New Report Co-Authored with California Department of Insurance Analyzes Climate Risks to Insurance Industry
Climate change threatens the industry's viability right when it is needed most. The new report from CDI and CLEE outlines key risks and opportunities for insurers, regulators, and residents.
Climate change presents a wide range of risks to California’s insurance industry, as Californians across the state contend with unprecedented wildfires, changing storm patterns, increased risks of flooding and sea level rise, and disruptions to business from agriculture to fisheries and beyond. Potential decarbonization of the economy and litigation based on climate-related damages further threaten the insurance business model. The industry faces these dynamic challeng...
CONTINUE READINGFive Key Cal. House Races and the Environment
These are among the races most likely to determine control of the House.
I’ve tried through the past few elections to provide information about the environmental views of Senate candidates in competitive races. There are too many House races for me to do the same thing on a national basis. But I thought I could at least cover the environmental dimensions of some of the key races in California. I chose these House seats because there seemed to be a lot of consensus among commentators that they were in play. Some of them may turn out to be...
CONTINUE READINGYou’re Invited! UCLA Law Events at the Global Climate Action Summit
Affiliate events will cover UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative, sustainability in Los Angeles and transportation revolutions
UCLA Law is coming to the Bay Area next week for the Global Climate Action Summit, a major gathering of climate leaders from states, cities, universities, the private sector and civil society to advance action on global warming. Jurisdictions and organizations involved are moving forward with new commitments. Last week, the California legislature sent one of the world’s most aggressive clean energy policies to the desk of Governor Jerry Brown, a co-host of the summi...
CONTINUE READINGHarnessing The “3 Revolutions” In Transportation To Achieve Climate Goals
Global Climate Action Summit event in San Francisco on Tuesday, September 11th, 2-5:30pm, reception to follow
Next week leaders from around the world will be in San Francisco for the Governor Brown-convened Global Climate Action Summit. The gathering is designed to showcase climate progress globally and help leaders share best practices and ideas on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the summit, many nonprofits, businesses and universities are hosting affiliate events (not part of the formal summit programming) on various climate issues. The Center for Law, Energy ...
CONTINUE READINGThe Water Next Time — And This
Kerala Floods Signal That Climate Change Is Here. Now.
With the daily freak show of American politics, you might be forgiven for not noticing one of the most horrific disasters in years: the devastating floods in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala, at the tip of the subcontinent. More than 500 people have died, thousands of homes have been inundated, and more than 1.5 million people have been displaced. Kerala has not had a flood like this in a century, but it is the nature of the flooding that signals its origins in...
CONTINUE READINGSeparated at Birth? No, not really.
Trump's pro-coal EPA plan equates two legal provisions with little in common.
Trump’s plan for coal-fired power plants, like Obama’s plan to cut carbon emissions, is based on section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. But much of the legal argument relies on an analogy to section 165 to support EPA's very restrictive interpretation of section 111(d). It’s that restrictive interpretation that leads the agency to reject any alternative that would make meaningful cuts in carbon or conventional air pollution. But the argument is based on a misplaced...
CONTINUE READINGFollow the Money
Investment in the World Energy System Still Dominated by Fossil Fuels
Not that money. Not the hush money, the payoffs, the tax and banking fraud. And not the dark money seeking to influence our environmental, climate, and clean energy policies. Nope, I am talking about the actual money invested in the world energy system last year. Granted, this may not be as interesting to many readers as all the scandals currently swirling around Washington. But if you care about the fate of the planet, these facts matter. Earlier this summer ...
CONTINUE READINGNew Policy Brief: How To Deploy Zero-Emission Freight Technologies At Southern California’s Ports
Brief captures key findings from UCLA / UC Berkeley Law conference in June
The environmental law centers at UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law have released a new policy brief that describes the top challenges and solutions for deploying zero-emission freight technologies at Southern California's ports. Policy Solutions to Boost Zero-Emission Freight at Southern California's Ports summarizes the key findings from a conference on the topic at UCLA on June 8th. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach bring more goods into the U.S. than any o...
CONTINUE READINGClimate Ed. — What are Kids Learning?
Climate change is on the curriculum, but only gets a brief drive-by in science classes.
What are kids learning about climate change in school? As children are about to head back to school, this seems like an especially appropriate time to ask that question. The good news is that nearly all students are likely to be exposed to the basics about climate change. Covering the subject is required by school science standards in every state. Idaho recently flirted with the idea of dropping the requirement but retreated under pressure from teachers and the studen...
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia Court Finds Public Trust Doctrine Applies to State Groundwater Resources
Court Rejects Claim That SGMA "Displaces" Public Trust's Application to California Groundwater
The California Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District has issued an important decision declaring that California's powerful public trust doctrine applies to at least some of the state's overtaxed groundwater resources. The court's opinion also rejects the argument that California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) displaces the public trust doctrine's applicability to groundwater resources. The Court of Appeal's opinion in Environmental L...
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
