Year: 2013
The Shape of Things to Come
The American Meteorological Society has released a report about the link between recent extreme events and climate change. Such attribution studies are very tricky, since natural variability is high. The most that can usually be said is that events of a certain magnitude have become more likely with climate change. The AMS report reflects a …
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CONTINUE READINGCalifornia Poised to Take a Major Step Forward on Energy Storage
Energy storage isn’t called the “Holy Grail” for nothing. Without it, we simply cannot meet our long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals. To decarbonize the energy supply, intermittent renewable energy from the sun and wind must be stored for later dispatch when those resources aren’t available. We’ve covered this subject extensively here and here. Now California …
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CONTINUE READINGSyria: The Wages of Climate Change
In considering the complex and painful question of whether to intervene in Syria, policymakers should take a close look at the memorandum published Monday on the Atlantic Monthly’s website by William R. Polk, a State Department Policy Planning Staff member during the Kennedy Administration. I don’t agree with everything Polk says, but it is one …
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CONTINUE READINGA Farewell to August: Tax Private Jets!
For Dan, Labor Day means thinking about Labor. For me, it means thinking about the horrific traffic that Cape Cod summer residents face on their way back to wherever. Or rather, it means thinking about the ridiculous mode of transportation the some friends of mine used to avoid that traffic. My friends work for a …
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CONTINUE READINGEnvironmental Law — Teaching Opportunities
It seems especially appropriate on Labor Day to spread the word about some job opportunities at law schools for teaching in environmental law and related fields. I’ll update the list as new openings come in. The Florida State University College of Law seeks to hire a lateral, tenure-track faculty member to fill a named professorship …
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CONTINUE READINGEnvironmental Economics Textbook Competition
For lawyers who value what environmental economists have to say, you have a broad selection of texts to choose from. Here are Amazon’s favorite environmental economics textbooks. Mine is the cheapest ($2) and the best one!
CONTINUE READINGDriven Past Endurance
This is probably not the best time to talk about the social cost of driving, given that many readers are probably planning to drive to see family. But no one is saying that you should never drive anywhere — just that reducing driving has some positive benefits. The math is simple. The environmental impact of …
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CONTINUE READING(Tentative) ruling in cap-and-trade case looks good for CA: ARB has auction authority
It’s never over till it’s over, but for now California is breathing a little easier as it defends its cap-and-trade allowance auctions from two high-profile industry challenges. The cases, which Ann has discussed here and here, were filed by the California Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Legal Foundation, and they make both statutory and …
CONTINUE READINGShark Fins, Federal Preemption & the Ninth Circuit–An Update
Last week I wrote about an interesting, pending lawsuit involving a constitutional challenge to California’s recently-enacted ban on the sale, possession or trade of shark fins. Asian restauranteurs and cultural advocates who’d filed the lawsuit and failed in their earlier efforts to persuade the federal district court to enjoin the law appealed that ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for …
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CONTINUE READINGClimate change and insurance
I’ve made this point before, but here’s a challenge for “climate skeptics.” The insurance industry is a competitive, profit-oriented industry. They should have little room for believing in the hoax of climate change: After all, if they did, then a smarter competitor wouldn’t bet on climate change and would clean their clock. And yet, in …
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