumer culture in the U.S.? How does per capita consumption in the U.S. compare with...
Obama: Energy and Environment Directives
Posted on January 27, 2009Here's a source for primary information about Obama's Energy and Environment Directives on the California waiver and the CAFE standards. I searched for this yesterday and couldn't find it -- maybe some of you had the same problem. Today, January...
Oregon's Measure 37: The Paralyzing Effect of Takings Legislation and its Treatment
Posted on January 27, 2009One of my students just published an article on Oregon's battle with takings legislation: David Boulanger, The Battle over Property Rights in Oregon: Measures 37 and 49 and the Need for Sustainable Land Use Planning, 45 Willamette L Rev 313...
Choose the Best Answer: Organizing Climate Change Negotiation in the Obama Administration
Posted on January 27, 2009Northwestern University Law Review has published an interesting essay on who should lead the US negotiating team on climate change. Professor Zasloff suggests the US Trade Representative. My immediate reaction to the question is Carol Browner or Hillary Clinton, but...
The War on Bottled Water
Posted on January 26, 2009People are starting to get it: tap water was named one of the top 10 food trends of 2008 (Time article), one of the top 10 green stories by Grist (Grist article), and Zagat says tap water is in and...
Obama directs reconsideration of California auto emission standard waiver and raising CAFE standards to 35 mpg
Posted on January 26, 2009President Obama announced today that he had directed EPA to reconsider California's waiver application under Title II of the Clean Air Act, which allows it to set stricter limits on greenhouse-gas emissions from cars and trucks. If the California waiver...
Energy and Environment Investments in Obama's Recovery and Reinvestment Plan
Posted on January 24, 2009Here are the items in Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that directly affect energy and environment: renewable energy; smart electricity grid; weatherizing homes; clean energy private sector finance; highway and bridge infrastructure replacement projects and mass transit projects; water...
And the winner is......
Posted on January 24, 2009Way back on Election Day I made my pronostications about the Green Team. The most important omissions -- a energy and environment czar and the CEQ chair. I didn't know about the plan to have a top policy advisor, although...
The Obama Administration's Energy and Environment Agenda
Posted on January 23, 2009ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT White House link The energy challenges our country faces are severe and have gone unaddressed for far too long. Our addiction to foreign oil doesn't just undermine our national security and wreak havoc on our environment...
Let Clean Water Flow
Posted on January 23, 2009Here's my church's video to launch our 2009 Drink Water for Life lenten challenge. If you benefit from the work I do on this blog, please, please, please......take the challenge or find another way to contribute to organizations that do...
Worldwatch Climate Symposium online
Posted on January 22, 2009Here's a good climate change overview for class: Watch the State of the World 2009 Washington Symposium On January 15, leading thinkers, scientists, and policymakers convened in Washington, D.C. to discuss the significance of 2009 for the Earth's climate...
Final Action on All Proposed Rules Suspended Pending Legal and Policy Review
Posted on January 22, 2009Earthjustice reported: White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel Tuesday sent a memo to the heads of all executive departments and agencies, ordering a stop to all pending regulations until a legal and policy review can be conducted by the...
Obama issues Executive Order regarding presidential records
Posted on January 22, 2009President Obama issues executive order allowing invocation of executive privilege only by President when either the Attorney General or the Counsel to the President believes invocation is justified. Executive Order -- Presidential Records By the authority vested in me as...
Obama issues Executive Order closing revolving door
Posted on January 22, 2009President Obama has issued an executive order tightening the ethics rules that apply to presidential appointees. Link The full text appears below: Executive Order -- Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel By the authority vested in me as President by...
Antarctic warming over larger area than previously believed
Posted on January 22, 2009Today Nature published correspondence reporting a study by Steig and colleagues showing that much of the Antarctic ice-sheet has been warming since 1957. Previous studies had only documented warming in a small area of Antarctica. Obviously, if a greater area...
Arctic Circle -- check it out
Posted on January 21, 2009Here's a great website for anyone exploring the oil rush or effects of global warming in the Arctic Arctic Circle natural resources link My students explored the issue of Who Owns the Arctic a bit more than a year ago...
Another agenda-setting piece: Green America
Posted on January 20, 2009I like this agenda -- some straight-forward, not at all novel, ideas that resonate with me. Green America link Solutions from the Green Economy January 15, 2008 Everyone now understands that the economy is broken. While many name the mortgage...
And we ask it in Christ's name....
Posted on January 20, 2009Here's a letter from the US Conference of the World Council of Churches to President Obama, seeking to help set the Presidential agenda. From the inaugural speech, his agenda is consistent with that of the faith communities represented, but thankfully...
Nourish the Hungry
Posted on January 20, 2009Greenwire reported on the Madrid meeting next week that will be examining progress on addressing the worldwide food crisis -- where one of every seven people in the world is hungry. What a wonderful time to begin to make a...
Most of the green team confirmed today: Jackson, Sutley, and Clinton remain
Posted on January 20, 2009E & E News reported: The Senate unanimously confirmed seven of President Barack Obama's Cabinet picks today, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, but postponed debate on his nominees to lead the...
Visitors from Mozambique and Inaugural Awe
Posted on January 20, 2009Today I had the pleasure as Director of our law school's Certificate Program in Law and Government to host two visitors from Mozambique through the International Leadership Visitor Program funded by the State Department. This program focuses on bringing emerging...
New Resource: Conflict Resolution Quarterly
Posted on January 20, 2009Here's a new resource that may be of interest to those interested in conflict resolution in the environment and natural resources context: Conflict Resolution Quarterly can be accessed three ways: 1) For free to members of the Association for Conflict...
ELI Endangered Laws Writing Competition
Posted on January 19, 2009FOURTH ANNUAL ENDANGERED ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION (2008-09) Co-sponsored by The Environmental Law Institute The American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources The National Association of Environmental Law Societies The Constitution has long been interpreted by the...
Wilkins Ice Sheet Ready to Collapse: Pay Attention to This
Posted on January 19, 2009Planet Ark reports: Antarctic Ice Shelf Set To Collapse Due To Warming - Estimated Time of Death - Weeks to Months World Environmental News link Date: 20-Jan-09 Country: ANTARCTICA Author: Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent A 20 metre-high ice cliff forming...
Obama carries amazing level of good will into presidency
Posted on January 19, 2009Two polls I've read today suggest that Obama is carrying an amazing level of goodwill into his presidency, both from the American people and internationally. The first is the PIPA World Opinion Poll. It reports: As Barack Obama prepares to...
Thomson Reuters Carbon Market Community
Posted on January 19, 2009You may want to take a look at this relatively new compilation of carbon market news. Carbon Market Community
Fast track climate change
Posted on January 19, 2009Obama can make a number of executive decisions to immediately address climate change. The favorites of environmentalists are: * Direct U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to let California and other states regulate greenhouse gas pollutants from cars...
State of the World 2009
Posted on January 19, 2009For those of you teaching climate change, this year's State of the World may be particularly helpful: Published annually in 28 languages, State of the World is long established as the most authoritative and accessible annual guide to our progress...
Findlaw Environmental Law Case Summaries January 19
Posted on January 19, 2009ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? US v. Hagerman ? Birke v. Oakwood Worldwide ? Paduano v. Am. Honda Co., Inc. FindLaw's case summaries are copyrighted material and are not intended for republication without prior approval. You may, however, freely redistribute this...
Cape Wind EIS Completed
Posted on January 19, 2009According to MarketWatch, Jim Gordon of Cape Wind Associates, the developer of the controversial Cape Wind wind farm off the coast of Nantucket, plans to begin construction as early as 2010 now that the Cape Wind project has cleared a...
Best Blogs:2008 Weblog Awards Finalists
Posted on January 19, 2009Here is a complete list of the finalists for The 2008 Weblog Awards, including the full list of best science blogs and best law blogs. Best Blog Hot Air Daily Kos Huffington Post Gawker Ben Smith - Politico The Consumerist...
RealClimate deserves best science blog award
Posted on January 19, 2009RealClimate is a finalist for "Best Science Blog" in this year's Weblog awards. In my opinion, it deserves it. If you agree, be sure to cast your vote. As in years past, we are happy to have this chance to...
Oregon continues its work on global warming
Posted on January 19, 2009Not withstanding the Washington buzz, Oregon continues to develop its own strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to global warming. Obviously, Oregon and other states have been the leaders in this area and do not seem content to...
The Seas are Rising
Posted on January 19, 2009EPA reports sea levels on the United States' mid-Atlantic coast are rising faster than the global average because of global warming, threatening the future of coastal communities. Coastal waters from New York to North Carolina have crept up by an...
A Short-list Agenda for Carol Browner
Posted on January 19, 20091. Maximize the energy/environment piece of the pie in the stimulus bill and let Congress allocate it 2. Make a deal with Hillary Clinton about how Browner is going to be involved in high level international negotiations regarding climate change...
The Role of Coal
Posted on January 15, 2009Despite Henry Waxman's previous position seeking to ban new coal-fired power plants -- unless they employ CSS technology -- Waxman says that everything about coal is on the table. E & E reported that "the California Democrat has been sounding...
Oh, pity the poor millionaire, who lost so much this fall
Posted on January 15, 2009Unfortunately, I didn't have a million to lose.
US Climate Action Partnership climate change plan launched -- behind the times
Posted on January 15, 2009The US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a coalition of business, environmental and other interests, unveiled its "Blueprint for Legislative Action" climate change program today, which features a cap-and-trade approach to reducing GHG emissions. USCAP link to 28 page Blueprint USCAP...
Individual Fishing Quotas at Work -- west coast groundfish program seeks Commerce approval
Posted on January 14, 2009In recent years, West Coast groundfish stocks -- including soles and cod as well as deep-water rockfish like colorful canary and thorny heads -- have sharply declined due to decades of overfishing and fisheries management that failed to align the...
Time to Revisit Maintenence in AK Oil Fields
Posted on January 14, 2009A AK Department of Environmental Conservation report yesterday on a slightly less than 2000 barrel leak of produced water from a corroded pipeline in an ConocoPhillips Alaskan oil field reminds us that it is not just public infrastructure that needs....
EU Pesticide Ban advances through EU parliament
Posted on January 14, 2009Yesterday, the European Parliament voted to ban highly toxic pesticides unless their effects can be proven to be negligible. If endorsed by 27 EU ministers, countries with similar geography and climate could decide whether farmers may use specific products...
Communicating the Science of Climate Change
Posted on January 12, 2009For those who teach climate change, this book review from Real Climate makes Bud Ward's new book on communicating on climate change sound worthwhile. I personally think that the FAQs and graphics in the Working Group I Report of IPCC's...
States Set for Clean Energy Lobbying on Hill
Posted on January 11, 2009FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media contact: Larry Kopp/Seth Allen, The T.A.S.C. Group Ph: 646-723-4344/ cell: 917-282-2357 seth@thetascgroup.com Clean Energy States Alliance To Hold Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill CESA Will Propose New Federal/State Partnership for Green Stimulus Investment Washington, DC, January...
FindLaw Environmental Case Summaries
Posted on January 11, 2009ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? The Nat'l Cotton Council of Am. v. Envtl. Prot. Agency ? Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Office of Envtl. Health Hazard Assessment FindLaw's case summaries are copyrighted material and are not intended for republication without prior approval...
Even George Wants a Legacy
Posted on January 10, 2009WASHINGTON, DC, January 6, 2009 (ENS) - Just two weeks before he leaves office, President George W. Bush today set aside three new marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean. Taken together, the three monuments cover nearly 200,000 square miles,....
ExxonMobil supports carbon tax
Posted on January 09, 2009This speech takes a leaf from Ken Cohen's playbook. I think that Cohen is honestly convinced that taxes are better and that cap-and-trade is too complicated. On the other hand, it certainly muddies the waters for quick passage of a...
EU study shows that aerosol pollutants have been underestimated
Posted on January 09, 2009According to a recent study by Hoyle and colleagues, funded in part by the EU, levels of global secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the Earth's atmosphere have increased by 60 per cent since pre-industrial times, suggesting that the effects of...
NRC report on nutrient control in the Gulf of Mexico
Posted on January 05, 2009A large area of coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico experiences seasonal conditions of low levels of dissolved oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia. Excess discharge of nutrients into the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya....
AAAS Forum on Sustainability Science
Posted on January 04, 2009Those of you with an interest in the intersection between law, science, and technology may find the following program of interest: Forum on Sustainability Science Programs Thursday 12 February 2009 1-6 PM Chicago, IL One of the biggest challenges that...
Biofuels too
Posted on January 04, 2009A new study by Stanford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Mark Jacobson entitled ?Review of Solutions to Global Warming, Air Pollution, and Energy Security? Jacobson study link comprehensively analyzes various energy solutions, addressing associated impacts on water supply, land...
Findlaw Environmental Case Summaries
Posted on January 04, 2009ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES • FPL Energy Maine Hydro LLC v. Fed. Energy Regulatory Comm'n • State of North Carolina v. Envtl. Prot. Agency • American Forest & Paper Assoc. v. Fed. Energy Regulatory Comm'n • Devon Energy Corp. v. Kempthorne...
SCOTUS preemption cases -- Findlaw commentary
Posted on January 04, 2009Anthony Sebok and Benjamin Zipursky [bio] have written some good comments on Findlaw about the forthcoming federal preemption case concerning drug warnings [Wyeth Commentary I and Wyeth Commentary II ] and a comment on the companion tobacco preemption case...
2009 to be in top 5 of the hit parade
Posted on January 04, 2009Planet Ark reports: Next year is set to be one of the top-five warmest on record, British climate scientists said on Tuesday. The average global temperature for 2009 is expected to be more than 0.4 degrees celsius above the long-term...
Biofuel Soars on Air New Zealand
Posted on January 04, 2009Due to the poor EO/EI ratio of biofuel and its competition with food crops, most of us are skeptical about widespread use of biofuel to meet transportation needs. However, air transportation is one of the few sectors where finding alternative...
Cape Wind Controversy
Posted on January 04, 2009Barbara Durkin provided the following correspondence concerning the issues surrounding the Cape Wind controversy. Those of you interested in following these issues may find this correspondence interesting.
Climate Ark Turns 10
Posted on January 04, 2009All of you are familiar with Reuter's Planet Ark, which provides timely coverage of environmental issues all over the globe. Fewer of you may be familiar with Climate Ark, an ecological portal, that provides a deep ecology perspective on climate...
Obama's administration aspires to being squeaky clean
Posted on January 04, 2009The would-be boss of NOAA, Commerce Secretary nominee Bill Richardson, has withdrawn due to an ongoing investigation into corporate bribery for a state contract. There is no suggestion that Richardson knew of or condoned the alleged misconduct. But, it is...
Real Climate's Choices for 2008
Posted on January 03, 2009Real Climate's 2008 Year-End Review Most clueless US politician talking about climate change (with the exception of Senator Inhofe who'd always win): Sarah Palin: Well, we're the only Arctic state, of course, Alaska. So we feel the impacts more than....
More on Ocean Acidification
Posted on January 01, 2009OCEAN SCIENCE: Winter Carbonate Collapse H. Jesse Smith Anthropogenic fossil-fuel burning is increasing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, which in turn is causing more CO2 to dissolve in the ocean, thereby lowering the water's pH. Such ocean acidification...
Let Them Talk
Posted on January 01, 2009A study by Smith, et al., indicates that when students answer an in-class conceptual question individually using clickers, discuss it with their neighbors, and then revote on the same question, the percentage of correct answers typically increases. This outcome could...
Rate of Calcification of Coral Reefs Declining
Posted on January 01, 2009Science reports on a new study showing that both rising ocean water temperatures and ocean acidification are causing a reduced rate of calcification of coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef. Coral reefs are threatened by from rising sea-surface temperatures,...
Millenium Villages Assessed
Posted on January 01, 2009Millennium Villages, A New Approach to Fighting Poverty in Africa: UN DPI/NGO briefing 6 November 2008 Summary The Briefing entitled ?Millennium Villages, A New Approach to Fighting Poverty in Africa? took place from 10:15 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Gail Bindley-Taylor...
The Economist on Poznan: Fiddling with Words
Posted on December 26, 2008The Economist summarized the December Poznan, Poland meeting as fiddling with words. Economist link Likewise, in 2007, I characterized the G8 summit in these words, "Nero became infamous for fiddling as First Century Rome burned. This month, the parties at...
The Economist Reacts to Obama's Cabinet Picks
Posted on December 26, 2008The Economist's reaction was that Obama has chosen an all-star team of heavy weights. Beyond Hillary Clinton at State, ... [Bill Richardson] surprised many by quitting as governor of New Mexico to become secretary of commerce. He had previously served...
Woodrow Wilson Center series on North American climate governance in January
Posted on December 26, 2008Please join the Canada Institute and the Environmental Change and Security Program for Governing the Climate: Lessons from the National Conference on Climate Governance featuring Barry Rabe, University of Michigan Leigh Raymond, Purdue University Stacy VanDeveer, University of New Hampshire...
Interactive Fora on Climate Change Planned This Spring
Posted on December 26, 2008We would like to invite you to join us for The Climate Registry?s series ?Climate Policy Forum: Charting the Path Ahead.? The series features regional North American forums that bring together representatives from business, government and organizations to interactively discuss...
Recent Study Shows Utilities Exploited Free Allowances in EU-ETS
Posted on December 26, 2008An ECN study analyzing the impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) on electricity prices, in particular on wholesale power markets across the EU, found that a significant part of the costs of freely allocated CO2 emission allowances are...
Leading Green
Posted on December 26, 2008There's an interesting green blog that Harvard Business School sponsors called "Leading Green." For anyone interested in corporate social responsibility or sustainability, its worth a visit. Leading green link
Climate Change Game for Class
Posted on December 26, 2008Some of you who enjoy games in class might devise an improved version of this cap and trade game designed by the founder of Cleantech Blog carbon trading game link
Climate Change Books of 2008: Real Climate Roundup
Posted on December 23, 2008Real Climate is, of course, one of the most authoritative blogs on climate change science. Here's what Real Climate has to say about 2008 books on climate change.Real Climate link As is usual, we have a brief round-up of books...
California to Create CEQA Exemptions for Construction Projects
Posted on December 23, 2008E&E reports (Debra Kahn, E&E reporter) State Democratic leaders appear to be yielding to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan for easing environmental restrictions as a way to kick-start job-generating construction projects. Schwarzenegger (R) proposed exempting certain infrastructure projects from the California...
Cape Wind receives Mass DEP approval of undersea electric cables
Posted on December 23, 2008Planet Ark reports that Cape Wind received permission yesterday to place its proposed undersea cables to transmit power to the mainland. The project would place 130 turbines about 4.7 miles off upscale Cape Cod and would supply enough power for...
Another green team reaction -- Nature
Posted on December 23, 2008Published online 22 December 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/457010a Eric Hand & Alexandra Witze John Holdren, a leading voice on climate change at Harvard University, will serve as science adviser to US president-elect Barack Obama. And Jane Lubchenco, a strong...
ExxonMobil pays $ 6 million for spilling 15,000 gallons of diesel into Mystic River
Posted on December 23, 2008BOSTON, MASS. - DOJ filed a criminal information today in federal court charging a wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corporation with violating the criminal provisions of the Clean Water Act in connection with a spill of approximately 15,000 gallons of...
MacDonald Fiasco at FWS Forces Reconsideration of Critical Habitat for Endangered Bull Trout
Posted on December 23, 2008The Bush administration yesterday told a federal court it would reconsider its stance on critical habitat for endangered bull trout. DOJ lawyers yesterday said that the administration is considering whether to continue defending a 2005 decision to reduce critical habitat...
CAIR Reinstated Pending EPA Revision of Rule
Posted on December 23, 2008The D.C. Circuit decided today 12/23 decision to temporarily reinstate the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR),EPA CAIR webpage but the program to reduce power-plant emissions of NOx and SOx will need to be revised due to the court's finding of...
Here are some of the picks of Change.gov
Posted on December 23, 2008The ?green dream team? Tuesday, December 16, 2008 03:07pm EST / Posted by Dave Rochelson President-elect Obama's picks for key members of his energy and environment team have not just drawn praise -- they've set off a wave of optimism...
More reaction on Obama's green team
Posted on December 23, 2008Statement of Eileen Claussen President, Pew Center on Global Climate Change on President-Elect Obama's New Energy and Environment Appointments December 11, 2008 This is a team with a keen interest in addressing climate change, and the talent and skills to...
Reaction to Obama's green team
Posted on December 22, 2008Planet Ark reports: President-elect Barack Obama's new "green dream team" is committed to battling climate change and ready to push for big policy reforms, in stark contrast with the Bush administration, environmental advocates said on Monday. "If this team can't...
Obama's choices for the green team -- pretty good showing
Posted on December 22, 2008Obama named John Holdren, an energy and climate specialist, as the new White House science adviser, heading the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Holdren is a Harvard University physicist who has focused on the causes and consequences...
Know your source: American Council for Capital Formation contends that CO2 controls will conflict with job creation and economic stimulus plans
Posted on December 22, 2008E E: Can President-elect Barack Obama successfully stimulate the economy, create jobs and reduce emissions? What are some of the pitfalls of pursuing a "green" stimulus? During today's OnPoint, Margo Thorning, senior vice president and chief economist at the...
UNGA Adopts Climate Change-Related Resolutions
Posted on December 22, 2008Last week, among 34 development-related actions put forward by its Second Committee (Economic and Financial), the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a number of resolutions including consideration of the economic ramifications of climate change. Among the climate change-related resolutions, the...
The Plight of the South Pacific Islands -- visit Kiribati with PBS
Posted on December 22, 2008In the Poland climate change meeting just concluded, a top UN official predicted that by the middle of this century, the world should expect six million people a year to be displaced by increasingly severe storms and floods caused by...
Crude falls below $40
Posted on December 22, 2008Supply cuts can't keep up with the precipitous decline in demand in US and Asia. So OPEC considers cutting production more than last week's 2.2 million barrel cut -- which was already a greater cut than expected. MarketWatch reports: Crude-oil...
Call for Papers: World Water Week Sessions on the Right to Water
Posted on December 21, 2008Here is a call for contributions on the World Water Week sessions in Istanbul, August 2009, on the right to water. This posting is in both French and English (English below). French Thème 4.1 : le Droit à l?eau ?...
Science's New Science Policy Blog
Posted on December 21, 2008Here's the roundup from Science's new policy blog, ScienceInsider: Obama, Obama, Obama. The president-elect keeps making waves in the scientific community even before he has entered office. Yesterday, we were the first news outlet to report that Barack Obama has...
Findlaw Environmental Case Summaries
Posted on December 21, 2008ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES Town of Marshfield v. Fed. Aviation Admin. Sarei v. Rio Tinto, PLC N. Carolina Fisheries Ass'n, Inc. v. Gutierrez Salmon Spawning & Recovery Alliance v. US Customs & Border Prot. Club Members for an Honest Election v....
EPA Overreaches Again on "Interpreting" the Clean Air Act
Posted on December 21, 2008EPA lost again in the D.C. Circuit on its interpretation of the Clean Air Act in Sierra Club v. EPA, challenging EPA's exemption of facilities from MACT standards during startup, shutdown, or malfunction (SSM). Opinion The damage done in cases...
Not the last word on PSD
Posted on December 21, 2008According to Trish McCubbin (HT comments on Envlawprofessors), EPA Administrator Steve Johnson issued a memo Thursday finding that CO2 is not a "regulated" pollutant for purposes of the PSD program, meaning that new or modified power plants do not have...
Forecast: Cloudy and Rainy
Posted on December 21, 2008The art and science of climate modeling has improved enormously over the years with both an increasing sophisticated understanding of climatic feedback effects and the empirical knowledge that can set the parameters or values used in the models. A 2005...
Haiti's Resurrection
Posted on December 18, 2008Dear Readers and Friends: It is so difficult this time of year to decide how to spend one's limited resources in a way consistent with our duty to reduce human suffering and make the world a better place. It is...
OMB's attack on risk assessment
Posted on December 17, 2008Those of you who remember OMB's ill-fated revision of risk assessment methods (torpedoed by the NRC) may want to consider OMB's recent adventure into the scientific findings underlying risk assessments. One of the axioms of proper risk assessment/management has been...
The Interior IG Doesn't Pull Punches
Posted on December 17, 2008I can't do the Interior IG's most recent report on Julie McDonald justice, so I thought I'd just quote it: As you know, in previous investigations we determined that MacDonald injected herself personally and profoundly in a number of ESA...
IEA touts price floors and ceilings
Posted on December 17, 2008IEA released a new paper IEA paper link on price caps and price floors in climate policy, assessing long-term economic and environmental effects of introducing price caps and price floors in hypothetical climate change mitigation architecture, which aims to reduce...
The Trouble with Rapanos: Bush Administration covered up the collapse of the CWA enforcement program wrought by Rapanos
Posted on December 17, 2008A Congressional investigation by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, detailed the collapse of the Clean Water Act enforcement program in the wake of Rapanos...
Deflation Paranoia strikes deep...
Posted on December 17, 2008Into your heart it may creep Starts when you're always afraid Step out of line The man come and take you away Apologies to Buffalo Springfield I've been avoiding many posts about the economy, to avoid depressing me and my...
World Water Week: Transboundary Waters and other flowing things
Posted on December 17, 2008The World Water Week in Stockholm, the leading annual global meeting place for the planet?s water issues, now invites workshop abstracts and proposals for seminars and side events to be submited for the 2009 World Water Week, August 16-22. The...
Arctic Ice Melt
Posted on December 17, 2008Last week, the Sumpter Elementary 5th graders and I did two ice melt experiments. The first experiment compared land-based ice melt with sea-based ice melt. The latter takes about a third as long as the land-based ice melt. With that...
27th Annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference
Posted on December 17, 2008DON?T FORGET TO MARK PIELC IN YOUR 2009 CALENDARS! The 27th Annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference Solidarity! United Action for the Greener Good February 26th ? March 1st University of Oregon School of Law Eugene, Oregon www.pielc.org Read on...
ExxonMobil strikes again!
Posted on December 17, 2008DOJ just released the news that ExxonMobil has agreed to pay nearly $6.1 million in civil penalties for violating the terms of a 2005 court-approved Clean Air Act agreement. HT Walter James, Environmental Crimes Blog. The 2005 settlement already required...
Case Law from Westlaw
Posted on December 10, 2008Van Valin v. Gutierrez, (D.D.C.) December 8, 2008: Game - Rescission of final rule limiting halibut harvest and promulgation of new regulations rendered challenge to rule moot. The Secretary of Commerce's rescission of a final rule, limiting the harvest of...
One Reason Why I'm Skeptical of Carbon Markets: UN Suspends CDM Carbon-Offset Verification Firm
Posted on December 10, 2008Quirin Schiermeier of Nature News reported today Nature link that the UN has suspended the main company that validates carbon-offset projects in developing countries, "sending shockwaves through the emissions-trading business." Certified emission-reduction credits from verified projects are traded and sold...
The Wave of the Future: Grays Harbor files another wave energy application
Posted on December 10, 2008E & E reported yesterday that Grays Harbor Ocean Energy filed an application with FERC to build 100 structures similar to offshore oil platforms 12 to 25 miles south of Block Island transmitting the electricity to Block Island and to...
Tibetan snows melting faster than expected
Posted on December 10, 2008During the last week, Sumpter Elementary 5th graders and I have been conducting global warming experiments. Because two of our experiments involve ice melt, I went back to the 4AR to look at estimated contribution to sea level. To my...
New Rapanos Memo
Posted on December 09, 2008EPA and the Corps in a guidance memo issued December 2 took a somewhat conservative position on what constitutes waters of the United States after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Rapanos. CWA_Jurisdiction_Following_Rapanos 12 02 08.pdf Rather than keep "either...
Bush Administration strikes again
Posted on December 09, 2008The Bush Administration eliminated protection of rivers in coal mining regions by changing the mountaintop mining rule last week. Pro Publica reported: Ignoring its own scientific study, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday that dumping debris from coal mining...
World Council of Churches Central Committee Minute on Global Warming
Posted on December 04, 2008I am beginning to collect faith-based statements on global warming. I'd appreciate comments and the forwarding of such statements by e-mail. The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, which governs the WCC during the seven years between assemblies,...
Wonder when we'll be able to buy these???
Posted on December 04, 2008The irony is I've heard they'll be available in India next year for $4000: by Jim Ostroff, Kiplinger.com Thursday, October 30, 2008 Courtesy of MDI A new carmaker has a plan for cheap, environmentally friendly cars to be built all...
Dow Data
Posted on December 02, 2008I am looking at the long-term trend on the DJIA. It seems to me that between the recovery from the 1987 drop and the beginning of 2008 that the Dow stayed pretty close to 11,000, with the exception of the...
CGD Contribution to Development Index - Environment
Posted on December 02, 2008Go check out the Center for Global Development's 2007 Commitment to Development Index page. Its got some great graphics that you have to see to appreciate. Unsurprisingly, EU countries lead the way on the Center for Global Development's index of...
The Public Wants Wind and Solar Even Though Initial Costs are Higher
Posted on November 20, 2008WPO Questionnaire/Methodology (PDF) WPO Full report on poll (PDF) WPO Press Release (PDF) A poll conducted of over 20,000 people in 21 nations by WorldPublicOpinion.org found that the public strongly supports requiring businesses to be energy efficient and utilities to...
Bush Administration Land Mines the Interior Department, EPA, and Other Environmental Agencies
Posted on November 18, 2008The Washington Post reports that the Solicitor of the Interior Department has shifted half a dozen key political appointees ? including Robert Comer known for his opposition to the roadless rule and a questionable grazing agreement as well as Matthew...
A Little Perspective
Posted on November 17, 2008Here's an interesting poster of US economic history in the last century. Download economy-good-mag.jpg High national debt is not always bad as one can see from the late 1940s and 1950s. But look at the size of the current debt...
6th Annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law
Posted on November 17, 2008The 6th Annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law was hugely successful thanks to the fine strategic and organizational efforts of Jose Juan Gonzalez, the conference organizer from Mexico City's Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM). US environmental law...
I'm back from Geneva and Mexico City
Posted on November 17, 2008I've just returned from my last Fall semester junket. Actually both conferences were awesome experiences that I'll try to share in bits and pieces as the semester ends.
Oil prices increase modestly today
Posted on November 17, 2008Crude-oil futures are climbing above $58 a barrel this morning based on the Federal Reserve's report that industrial output from US factories, mines and utilities increased in October, moderating September's sharp losses. Industrial production in October increased 1...
And, closer to our academic home, colleges and universities dependent on endowment, tuition, and tax dollars are in trouble
Posted on November 08, 2008November 8, 2008 Tough Times Strain Colleges Rich and Poor NY Times writer Tamar Lamar: Arizona State University, anticipating at least $25 million in budget cuts this fiscal year ? on top of the $30 million already cut ? is...
Usually a 2 1/2 month transition is fine....but I wish Obama could take office on Monday
Posted on November 08, 2008It was a tough day yesterday economically and a tough week for the market combines with Bush's threat to veto a Democratic stimulus package. The market had another sharp decline with a modest rebound on Friday. The chart below is...
Special Guest Contribution: Will we leave the Great Barrier Reef for our children? -- Dr. Chris McGrath
Posted on November 08, 2008Dr Chris McGrath is an Australian lawyer and researcher on laws protecting the GBR from climate change. This article is based on a previously published research paper, McGrath (2008). Submitted 30 October 2008. Amidst the current policy debate in Australia...
Cabinet Speculation
Posted on November 05, 2008Here are some predictions/picks on the Cabinet positions of most significance to environmental matters according to Politico's semi-official leaks. My picks and comments are in green. Attorney general: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine; Eric Holder, who was deputy AG under Clinton...
A Microcosm of Biodiversity Loss from Global Warming
Posted on November 03, 2008Stanford's article by Dan Stober in the Stanford Report reported on a study made available on the PNAS website this week. The study by Stanford graduate student Sarah McMenamin and Professor Elizabeth Hadly concluded that Yellowstone National Park frogs and...
If Bretton Woods is Dead, Now what?
Posted on November 03, 2008Here's Kevin Gallagher's answer: Bretton Woods is dead World leaders must commit to forming new international organisations better suited to solving the economic crisis Kevin Gallagher guardian.co.uk, Monday November 03 2008 12.00 GMT President Bush has taken a welcome step...
Food for Thought
Posted on November 03, 2008The book "THE FUTURE CONTROL OF FOOD: A Guide to International Negotiations and Rules on Intellectual Property, Biodiversity and Food Security," edited by Geoff Tansey and Tasmin Rajotte, has become available for free download at http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-118094-201-1-DO_TOPIC...
Linking the Global Financial Crisis and the Environment: Respite for Resources or Increased Pressure?
Posted on November 03, 2008Admittedly, it is guesswork, but last week in Geneva, I raised the global financial crisis as a challenge and an opportunity for those of us committed to bringing clean drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education to everyone. It is a...
Virtual Climate Change Conference - This Week Only
Posted on November 03, 2008Today, the online climate conference "Climate 2008 / Klima 2008" opened its virtual doors. Join us at www.climate2008.net - from 3-7 November 2008, you can find scientific papers from all over the world, we showcase selected climate projects, there''s a...
The Stock Market Faces Another Day of Bad News
Posted on November 03, 2008Monday AM: The Bad News With a headline, FACTORIES ROCKED IN OCTOBER: ISM MANUFACTURING GAUGE YIELDS MOST ABYSMAL READINGS IN DECADES, MarketWatch reported that the nation's manufacturers continued to cut back production sharply in October for the second straight month...
Climate Change and Human Rights - UN Human Rights Consultation
Posted on October 29, 2008Last week Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) convened a consultation on the relationship between climate change and human rights in preparation of an OHCHR study on this subject, which is due to be considered...
OPEC calls emergency meeting as oil plunges below $ 70 barrel
Posted on October 17, 2008The NY Times reported that oil prices dropped below $70 a barrel for the first time in 14 months on Thursday, causing OPEC to call for an emergency meeting next week to establish some stabilize oil prices. NY Times link...
The Market for Oil
Posted on October 15, 2008As the Dow shed 733 points [NY Times link], crude oil dropped to below $ 75 a barrel for the first time since August 2007. MarketWatch link At the close in New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down...
Strategic Trade - An Opening for Sustainability
Posted on October 15, 2008Yesterday the Guardian published an opinion piece by Kevin Gallagher (Washington Consensus Dead?) on Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman's work on strategic trade policy, pointing out that his Nobel Prize is the nail in the coffin of the free trade "Washington...
Community-based Water Development
Posted on October 13, 2008I just returned from an International Water Training Conference hosted by EDGE Outreach in Indiana. It was a bit different from your standard conference: I actually learned to do something. I can build and install a community water purification system...
End of the Mid October Panic
Posted on October 13, 2008Finally folks are calming down. The Dow gained almost a thousand points today. It needed to. While I was away in Indiana, learning how to build and install community water purification and treatment plants, the stock markets were going nuts....
Money Does Not Equal Happiness....But Poverty Sure Doesn't Help
Posted on October 13, 2008Take a look at the world happiness map. The richest countries do not have the highest degree of satisfaction with life. But the poorest countries certainly have a far lower level of happiness. Apparently, according to researchers at the University...
1 in 4 Mammals Face Extinction Due to Habitat Loss, Hunting and Climate Change
Posted on October 06, 2008The IUCN released its most recent Red List of Threatened Species today at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona. IUCN Red List link The list shows at least 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be...
If you were wondering.....
Posted on October 03, 2008The reason why I posted the recession chart last week....its because we're in one...not headed toward one. Here's the WSJ's collection of views from economists: October 3, 2008, 10:21 am WSJ: Economists say more awful jobs reports to come The...
And this is the good news....
Posted on September 29, 2008November crude traded at $95.39 per barrel on Globex Monday evening, down 98 cents from the New York Mercantile Exchange's closing level of $96.37. On Nymex, the contract's price had already dropped $10.52, or 9.8%, for the session. The market...
Stop....breathe......at the close of business, the Dow had dropped over 700 points...
Posted on September 29, 2008Don't look at your stock portfolios or your retirement accounts. It'll just make you crazy. TIAA-CREF has all the money I have in the world....but....here's hoping they make it. The funny thing is that today we have the same people,...
Be Careful What You Ask For
Posted on September 29, 2008The Democrats were too soft on the bailout....but apparently its going down....along with the stock market. Here's what the plan involved according to the Washington Post. Wash Post story on bailout details and here's the bill itself. Emergency_stabilitzation act...
Bad News for Deregulation and Voluntary Compliance
Posted on September 27, 2008On Friday, Christopher Cox, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) abruptly shut down a voluntary supervision program for Wall Street?s largest investment banks, acknowledging that the program had contributed to the global financial crisis: ?The last six months...
States Conduct First-in-the-Nation CO2 Allowance Auction
Posted on September 26, 2008From the RGGI press release: (New York, NY)?At a bell-ringing ceremony held today at the New York Mercantile Exchange in lower Manhattan, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) marked the opening of the first-in-the-nation auction for carbon dioxide emission allowances...
Recessions
Posted on September 26, 2008Try the link to visualizing economics (Link to Visualizing Economics) to see lots of cool charts, including their chart on Average US Income from 1900-2006 (Visualizing Economics Average Income Chart ), which shows average US income over the last century...
Crude skyrockets to $ 130+...the insanity continues
Posted on September 22, 2008Crude futures leaped as much as $25 per barrel, or 24.3%, shortly before the New York close Monday, to tap a high of $130 per barrel. They're poised to score their biggest daily gain since 1984 -- when crude began...
Crude oil moves to $ 116
Posted on September 22, 2008Crude rallied today above $116/barrel, the highest price in three weeks, based on the prospect that the Bush bailout will prompt economic growth. I'm not sure about growth, but $ 1 trillion + is bound to create a bit of...
Hurricane Season Continues...and so Does Global Warming
Posted on September 22, 2008During the 2008 hurricane season, 10 tropical storms and hurricanes have ravaged Haiti, Cuba and the US Gulf coast. Six Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes hit the US from late July to mid-September, causing billions of dollars in damage. Four...
McCain's Freeze on Discretionary Spending Includes all Energy and other R&D
Posted on September 20, 2008Jeffrey Mervis of ScienceNOW Daily News [link] reported yesterday that next year's federal budget will not contain even one penny more for scientific research, technology development, and science education if McCain is elected, assuming Congress cannot muster enough votes to...
Awesome Chart of Financial Crisis
Posted on September 20, 2008The NY Times has a great chart illustrating what has happened to the stock of financial companies in the last year. You can click on the image to get a sharper copy. The Bush Administration wants another $ 700 billion...
Findlaw's Environmental Law Case Summaries
Posted on September 20, 2008ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? Fund For Animals v. Kempthorne ? US v. Capital Tax Corp. ? Missouri Coalition for the Env't Found. v. US Army Corps of Eng'rs ? NRDC v. Winter ? National Resources Defense Council v. US Envtl....
McCain's Green Economy: Drill, Baby, Drill
Posted on September 19, 2008Here's one perspective on McCain's energy policy: "When it comes to the environment, John McCain only has the interests of Big Oil at heart. That's why he has over 22 Big Oil lobbyists advising him. That's why he favored lifting...
Legislative Climate Change Targets in the 110th Congress
Posted on September 19, 2008For those of you teaching climate change, WRI has a great comparison of the emission reduction targets of various legislative proposals. WRI analysis of US climate legislation targets The World Resources Institute?s analysis of emissions targets and cumulative emissions budgets...
Palin can't get her energy facts straight
Posted on September 17, 2008The Washington Post Fact Checker Michael Dobbs has awarded Sarah Palin four Pinocchios (the worst lie possible) for continuing to claim that she oversees "nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of oil and gas" as Governor of Alaska....
Blog Action Day is October 15th: Blog on Global Poverty
Posted on September 17, 2008Blog Action Day is October 15th. This year the topic is global poverty. On Blog Action Day, bloggers commit to discussing the topic from the special perspective that their blog brings to the issue. As it happens, Blog Action Day...
And none of us, including the market, are happy....
Posted on September 17, 2008With bad news from Goldman Sachs, Wamu and other financial sector entities, U.S. stocks plunged yet again today, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at its lowest level since November 2005. Despite the $ 85 billion rescue of American...
AIG to be acquired by Fed at a cost of $ 85 billion
Posted on September 16, 2008The Federal Reserve is reportedly taking a nearly 80 percent stake in the world's largest insurance company, the American International Group, in exchange for an $85 billion loan. All of AIG?s assets would be pledged to secure the loan and...
Pope says water is a universal inalienable human right
Posted on September 15, 2008Pope Benedict XVI supported a universal 'right to water' in a message communicated from the Vatican to an international conference on the issue of Water and Sustainable Development, in Zaragoza, Spain this summer. Profit should not be the only reason...
Hurricanes Reach Higher Wind Speeds Due to Ocean Warming -- Another Climate Change Effect
Posted on September 15, 2008A June 27 letter to Nature 455, 92-95 (4 September 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07234 from James Eisner, James Kossin, and Thomas Jagger, suggests that Atlantic tropical hurricanes are getting stronger due to increased ocean temperatures. While the same phenomenon is observed...
Corps Jurisdictional Determinations are not Final Agency Actions under APA
Posted on September 15, 2008The 9th Circuit ruled on Friday in Fairbanks North Star Borough v. U.S. Army Corp of Engineers that a final jurisdictional determination by the Army Corps of Engineers that an entire parcel is subject to CWA 404 jurisdiction is not...
Oil Prices
Posted on September 15, 2008Despite Hurricane Ike shutting down 17% of the US oil production capacity, crude fell below $ 100 on more bad news about the financial markets. Merrill Lynch and Lehman Bros. are going under and AIG needs $ 40 billion from...
Findlaw Environmental Law Case Summaries
Posted on September 12, 2008ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? Kentucky Waterways Alliance v. Johnson ? Geerston Seed Farms v. Monsato Co. ? Wong v. Bush ? Sierra Club v. Johnson ? Ctr. for Biological Diversity v. California Fish and Game Comm'n. To view the full-text...
OSU scientists establish the value of old growth forests as carbon sinks
Posted on September 12, 2008Today, OSU scientists and other international researchers are publishing an analysis in Nature that runs counter to 40 years of conventional wisdom. Their report suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" - they continue to absorb carbon dioxide...
House Select Committee battles for global warming documents
Posted on September 10, 2008The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming has sought documents related to the Department of Transportation?s assertion that California?s rights to issue regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles using Clean Air Act authority are...
IEA Sees Potential Long-term Reduction in US Oil Demand
Posted on September 10, 2008The International Energy Agency (IEA link) cut its estimate for global oil demand today based on the changes Americans are making in their lifestyles in response to high gasoline prices and the recession. North American demand fell 5.3% and 2.9%...
NWF Honors Willamette University as Most Exemplary Program of Campus Sustainability Activities in the Nation
Posted on September 08, 2008Willamette Recognized as First in Nation for Sustainability Activities In the nation?s largest survey to date, the National Wildlife Federation recognized Willamette University as first in the nation for sustainability activities. NWF?s ?Campus Environment 2008: A National Report Card on...
Best Estimate of 2100 Sea Level Rise is nearly 1 meter to as much as 2 meters
Posted on September 05, 2008Pfeffer et al have published the first serious assessment of how projected sea level rise by 2100 due to global warming will be affected by ice sheet loss in Greenland and Antartica. Their conclusion is that 80 cm -- slightly...
ExxonMobil agrees to pay most of the reduced Exxon Valdez damage award - about 3 % of its most recent quarterly profits
Posted on August 29, 2008This week ExxonMobil and plaintiffs' lawyers in the Exxon Valdez case concluded a settlement to pay out most of the $507.5 million maximum damages award set by the U.S. Supreme Court in June. August 26, 2008 AK Daily news Exxon...
Palin hugs big oil, not bears
Posted on August 29, 2008Gristmill reports the lowdown on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's VP pick: ...She has pushed to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling and to build a natural-gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope, and earlier this year she...
Hydrogen cars cross US (well....about 2/3 of it)
Posted on August 25, 2008Planet Ark (link) reported that hydrogen cars from 9 manufacturers (Honda, GM, Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor Co, BMW AG, Daimler AG, Hyundai Motor Co, Nissan Motor Co, and Volkswagen AG) completed a US DOT backed cross-country trip from Portland,...
EPA Sued for Failure to Regulate CO2 in Oil Refinery NSPS
Posted on August 25, 2008Planet Ark reports: New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia and the City of New York, are suing federal environmental regulators over greenhouse...
Findlaw Environmental Law Case Summaries
Posted on August 25, 2008ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? Ctr. for Biological Diversity v. Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin. ? El Comite para el Bienestar de Earlimart v. Warmerdam ? James River Ins. Co. v. Ground Down Engineering, Inc. ? Sierra Club v. Envtl. Prot....
Senators call for EPA Administrator Johnson's resignation
Posted on July 30, 2008It's about time. Johnson has stonewalled for the Bush administration long enough. Yesterday Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) called for EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson's resignation, charging...
Teaching in the 21st Century -- An Experimental Offering -- Hands of God
Posted on July 21, 2008Dear friends and colleagues, Here's my video offering called "Hands of God." I am busy taking a course in Communication Theology -- and I'm reading about how 21st century students learn differently and may even have brains structured differently than...
Important step forward for carbon capture and sequestration: EPA proposes UIC rule
Posted on July 16, 2008Given the supplies of coal available to the US and China, it is critical that effective carbon capture and sequestration technologies be developed and that effective environmental protections be put in place to regulate those technologies. While some have suggested...
The not so good news: crude fails 5% to below $140.
Posted on July 15, 2008Crude oil jumped to record highs above $ 147 on July 11 driven by political and economic concerns after Iran fired intercontinental ballistic missiles to signal its willingness to use military force to resolve regional geopolitical conflicts. Crude prices, of...
political bedfellows widget
Posted on July 14, 2008Cool widget for comparing members of Congress. Get the a href=http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/political-bedfellowsPolitical Bedfellows/a widget and many other a href=http://www.widgetbox.com/great free widgets/a at a href=http://www.widgetbox.comWidgetbox/a!
Environmental Case Summaries
Posted on July 14, 2008Here are Findlaw's environmental case summaries: Table of Contents ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CASES ? City of Bangor v. Citizens CommunicationsCo. ? Morrison Knudsen Corp. v. Ground Improvement Techniques, Inc. (continuation page) ? Wilderness Workshop v. US Bureau of Land Mgmt...
1/3 of coral reef building species in danger of extinction
Posted on July 14, 2008One-third of coral reef-building species are in danger of extinction -- according to a recent study by Kent Carpenter. He reviewed 704 reef-building coral species and rated them according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) standards of extinction...
A fish eye view of global warming
Posted on July 14, 2008Global warming will extinguish dozens of marine fish species that cannot migrate to colder waters, according to a study by University of British Columbia researchers Pauly and Cheung. Science synopsis of research Replacing the lost biodiversity with new species will...
Science reports on new hurricane model
Posted on July 14, 2008ScienceDaily (July 9, 2008) ? A new mathematical model indicates that dust devils, water spouts, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones are all born of the same mechanism and will intensify as climate change warms the Earth's surface. HT Eric, Climate Change...
D.C.Circuit - EPA's delay on regulating CO2 is just alright with us
Posted on July 08, 2008The D.C. Circuit denied Sierra Club's petition for mandamus (PDF Mandamus Petition) in Massachusetts v. EPA with a per curiam decision. (Mandamus Denial PDF) Judge Tatel wrote a thoughtful opinion concurring that mandamus was not warranted, but dissenting in the...
Katy Kuh on Congestion Pricing
Posted on July 08, 2008NYC's Congestion Pricing and the Dormant Commerce Clause Had Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to impose a charge on drivers entering southern Manhattan during peak hours managed to survive Albany politics, its next stop would almost certainly have been the courts...
SCOTUS grants cert -- June 27, 2008
Posted on June 28, 2008Coeur Alaska Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation, No. 07-984, consolidated with Alaska v. Southeast Alaska Conservation, No. 07-990. Are process wastewater discharges from mining operations governed by the drege-and-fill permit scheme operated by the Army Corps of Engineers under Section...
Crude approaches $140 and is predicted at $150 by July 4th
Posted on June 06, 2008The American economy is melting down more rapidly than anyone could have predicted. The Dow Jones Industrials plunged almost 400 points today -- driven by skyrocketing crude prices that reached a record $139.01 and predictions of crude prices rising to...
Buying silence...the Tejon Ranch habitat conservation plan
Posted on May 27, 2008An AP report yesterday by Noaki Schwartz disclosed that a development company has bought the silence of 3 of the 6 or so condor specialists, evaluating the habitat conservation plan for a major housing development proposed in critical habitat of...
Crude exceeds $ 135/barrel and gas prices rise over $ 4
Posted on May 22, 2008Last night the overnight crude oil prices exceeded $135/barrel. Marketwatch Yesterday premium gas prices over $ 4 .20, up 70 cents from last year, were reported. BizJournal So what does it mean? Inconvenience for most of us; true hardship for...
Boxer releases new, improved Senate global warming bill
Posted on May 21, 2008Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) released a substitute global warming bill (PDF) today with significant changes from the version approved last December in the Environment and Public Works Committee. It includes an $800 billion tax break to help Americans cope with...
Take that!
Posted on May 20, 2008The House overwhelmingly passed the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act, H.R. 6074 today, waiving the sovereign immunity of OPEC nations in order to allow the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to...
CO2 Inventory Data Source
Posted on May 20, 2008Like local data to pique your students' interest??? Want to know the facilities that you should target to make big gains in CO2 reduction??? Project Vulcan has made its complete database available -- and it produces cool maps like the...
There's more than one way to change ExxonMobil's neanderthal policies
Posted on May 20, 2008Momentum seems to be building for an investor revolt at ExxonMobil's annual meeting with respect to ExxonMobil's failure to invest in renewable energy and its approach to the global warming problem. The family of founder John D. Rockefeller has sponsored...
Spotted Owl Recovery Plan Released
Posted on May 16, 2008The Fish and Wildlife Service released the final recovery plan for the northern spotted owl today, emphasizing forest conservation and reducing the threat of rival barred owls. The plan identifies 34 recovery actions necessary to address the risks from the...
The Hills are Alive....
Posted on May 16, 2008As the global temperature rises, Scandinavian mountains are growing trees that require warm temperatures, such as oak, elm, maple, and black alder. Science Daily reports that studies by Professor Leif Kullman have noted an elevation of timberline by 200 meters,...
Wishful Thinking About Oil Bubble
Posted on May 12, 2008Good reading: Paul Krugman's op-ed piece in yesterday's NY Times poked a hole in the wishful thinking that the increase in oil prices over the last 5 years from $25/barrel to $125/barrel is just a speculator induced bubble. NY Times...
CO2 Levels Rising Faster than Expected
Posted on May 12, 2008NOAA data indicates that carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has reached new heights. NOAA greenhouse gas index link CO2 levels in the atmosphere now stand at 387 parts per million (ppm), up 40% since the industrial revolution and the...
Back on track
Posted on May 01, 2008Over the course of the last two weeks, I had a close encounter with the ultimate mystery, brought to me courtesy of a bacterial blood infection -- one of those critters that we include within the broad umbrella of biodiversity....
Agricultural Law Blog Post on Renewable Fuel Standard
Posted on April 16, 2008On Tuesday, Josh Fershee posted a critique of the US renewable fuel standard (RFS), which mandated expanded use of biofuels, including ethanol. Agricultural Law post He criticized the RFS on the grounds that cellulosic fuels are more green, and the...
Crude prices exceed $ 115
Posted on April 16, 2008According to MarketWatch, crude oil prices reached a new record high above $115 a barrel today, as US crude inventories fell for the second week, from 316 million barrels to 313.7 million barrels, according to Energy Information Administration. Due to...
Zg Plater, Pat Parenteau and others to appear at 30th Anniversary Symposium of TVA v. Hill
Posted on April 15, 2008Here is the announcement: ?A Symposium on TVA v. Hill: A 30-Year Retrospective on the Legendary Snail Darter Case? at The University of Tennessee College of Law, Knoxville, Friday, April 18. The Symposium will start at noon EDST, and you...
Supreme Court Grants Cert to Consider Whether to Reverse the Second Circuit's Decision that CWA Cooling Water Intake Structure Technology-Based Rules Cannot be Based on Cost-Benefit Analysis
Posted on April 14, 2008The U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari in the Riverkeeper v. US EPA (Riverkeeper II), 475 F.3d 83 (2d Cir. 2007), which remanded EPA rules on power plant cooling water intake structures that included a number of utility-friendly provisions. Even...
Recent Opinions Available through BNA
Posted on April 13, 2008BNA recently published the following opinions. For those of you not familiar with environmental law, BNA frequently obtains and publishes opinions that are not readily available through other sources. subscribers can access the full test -- for a free trial...
Findlaw Environmental Law Case Summaries
Posted on April 13, 2008These environmental law case summaries are provided by Findlaw. To read the whole text of the cases, sign into Findlaw. U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, April 08, 2008 Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. US, No. 07-1482, 07-1483 In an action...
Another Denialist Hypothesis Shot Down: Global Warming is Not Caused by Sun Activity
Posted on April 13, 2008A recent study by Sloan and Wolfendale examined the hypothesis of Svensmark that increased cosmic rays from sun activity were reducing cloud cover and thus causing global warming. The Sloan and Wolfendale paper concluded that, when both high level and...
Ecology Law Quarterly announces the first issue of Ecology Law Currents
Posted on April 13, 2008The first issue of Ecology Law Currents is featured on ELQ?s new website. Currents provides a timely forum for the varying perspectives of law professors, practitioners, policy makers, and students. Focusing on the role of nuclear power in the context...
The Official UN Explanation About Food Prices, Demand and Supply
Posted on April 11, 2008InterPress News Service provided coverage of the news conference in New Delhi on Wednesday in which Jacques Diouf, director general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), described spiralling food prices as an "emergency" that demanded concerted global...
Excellent Food Price Site: BBC of course
Posted on April 11, 2008I am supposed to go to Haiti in the next month or so to work on my Village to Village water and health project. Haiti has long been a dangerous place for travel: 12 Americans were kidnapped (with accompanying violence)...
Bread
Posted on April 10, 2008I went to purchase some bread for a student potluck last night. The store's bakery had posted apologies about the price of bread, citing the rise in wholesale wheat prices. I knew prices were going up -- to be expected...
Mashey on the Campaign to Deny Anthropogenic Global Warming
Posted on April 10, 2008Here's an updated copy of John Mashey's informal paper on the denialist campaign. Mashey on the Monckton, Schulte and Oreskes
Klamath River basin hydrology and ecology
Posted on April 07, 2008Many of us teach some material concerning the Klamath River basin controversies. For those who don't, the Klamath River basin in southeastern Oregon and northern California has been a case study in conflict over competing uses for water, complete with...
Is There a Silver Lining for the Environment in the Economic Slowdown? -- Katrina Kuh
Posted on April 07, 2008Weathering the storm of bad economic news over the past few months has been trying. I've found myself quickly reaching for the tuner nob at the first mention of "marketplace report" or anything akin thereto to avoid the latest in...
The Games EPA Plays
Posted on April 07, 2008Regwatch reported on Friday that EPA is delaying greenhouse gas emission regulations by publishing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking: As Reg?Watch recently reported, EPA staff had drafted preliminary documents describing the dangers associated with greenhouse gas emissions...
Schneider Visit to Willamette Almost Live
Posted on March 26, 2008Streaming video of Dr. Steve Schneider, former IPCC chair and co-recipient of the Nobel Prize with Al Gore, visit to Willamette earlier this month is available now. Video link Schneider is an extremely humorous and pragmatic guy -- who definitely...
Proposed Revision of Forest Service Mining Regulations
Posted on March 26, 2008Yesterday, the U.S. Forest Service proposed revision of the bonding and environmental requirements for hard-rock mines operating within national forests or grasslands. Those regulations can be found at 73 FR 25694-01. The summary and proposed provisions are provided below...
Award Winning IUCNPaper: Validity of Actions taken by COPs organized under Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Posted on March 26, 2008Louise Camenzuli from Sydney, Australia is the winner of the 2007 Alexandre Kiss Environmental Law Papers Award, sponsored by the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law. She won the prize for her paper on ?The development of international environmental law at...
Another one bits the dust: another antarctic ice shelf bites the dust
Posted on March 26, 2008Generally, rock songs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s are the associations that I make in my mind as I read. The association here might be "another one bites the dust" as we're about to lose the 7th shelf in...
Giving Makes You Happy: Behavioral Economics Wins Again
Posted on March 25, 2008Most of us were schooled in neoclassical economics, which makes a series of assumptions about the behavior of homo economis that behavioral economists and their colleagues in other disciplines dispute. These and other heterodox economic approaches are gradually creating much...
The Rankings Czar: US News and World Report
Posted on March 25, 2008The ABA Journal offers a story on the rankings, which are due out on Friday. I still adhere to the position that no law professor or law school should respond to its questionnaires. It is high treason with respect to...
Today's AMS Seminar addresses relative contributions of GHG emissions, solar radiation, and cosmic rays to global warming
Posted on March 24, 2008American Meteorological Society's Environmental Science Seminar Series Solar Radiation, Cosmic Rays and Greenhouse Gases: What's Driving Global Warming? What are the relative contributions from the sun, cosmic rays, and greenhouse gases, to the observed warming in the late 20th century...
Kansas Governor Kills Coal Fired Power Plant
Posted on March 24, 2008Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed legislation that would have revoked the power of the Kansas environmental agency to reject air permits based on greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation was an attempt to reverse that agency's decision to deny a permit...
Huh?: The Bush Administration Response to Massachusetts v. EPA and the Rule of Law
Posted on March 24, 2008It is quite fashionable for American politicians and pundits to suggest that somehow the United States has a unique role in spreading the rule of law throughout the world. The response of the Bush administration to the Supreme Court's decision...
The Big Tobacco Comparison
Posted on March 19, 2008Welcome to Katrina Kuh from Hofstra Law who has agreed contribute to the blog. Here's her first piece on a topic that has crossed my mind more than once since ExxonMobil's funding of organizations who promote denialist global warming reports...
World Water Day 2008
Posted on March 17, 2008World Water Day 2008 Please help spread the word about these events happening on or around World Water Day, March 22, 2008. Beginning Sunday, March 16 through Saturday, March 22, restaurants will invite their customers to donate a minimum of...
Drink Water for Life
Posted on March 17, 2008This article is written by Denise Olivera, Columbia School of Journalism, about the Drink Water for Life Challenge originated by 1st Congregational Church, U.C.C. of Salem, Oregon. The article was covered by the Great Reporter newsservice link The congregation pledges...
Chinese Environmental Law Blog
Posted on March 17, 2008Here's a new blog to keep track of, if you're interested in environmental law in China: China Environmental Law This spring break I'll be renovating the site and will provide full lists of blogs, environmental programs, etc. for your reading...
Powered by WebRing. This site
Posted on March 16, 2008Powered by WebRing. This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit Here.
DOT Downplays Transportation Report on Climate Change Impacts and Prevents Press from Interviewing the Author
Posted on March 14, 2008HT to Lance Olson Climate Change Yahoo group: The Government Accountability Project reported today on a major study on climate change impacts released on Wednesday by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Climate Change Science Program...
EPA Sets Primary Ozone Standard at 75 ppb Ignoring Scientific Advice; Sets Unlawful Secondary Standard Based on Bush's Personal Order
Posted on March 14, 2008EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee recommended a primary health standard no higher than 70 ppb and EPA's Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee recommended the standard be set at 60 ppb because children are more vulnerable to air pollution...
The Buzz on Climate Legislation
Posted on March 10, 2008According to E & E, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) will send House Speaker Pelosi a report from the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming with legislative proposals to address climate change on or before the House Energy and...
Crude oil surpasses $ 108
Posted on March 10, 2008Crude-oil futures surpassed $108 for the first time, before closing above $107 a barrel. The gloomy economic outlook in the United States increases the prospect that the Fed will cut interest rates again, creating an even weaker dollar. The euro...
Plug in to NRDC's Blog
Posted on March 07, 2008There's a little something for everyone here -- but some of the most prominent environmental lawyers in the world are blogging here. NRDC Blog
The Disinformation Campaign Continues: Utilities Say EEI Exaggerates Costs to Address Climate Change
Posted on March 06, 2008According to Greenwire, eight utility executives, including PG & E, FPL, and Entergy, wrote Edison Electric Institute seeking changes in EEI's report on the cost of implementing pending climate change legislative proposals. "It appears that EEI has been circulating this...
Loan Program for Rural Power Plants Suspended on Climate Change Grounds
Posted on March 05, 2008HT Bill Buzbee on UO envlawprofessor list - from Greenwire: The federal government is suspending a major loan program for coal-fired power plants in rural communities, saying the uncertainties of climate change and rising construction costs make the loans too...
Pulitzer Prize Anyone??? Only if you write by March 12th
Posted on March 05, 2008Well, no prize, but...You can become a Pulitzer Center Citizen Journalist!!! Pick an issue. Issues list "Should US environmental standards apply when multinational companies develop the petroleum resources of fragile ecosystems such as Peru's Amazon forest?" should be of particular...
By any measure, oil hits historic high price over $ 104
Posted on March 05, 2008In 1980, when OPEC used its monopoly power to dramatically cut the supply of oil, oil prices reached an inflation-adjusted high between $ 90 and $ 103. The wide variation reflects the difficulty in those times of establishing the market...
SCOTUS commentary on Exxon Valdez argument
Posted on March 03, 2008The SCOTUS blog commentary seems to track my view that SCOTUS will limit punitives. SCOTUS blog The context in which the Supreme Court is deciding the case, maritime law, is interesting. The court is acting as a common law court...
Settled Science
Posted on March 03, 2008Willamette University's March Dempsey lecture will feature Stephen H. Schneider of Stanford spe aking on "Global Warming: Is the Science Settled Enough for Policy?" I understand that his answer is yes. But I'll let you know more next week.
Petition Filed Seeking CEQ Guidance on Climate Change Analyses Under NEPA
Posted on March 02, 2008On Thursday, the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Sierra Club filed a formal legal petition with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) seeking to assure that climate change analyses are included in all...
More expert commentary on Exxon Valdez -- Sturley on vicarious liability
Posted on February 29, 2008The Wall Street Journal Law Blog posted comments by Michael Sturley who helped prepare ExxonMobil's brief.WSJ Law Blog He didn't make predictions, but did highlight the vicarious liability argument that EM should not be held liable for Hazelwood's actions because...
Expert commentary on the Exxon Valdez Argument -- Prof. Amy Wildermuth on the Court's "affinity for the trinity"
Posted on February 29, 2008Professor Amy Wildermuth, University of Utah, worked on an amicus brief in support of the respondents in the Exxon case and has offered these extensive comments on the argument Wildermuth reaction. In sum, her commentary agrees with my conclusion that...
Barack Obama and Faith in Politics
Posted on February 28, 2008Here's an excerpt of a column in Sojomail, a faith and spiritually e-zine, written by Jim Wallis about Barack Obama and the rumors and inuendos that have been circulated about Obama's faith stance. I found, unsurprisingly, that when I read...
The $ 3 Trillion Dollar War
Posted on February 28, 2008Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz estimates the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the United States alone will exceed $ 3 trillion -- yes that is not a typo, that is a "t" trillion. His new book,...
The Exxon Valdez argument -- what's law got to do with it, got to do with it?
Posted on February 28, 2008At least for our result-oriented friend Justice Scalia, its all about the money. Yesterday when the Exxon Valdez punitive damages case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, plaintiffs' counsel Jeffrey Fisher suggested hopefully that the justices had agreed to...
Judge Redden Approves Steady State Order on the Columbia River dam operations
Posted on February 27, 2008Judge Redden signed an order continuing the 2007 FCRPS operations through 2008. US DOJ proposed the rollover in order to allow National Fisheries to focus on producing a solid final biological opinion. The order and other information on the federal...
SCOTUS hears lengthy argument on Exxon Valdez punitives
Posted on February 27, 2008The Supreme Court will hear extended arguments in Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker (07-219) today, but has refused a request by the state of Alaska to argue. The case involves Exxon?s challenge to the $2.5 billion punitive damages verdict awarded...
Oil Prices Exceed $ 101/barrel Today
Posted on February 26, 2008The intraday high for crude reached $ 101.15/barrel today and ultimately settled to $ 100.88. MarketWatch link And this is in the midst of a recession! Seems like OPEC may have manipulated the rest of us into an awfully tight...
The Orchestrated Campaign to Deny Human-Caused Global Warming
Posted on February 25, 2008Little more than a week ago, I posted a portion of John Mashey's paper on the orchestrated campaign to deny that humans are causing significant global warming. The entire paper is now published here as a service to those who...
Election 2008 -- The Candidates Speak in Their Own Words -- Part III:John McCain
Posted on February 25, 2008During the last year, Foreign Affairs published a series of pieces on the 2008 presidential election, allowing candidates to frame their foreign policy in their own words. Foreign Affairs Election 2008 I am reviewing those pieces for discussions of global...
LCV Scorecard on Presidential Candidates Clinton, Obama, and McCain
Posted on February 23, 2008The League of Conservation Voters issued its Congressional Scorecard this week. This year, Obama and Clinton are both well above 50%, but neither were at the top of the heap, mostly because they missed 4 votes that LCV deemed critical....
Foreign Affairs -- Election 2008 -- The Candidates Speak in Their Own Words -- Hillary Clinton
Posted on February 23, 2008During the last year, Foreign Affairs published a series of pieces on the 2008 presidential election, allowing candidates to frame their foreign policy in their own words. Foreign Affairs Election 2008 I am reviewing those pieces for discussions of global...
2008 Elections - Website Resource
Posted on February 23, 2008Wow! I came across an incredible resource on the 2008 elections -- the State Department website for foreign press. Go take a look! State Department election 2008 site
IUCN 6th Annual Colloquium on poverty alleviation and environmental degradation
Posted on February 23, 2008Call for Papers: IUCN Academy 6th Meeting Metropolitan Autonomous University?Azcapotzalco, Mexico City will host the Sixth Annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, which will focus on poverty alleviation in the context of the law relating to environment...
ExxonMobil Deliberately Misled Blogosphere About Funding Global Warming Denialists
Posted on February 18, 2008Yesterday's post on ExxonMobil highlighted that it had funded the Frontiers of Freedom and its Center for Science and Public Policy (CSPP link ) during 2006, contrary to its claim that it was not funding global warming denialists. You may...
Foreign Affairs - The Candidates in Their Own Words --
Posted on February 18, 2008During the last year, Foreign Affairs published a series of pieces on the 2008 presidential election, allowing candidates to frame their foreign policy in their own words. Foreign Affairs Election 2008 I am reviewing those pieces for discussions of global...
Exxon Continued to Fund Climate Change Denial Campaign in 2006
Posted on February 14, 2008Most of us are convinced now that anthropomorphic climate change is based on sound, virtually unassailable science, that all but a few climate scientists agree with that assessment, that the questions to be answered now are: how quickly and by...
Carbon Offsets
Posted on February 14, 2008For the last two or three years, I've been purchasing TerraPass and Carbon Fund carbon offset products. The obvious question is "when will the cost of offsets start rising?" since the cheap offsets should be exhausted at some point and...
State and Regional Climate Initiatives: ABA SEER quick teleconference
Posted on February 14, 2008American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Ecosystems Committee Cosponsored by Renewable Energy Resources Committee; International Environmental Law Committee; New York City Bar Association;...
D.C. Circuit vacates the delisting and mercury rules
Posted on February 08, 2008The D.C. Circuit just vacated the Delisting and Clean Air Mercury Rules. New Jersey v. EPA decision I have not read the whole decision. But one of the implication I am most interested in is the court's vacating the delisting...
FY2009 Budget -- the bad news and the good
Posted on February 08, 2008Although all of the big chunks of the President's budget are no doubt meaningless, given Bush's lame duck status and Democratic control of Congress, there still may be nuggets within the smaller agency budgets. For your midnight reading enjoyment, visit...
Candidates Compete for Green Title
Posted on February 06, 2008After the Bush administration legacy, it is refreshing to see both Democratic and some Republican candidates competing for the title of Mr. or Ms. Green. See the comparison in Grist.
Exxon Mobil Profits Exceed $ 117 for 2007 4th Quarter!!!!
Posted on February 01, 2008Dow Jones Marketwatch reported that Exxon Mobil had its most profitable quarter ever, earning 18 cents a share more than the incredible $ 1.95 profit than analysts had projected and 44 cents per share more than last year's fourth quarter....
Focus the Nation
Posted on February 01, 2008Didn't. With the right kind of press, the right kind of hype, perhaps focus the nation could have reached people other than those already concerned about climate change. But it didn't. What it did do, at least at Willamette, was...
Oregon Global Warming Commission appointed
Posted on January 26, 2008Here's the announcement of Oregon's Global Warming Commission January 24, 2008 Governor Kulongoski Announces Global Warming Commission and Outlines 2009 Climate Change Agenda Governor calls for Commission to develop long-term policy recommendations to combat global warming for future legislatures and...
Climate Change Resources
Posted on January 26, 2008Here's a great link. This is Michael Gerrard's Arnold & Porter site on climate change. Climate Change Litigation
Harvard Open Paper Competition -- Climate Policy Framework
Posted on January 26, 2008SPECIAL PAPER COMPETITION - open to all CLOSING DATE: JULY 1, 2008 The Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements invites submission of papers focused on the design of international climate policy architectures. Papers should propose a complete policy framework to...
Law Prof Blog Network featured on Typepad
Posted on December 13, 2007Every day Typepad chooses a blog to feature. Today Typepad featured the Law Prof Blog Network. Environmental Law Prof Blog is, of course, part of the network.
LEXIS environmental site adds Climate Change coverage
Posted on December 13, 2007Environmental Law & Climate Change Center LexisNexis has launched its Environmental Law & Climate Change Center ? "a Web resource that provides attorneys with online information and real-time expert commentary on the myriad legal issues raised by global climate change...
Ninth Circuit snuffs U.S. Forest Service's "Healthy Forest Initiative" rule
Posted on December 06, 2007A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Sierra Club v. Bosworth that the U.S. Forest Service erred by engaging in certain fuel reduction and prescribed burn projects without analyzing the resulting environmental impacts as required...
Call for Papers -- ELQ Currents
Posted on November 20, 2007Ecology Law Quarterly is launching Ecology Law Currents, an online companion journal designed to act as a forum for short-form environmental legal writing. Articles in this journal will be indexed and citable. We are seeking submissions approximately 1500-3000 words in...
SCOTUS to review Exxon Valdez punitive damages award
Posted on November 11, 2007The Supreme Court of the United States has granted certiorari to review the 2.5 billion dollar punitive damages award assessed against Exxon for harms resulting from the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill. In case you've forgotten the details, the Tanker/Vessel...
BBC Resources
Posted on November 05, 2007BBC World Service has some significant podcasts on whether the US can go green and on the international climate change negotiation process. Go take a look at their archives. BBC Podcast Archive
Power Shift 2007
Posted on October 30, 2007Power Shift 2007, the first-ever national youth summit to solve the climate crisis. HT Jesse Jenkins at WattHead This weekend, Nov 2nd-5th, thousands of students and youth will come together in D.C. for Power Shift. With all 50 states represented,...
Kids most at risk from global warming impacts
Posted on October 30, 2007Children are especially vulnerable to the adverse health effects of global warming according to a report released Monday at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual conference: "Direct health impacts from global warming include injury and death from more frequent extreme...
British Petroleum agrees to pay $70 million USD for environmental crimes
Posted on October 26, 2007Acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler announced yesterday that the energy company British Petroleum (BP) has agreed to pay approximately 70 million dollars in fines and restitution for environmental crimes. This includes a criminal fine of $50 million for Clean...
Kansas denies air quality permit for expansion of coal-fired power plant over climate change concerns
Posted on October 23, 2007The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has denied an air quality permit for the expansion of a coal-fired power plant because the expansion would cause a significant increase in carbon dioxide emissions. One commentator suggested that this may be...
Ruth Norton Smith (Nov 27, 1921 - Oct 14, 2007)
Posted on October 18, 2007Ruth Norton Smith died peacefully in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, October 14, 2007 after enjoying her full measure of life. Ruth was born in Oklahoma on November 27, 1921 in a tent in Oklahoma. She was raised during the Depression...
Blog Action Day
Posted on October 16, 2007Yesterday was the inaugural Blog Action Day -- encouraging every blogger to post on global warming and the environment. For those who missed yesterday, here's a link where you can register to receive information about next year's event. Blog Action...
Thank you to Read/Write Web
Posted on October 16, 2007Read/Write Web has listed Environmental Law Prof Blog prominently in its list of the 35 best environmental blogs. [35 best environmental blogs] Thanks!
Oil spikes again
Posted on October 16, 2007Oil futures hit a new record $88 a barrel yesterday. The spike is attributed to concern about possible disruptions in Middle Eastern crude supplies and that domestic supplies are insufficient to meet demand during the fourth quarter.
Reactions to the Nobel Peace Prize Award
Posted on October 13, 2007This morning I woke up to the disconcerting editorial in my local newspaper, the Statesman Journal, which had this to say about the Nobel Peace Prize Award to the IPCC and Al Gore: Tossup: Al Gore. He shared this year's...
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