Year: 2017
How States Can Defend Themselves Against Trump
States have a number of tools for protecting their own environments from the Feds.
Suppose the Trump Administration launches environmentally harmful projects in a state or wants to allow more pollution there than the state wants. Does the state have any possible recourse? The answer is yes, although states’s defenses have their limitations. There are a number of mechanisms states can use to defend their own environments, if not the …
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CONTINUE READINGPublic Lands Watch: House Joint Resolution 36
A proposal to revoke an Obama Administration rule on methane flaring on public lands
Additional Update: It is being considered in the Senate as Senate Joint Resolution 36. Update: The resolution passed the House on the morning of Saturday, Feb 4. It will next go to the Senate. House Joint Resolution 36 (now being considered as part of House Resolution 74) “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives …
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CONTINUE READINGGetting involved on public lands issues
Some resources and advice on how to engage Congress
I’ve gotten some requests about how our readers can be involved in the public lands issues that we are tracking. If you are interested in engaging with your Congressional representatives around any of the public lands bills that we are tracking, whether to support or oppose them, here is some advice and resources. First, it …
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CONTINUE READINGPredicting How Neil Gorsuch Would Rule on Environmental Issues
If he’s ever confirmed by the U.S. Senate
Donald Trump just announced his nomination to replace Justice Antonin Scalia. Here are some very preliminary thoughts. Assuming Trump’s nominee, Neil Gorsuch, is confirmed by the U.S. Senate (by no means a certainty), what do we know about how he would be likely to rule on environmental questions? As far as I can tell, he …
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CONTINUE READINGPublic Lands Watch: HR 5 and Land-Use Planning
Bill passed by house would increase burden on agency for land-use planning
HR 5 The Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) Passed House 1/11 Received in the Senate 1/12 Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs This post was co-authored by law student Emma Hamilton. On January 11th, the House passed HR 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017, which includes a provision mandating new …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Dangers of the New Executive Order on “Reducing Regulation”
The Order is Designed to Prevent Federal Agencies from Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment
Dan Farber just posted an insightful, brief analysis of the executive order “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs” that was issued this morning. As Dan notes, the order is absurd and arbitrary – but more than that, it’s extraordinary in its potential for doing harm to our country and its residents. It is meant to kneecap …
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CONTINUE READINGWatching over our public lands
Keeping track of what is happening with our federal public lands
There is a lot of discussion about possible changes in environmental law post-election. One area that has received some attention is public lands. The federal government owns a little less than one-third of the lands of the United States – many of those lands are ecologically valuable, and are components of our priceless national park …
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CONTINUE READINGTrump’s Anti-Regulation Executive Order
Trump hates environmental, health, and safety regs. But we knew that.
This morning, Trump issued an executive order intended to kill all new regulations by creating impossible obstacles. It requires that an agency repeal two old rules and offset the entire cost of the new rule before it can do anything to protect public health, safety, or the environment. It’s a terrible idea. But at the …
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CONTINUE READINGScience Under Siege
There are troubling indications of a campaign to hide scientific information from the public.
On January 25, Reuters reported that EPA had been ordered to pull down its climate change page. That didn’t end up happening, but all use of social media was banned and some documents were axed, such as an FAQ about the scientific consensus. Meanwhile, data on international carbon emissions has vanished from the State Department …
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CONTINUE READINGCalifornia’s Best Investment in the Fight Against Climate Change
Trump is on a search-and-destroy mission against climate science & energy research. We need to fill the gap.
How can California best move the ball on the climate issue? Ann Carlson and I have just published an op. ed. in the Sacramento Bee making the case for a state climate-research fund and explaining how it could be implemented. Here’s why investing in new knowledge is such an important move for California. California can …
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