Climate of Opinion
What do Americans think about climate change and environmental regulation?
Public opinion has been moving toward greater acceptance of the realities of climate change and the need for action. According to an April report by the Pew Charitable Trust, over half of Americans think the environment should be a priority for the next President, and over forty percent say that for climate change. Both figures are much higher than they were when Obama took office. Not surprisingly, there is a big partisan split on the issue, but among Republicans,...
CONTINUE READINGThe World’s Looming Water Crisis
Climate Change Worsens Chronic Water Shortages for One-Quarter of Earth's Population
The World Resources Institute recently released a disturbing report chronicling increased, dire water shortages around the globe that threaten millions of the earth's inhabitants. Climate change is a major contributing factor. Public health crises, social unrest and global political conflicts are the inevitable consequences if the problem is not addressed successfully--and soon. "17 Countries, Home to One-Quarter of the World's Population, Face Extremely High ...
CONTINUE READINGAnti-Science Climate Denialists Must Be Behind the Methane Rollback
Reducing Methane is a Really Smart Climate Solution With Fast Results
Dan and Ken have offered quick takes on why the latest Trump assault on the environment is inexplicable -- as they note, the oil industry doesn't need or want a rollback of rules that regulate methane emissions, and the compliance costs to industry are tiny. So what is the point of gutting a rule to regulate methane from oil and gas leaks? The only explanation that makes sense is that the climate deniers in charge of the White House are in control. Reducing meth...
CONTINUE READINGHelter Skelter
Even for deregulators, the latest rollback makes no sense.
The Washington Post reported this morning that EPA is getting ready to roll back yet another Obama Administration climate regulation -- this time, one regulating natural gas leaks. I wanted to add a brief postscript to Ken Alex's post on this. What struck me most immediately was the sheer economic weirdness of making this rollback effort. The cost saving for industry is trivial. According to the Post, "the agency estimates the proposed changes . . . would save the ...
CONTINUE READINGConference on the Ocean’s Role in Sustainable Food Production
U.C. Davis Will Host Cutting-Edge Event on September 16-17, 2019
U.C. Davis' Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute, in conjunction with the UCD School of Law's California Environmental Law & Policy Center, will host an important and timely conference on September 16-17, 2019. "The Ocean's Role in Sustainable Food Production" will offer an in-depth, interdisciplinary look at current scientific, economic, social, legal and governance issues surrounding the ocean's role in global food production. The conference will similarly exp...
CONTINUE READINGMethane From Oil and Gas Operations, Update
Another Trump Rollback
A quick and depressing update to my post yesterday about methane emissions from oil and gas operations. According to the NY Times, the Trump administration “will aim to eliminate federal requirements that oil and gas companies install technology to inspect for and fix methane leaks from wells, pipelines and storage facilities.” This, to use a legal term, is moronic. The oil and gas industry did not request the rollback and doesn’t need it. They can sell the...
CONTINUE READINGToo Many Climate Solutions
It's all about implementation
It turns out that there are lots of very promising climate solutions. Drawdown, for example, provides an excellent list. Implementing those solutions – moving them to pilots, policy, and scale – remains very challenging, for a variety of reasons, some legal and regulatory, some political, economic, and technical. I have started Project Climate at the Center for Law, Energy & Environment to focus on moving climate solutions more quickly. For the next few ...
CONTINUE READINGIs the Amazon Burning?
The current panic may not be justified, although long-term worries are
The environmental community is presently up in arms about fires in Brazil's Amazon. The number of fires have dramatically increased over this time last year. A Greenpeace worker said, "This is not just a forest that is burning. This is almost a cemetery. Because all you can see is death." France's president Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "Our house is burning. Literally. The Amazon rain forest - the lungs which produces 20% of our planet’s oxygen - is on fire. It is an inter...
CONTINUE READINGClearing the Air
The DC Circuit upholds a major air regulation.
On Friday, the D.C. Circuit decided Murray Energy v. EPA. The court upheld EPA’s health-based 2015 air quality standards for ozone against challenges from industry (rules too strong) and environmental groups (rules too weak). However, it rejected a grandfather clause that prevented the new standards from applying to plants whose permit applications were in-process when the standards were issued. It also required EPA to tighten up the “secondary standards” for...
CONTINUE READINGFor the Love of Carbon
Understanding Trump's Drive to Ramp Up Carbon Emissions
Libertarians may oppose government regulation on principle, and to some extent that stance explains the Trump Administration’s environmental and energy policies. But the Trump Administration clearly views the fossil fuel sector as something more than another overly-regulated industry. Instead, expansion of this particular industry is seen as something good in itself. Thus, the Administration not only wants to ignore the issue of climate change. Rather, its persi...
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
