Month: November 2011
How Cities and Counties Can Improve Public Transit
Flashy and expensive new transit projects, such as the Los Angeles subway or San Francisco’s proposed Central Subway, get a lot of media attention. But cities and counties have a lot of discretion to improve their existing public transit systems in sometimes relatively low-cost ways. The benefits, as we discuss in a UCLA / Berkeley …
Continue reading “How Cities and Counties Can Improve Public Transit”
CONTINUE READINGNo (or at least little) net loss of jobs from regulation
We keep hearing the phrase “job-killing regulations” from the Republican side of the aisle, with environmental regulations generally at the top of their lists. Yet there has never been much evidence for the claim that government regulation is systematically bad for employment or the economy. To the contrary, scholars, this blog, think tanks (notably the …
Continue reading “No (or at least little) net loss of jobs from regulation”
CONTINUE READINGLooking Ahead to Durban
Unlike the Copenhagen climate conference which had enormous publicity and great expectations, the Durban conference next month is coming up very quietly. Yet, given the 2012 terminus of the Kyoto Protocol, it’s a very important event. Some degree of progress at Durban is important to keep the UNFCC process alive; otherwise, the action is likely …
Continue reading “Looking Ahead to Durban”
CONTINUE READINGJunior appropriators can be cut off without a hearing
The Eighth Circuit has rejected a claim by farmers in Nebraska’s Niobrara Watershed that their civil rights were violated when the state’s Department of Natural Resources issued “Closing Notices” ordering them to stop drawing water. The farmers asserted that they were entitled to a due process hearing before the property rights granted by their state-issued …
Continue reading “Junior appropriators can be cut off without a hearing”
CONTINUE READINGShould the national parks allow sales of water in plastic bottles?
In May 2010, Grand Canyon National Park announced that as of January 1, 2011, it would no longer allow sale of water in small plastic bottles at park concessions. The park hoped the ban would reduce the costs of dealing with tossed water bottles; the New York Times reports that disposable plastic bottles account for a …
Continue reading “Should the national parks allow sales of water in plastic bottles?”
CONTINUE READINGU.C. Davis’ “CEQA at 40” Conference Now Available Online
On November 4th, the U.C. Davis School of Law’s California Environmental Law & Policy Center hosted “CEQA at 40: A Look Back & Ahead.” Celebrating the 40th anniversary of California’s bedrock environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act, the conference drew some 400 attendees to U.C. Davis, with many more viewing the proceedings via a …
Continue reading “U.C. Davis’ “CEQA at 40” Conference Now Available Online”
CONTINUE READINGDatabase of Anti-Environment Votes in 112th Congress
To date, 170 anti-environmental votes have been taken in the GOP-led House of Representatives by the 112th Congress. It’s difficult to keep track of the good, the bad, and the ugly coming out of the House. One tool to help track the action in Washington is a new searchable database of anti-environment votes. “The House has voted …
Continue reading “Database of Anti-Environment Votes in 112th Congress”
CONTINUE READINGKatrinas Yet to Come
Climate change is expected to increase hurricane damage by $40 billion per year by the end of the century.
CONTINUE READINGEnergy Storage in California by 2020: A New Report From the California Energy Commission
Yesterday, the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program released a strategic assessment of energy storage technologies in California by 2020. The report was prepared by a three-campus University of California team, including Berkeley Law, UC Los Angeles, and UC San Diego. Along with co-blogger Steve Weissman and Jessica Intrator (who did the …
CONTINUE READINGAdministration reportedly will put off Keystone XL decision
The Washington Post is reporting that the Obama Administration will study alternative routes for the Keystone XL pipeline, delaying a final decision on the pipeline until after the 2012 elections. There had been a perception that the Administration felt caught between environmentalists and unions on the pipeline issue. Nebraska’s opposition to the current proposed route, …
Continue reading “Administration reportedly will put off Keystone XL decision”
CONTINUE READING