Potential for 2015 roadmap from Durban?
Reuters reports on a potential roadmap for future climate change action that is developing at COP17 in Durban. Under the EU plan, parties would agree to a road map that would lead to legally binding commitments for GHG emission reductions in 2015. Up to this point, the head of the U.S. delegation, Jonathan Pershing, had indicated that the U.S. would not entertain legally binding commitments before 2020. But perhaps the U.S. negotiators can accept a roadmap to bindi...
CONTINUE READINGRon Paul: The Most Anti-Environmental Candidate Ever
In a field in which all the candidates are weak in terms of protecting the environment, Ron Paul is unquestionably the worst. Here is his position (taken directly from his website): Eliminate the ineffective EPA. Polluters should answer directly to property owners in court for the damages they create – not to Washington. OK, what's wrong with this proposal? Here are a few things: Why just property owners? Why not other people with health effects? Is there some re...
CONTINUE READINGImages from Durban
If you want a flavor of it, here are some images from COP17 (all credits mine): ...
CONTINUE READINGThe “21st Century Contract with America”
I've just been reading Gingrich's new version of the Contract with America. It repeats Gingrich's desire to end most federal regulations in favor of federal coaching and subsidies for businesses and state governments: We must also replace the EPA, which pursues an anti-jobs agenda the economy simply cannot sustain. A pro-growth Environmental Solutions Agency in its place will operate on the premise that most environmental problems can and should be solved by states a...
CONTINUE READINGFederalism and the Electrification of the Auto Fleet
Many commentators assume that if the federal government ever adopts a national policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, states and localities will largely take a backseat to federal regulators. But one highly necessary means to reducing carbon emissions -- the electrification of the automobile fleet -- will require active and involved participation by all levels of government, something that is often overlooked in policy conversations. Two recent reports highligh...
CONTINUE READINGThe First Federal Environmental Law Decision
Of course, it's a bit arbitrary to pick one case as the first environmental law decision. Many people would probably name the Scenic Hudson opinion, but my nominee would be a decision many decades earlier: Woodruff v. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co., 18 F. 753 (C.C.Cal. 1884). What makes it reasonable to call this the first federal environmental decision is the scope of the case: it ended an industrial practice that had been hugely lucrative; in effect, shutting...
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia cap-and-trade a topic of interest at Durban
California's cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions has gotten some interest here at the climate change negotiations in Durban. At a discussion of Australia's new carbon pricing program, panelists discussed how Australia considered California's economic modeling of cap-and-trade during the development of Australia's system. And a panel on linking between different carbon and offset markets, California's upcoming emissions trading market was a hot topic. C...
CONTINUE READINGMore on “Distrust”
I posted a few days ago about declining public trust in societal institutions (including the courts, the presidency, big business, the military, the church, etc.) By coincidence, Nate Silver has a post today that touches on the same subject. He reports that Democrats tend to have more trust institutions these days than Republicans. Moreover, Republican trust has been trending strongly downward, as shown by the following chart: Note that we're not just talking abou...
CONTINUE READINGJon Van Dyke (1943-2011)
Professor Jon Van Dyke of the University of Hawaii's Richardson Law School died unexpectedly earlier this week. His work extended across many fields, but most relevantly to this blog, he worked extensively on oceans issues and international environmental law. He edited five books on these subjects: Consensus and Confrontation: The United States and the Law of the Sea Convention (1985), International Navigation: Rocks and Shoals Ahead? (1988), Freedom for ...
CONTINUE READINGYouth Involvement at COP 17
Special blog post by Lauren Bernadett, UCLA School of Law 2L A striking feature of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) is the extensive youth involvement. The International Convention Centre in Durban is constantly abuzz with young interns and volunteers from various delegations, including some delegations exclusively comprised of young people. The youth network is surprisingly extensive, and this presence is not unnoticed by negotiators. One party delegate from...
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