Environmental Highlights of 2012
Reelection of President Obama, defeating Mitt Romney who had promised a major deregulatory push and massive expansion of fossil fuels. Election of new pro-environmental Senators such as Chris Murphy (Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.), and Liz Warren (Mass.) D.C. Circuit upholds EPA endangerment finding and rules for new stationary sources of greenhouse gases. California holds first auction of carbon allowances under AB 32. Obama creates Chimney Park National Monument. ...
CONTINUE READINGThe San Bruno Explosion and the Public Trust
Do you remember the horrific Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, California, that killed eight people and burned down dozens of homes? Two years later, there are still several proceedings pending before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to figure out who should bear costs resulting from the accident, and how much PG&E should be fined for what appears to have a been negligent disregard for pipeline...
CONTINUE READINGEnvironmental Issues and the 2016 Race
You may have thought that we were done with presidential politics for a while. Not so! The ballots weren't even completely counted before Marco Rubio set off to Iowa, supposedly for the Governor's birthday party. Here's one list of potential candidates: GOP. Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, and Condoleeza Rice. In case you're wondering, a recent poll of Republican voters shows Rubio in the lead. He's got a 9% lifetime rating from the...
CONTINUE READINGA Hidden Cost Due to Climate Change
Over the last decade some leading economists have written about the benefits and costs of airlines using hubs. Here is one paper . I have wondered how climate volatility will affect the time cost of air travel in a world of hub flights. If I must fly from Boston through Chicago to get to my final destination, the introduction of the second leg of the trip increases the likelihood that something can go wrong as the plane that is supposed to take me on the 2nd le...
CONTINUE READINGJohn Kerry & Climate Change
Whatever else it might portend, Kerry's appointment as Secretary of State is certainly good news environmentally. The New Republic put it well: Kerry, long an advocate for the U.S. to lead on climate change prevention, has compared the threat posed by poor international effort to confront climate change to that of war. In an August speech on the Senate floor, he said, “We all know what’s happening with respect to Iran, and nuclear weapons and the possibility even o...
CONTINUE READINGThe Significance of NOAA’s Recent Proposal to Protect 66 Coral Species
Citing threats associated with climate change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) proposed on December 7, 2012 to list 66 coral species under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), and to reclassify two already-listed Caribbean coral species from “threatened” to “endangered.” According to NOAA Fisheries, this was “the most complex listing process NOAA has ever undertaken.” NOAA’s coral listing proposal is monumental for ...
CONTINUE READINGD.C. Circuit Denies Rehearing in Endangerment Case
Six months ago, the D.C. Circuit upheld EPA's finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare, triggering coverage under the Clean Air Act. Today, the full court denied rehearing to the three-judge panel's decision. There were only two dissents, which obviously were hoping to set the stage for a cert. petition to the Supreme Court. The dissents provide a preview of the kinds of arguments that will be made to the Supreme Court. One key point is that...
CONTINUE READINGGreat Expectations: A Dozen Views of Obama’s Second Term
As we approach inauguration day next month, I thought it would be interesting to pull together the advice that people are giving him about his second term. Here are some links if you're interested in what people are hoping for (or in some cases, dreading). From the N.Y. Times, the views of Carol Browner (advocating more use of natural gas and a federal-state partnership to regulate fracking) and Christine Todd Whitman (climate change should be front and center). Wha...
CONTINUE READINGThe Future of the Colorado
The Bureau of Reclamation has issued an important new report on the future of the Colorado River. The Colorado supplies drinking water to 40 million people and irrigation water to nearly 5.5 million acres of land. The report projects decreases in supply over the next fifty years, including a 9% decrease in average flow and a 50% increase in droughts lasting five years or longer. In the meantime, demand for the water is projected to rise and will probably exceed supp...
CONTINUE READINGAttitudes Toward Climate Change, Environmental Science, and Clean Energy
A new AP poll reports a sharp increase in the number of people who believe that climate change is happening and will be a problem for the United States. The biggest change was among the significant group of people who say they don't trust scientists. Here's the summary from AP: 4 out of every 5 Americans said climate change will be a serious problem for the United States if nothing is done about it. 57% of Americans say the U.S. government should do a great deal or ...
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