Region: National
Climate Change and the Insurance Sector: An Overview
The Insurance Industry Grapples With Changing Risks in a Changing Climate
(This post is part of a series on the issue of climate change and insurance that my colleague Ted Lamm and I are writing, inspired by a symposium that the law schools co-organized with the California Department of Insurance earlier this year. You can find more information on the symposium here. Ted’s prior related post …
Continue reading “Climate Change and the Insurance Sector: An Overview”
CONTINUE READINGLow-Hanging Fruit
A powerful metaphor can be illuminating, but it can also be highly misleading.
The idea of long-hanging fruit is ubiquitous in environmental policy — sometimes in the form of a simple metaphor, other times expressed in more sophisticated terms as an assumption of rising marginal costs of pollution reduction. It’s an arresting metaphor, and one that can often be illuminating. But like many powerful metaphors, it can also …
Continue reading “Low-Hanging Fruit”
CONTINUE READINGEPA’s Draft Update to Its “Science Transparency Rule” Shows It Can’t Justify the Rule
EPA Cites an Inapplicable “Housekeeping Statute” to Justify Its Rule to Limit the Use of Science In Important Regulatory Decisions
Over a year ago, EPA issued a proposed rule , ostensibly to promote transparency in the use of science to inform regulation. The proposal, which mirrors failed legislation introduced multiple times in the House, has the potential to dramatically restrict EPA’s ability to rely on key scientific studies that underpin public health regulations. The rule, …
CONTINUE READINGDear Denialist . . .
It was fun while it lasted, but now it’s time to move on.
Dear Denialist, I’ve addressed you from time to time on this blog, in the hope of persuading you to consider the evidence. To tell the truth, I have no way of knowing whether you are a hack fronting for an oil company, an operative somewhere in Russia or Eastern Europe, or even some kind of …
Continue reading “Dear Denialist . . .”
CONTINUE READINGA New Tactic in Climate Change Litigation
Unlike past lawsuits, a recent one may be able to accomplish more
Last week, closing arguments were presented in a potentially important climate change lawsuit, the People of the State of New York v. Exxon Mobil Corp. Such climate legal action seems increasingly common, or at least visible. In the US, 21 youths have brought a lawsuit against the federal government and fossil fuel companies for failing …
Continue reading “A New Tactic in Climate Change Litigation”
CONTINUE READINGEPA v. the Inspector General
Surprise, surprise, EPA has tried to stonewall an investigation.
EPA’s Acting Inspector General Charles J. Sheehan took the extraordinary step last week of notifying Congress that EPA was stonewalling his investigation of potential misconduct involving EPA’s Chief of Staff. This was a gutsy move for Sheehan, especially given the extra vulnerability created by his Acting status. Sheehan, it is worth noting, is a career …
Continue reading “EPA v. the Inspector General”
CONTINUE READING“But What Can Someone Like Me Do About Climate Change?”
Yes, there ARE things you can do. Individual efforts add up.
One reason people avoid thinking about climate change, or try to pretend it’s not happening, is that they feel powerless to address the problem. It’s true that anything we can individually do is minuscule compared with the scope of the problem. But individual efforts really do add up. People usually think first about how to …
Continue reading ““But What Can Someone Like Me Do About Climate Change?””
CONTINUE READINGThe US’s Departure from the Paris Climate Agreement is Not Such a Big Deal
The impacts of Pres. Trump’s action will be symbolic, not substantive
Soon after entering office, President Donald Trump promised to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. He did so yesterday, which was the first day that he may. This is unfortunate but not as great a tragedy as it might appear, at least substantively. This is because both of the Agreement’s content and …
Continue reading “The US’s Departure from the Paris Climate Agreement is Not Such a Big Deal”
CONTINUE READINGWhat to Expect from Trump’s Second Term
Basically, a second term would be like Trump’s first term, but worse.
Here we are, one year from Election Day. As of now, there is a significant chance that Trump will be reelected in 2020, though experts disagree on the precise odds. In terms of the environment, what would his second term look like? The President. It’s conceivable that Trump might rethink his policy positions after reelection, …
Continue reading “What to Expect from Trump’s Second Term”
CONTINUE READINGAre You Sure That’s What You Want?
Automakers might get a federal “one national standard”…just not the one they seem interested in.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that the Trump administration will move to finalize its rollback of federal fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards by the end of the year, and that, unlike the freeze previously proposed by the administration, the rule will require annual fuel economy improvements of 1.5 percent. That’s still much …
Continue reading “Are You Sure That’s What You Want?”
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
