Whitebark pine in ESA limbo
Cross-posted at The Berkeley Blog. Today the Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the whitebark pine, an iconic tree of the high-elevation American west, qualifies for listing as an endangered or threatened species. The combined impacts of disease, insect infestation, climate change, and fire suppression mean that the whitebark pine could disappear within a couple of its generations. But the pine won't be listed just yet, because too many other species are ahead ...
CONTINUE READINGFrogs, Boiling Water, and Climate Change: For the Record
Catching up on my LegalPlanet reading after being gone for a couple of weeks (and who doesn't do that first?), I noticed Dan's post referencing the famous story about frogs not jumping out of hot water if you put them in when it's tepid. Referring to humanity's inability to combat climate change, Dan asks: "are humans smarter than frogs? Remains to be seen." But actually it doesn't. Humans are unquestionably dumber than frogs because frogs will in fact jump out...
CONTINUE READINGWhite paper on Habitat Conservation Plans and Climate Change
Cross-posted at CPRBlog. Melinda Taylor at the University of Texas School of Law and I have just put out a white paper on Habitat Conservation Plans and Climate Change: Recommendations for Policy. It can be accessed here through Berkeley Law's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, or here through UT's Center for Global Energy, International Arbitration, and Environmental Law. A lot of attention has been paid lately to what role, if any, the Endangered Species A...
CONTINUE READINGThe Great Light Bulb War and the Modern GOP
Saving the 100 watt bulb seems to be a high priority for the House GOP. This issue is revealing about the political dynamics now at work on larger issues like the debt ceiling. Economically, the light bulb ban is a win for consumers: CFLs have a higher initial cost but more than pay for themselves in reduced power bills. The economic analysis seems to have little significance for Republicans. Moreover, the American industry is on the other side of this issue. Hav...
CONTINUE READINGThe Debt Burden on Future Generations
According to GOP.gov, [T]he amount of debt placed on the backs of children born today is about to explode. If nothing is done, our generation will have the sad legacy of being the first to lower the standard of living of the next generation. . . . Unless drastic actions are taken to reduce spending now and in the future, debt will dwarf growth and future generations will be less prosperous than those that preceded them. This may or may not be true of the federal governme...
CONTINUE READINGBut Will You Love My Energy Source in the Morning?
In the wake of cataclysmic energy disasters occurring on opposite sides of the globe, some interesting regional and national reflections are currently underway that may--or may not--alter long-term energy futures in the U.S. and abroad. One development this week that drew surprisingly little public attention is that no less a personage than the Prime Minister of Japan advocated that his country reduce and eventually eliminate its dependence on nuclear power. He made ...
CONTINUE READINGPaper or Plastic?
The California Supreme Court today issued a significant decision interpreting and applying California's most important environmental law--the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. The issues in Save the Plastic Bag Coalition v. City of Manhattan Beach were: 1) whether a Southern California beach community was required to prepare an environmental impact report (EIR) under CEQA before enacting a ban on local retailers' distribution of plastic bags to their custom...
CONTINUE READINGA “Modest Proposal” for Ending the U.S. Debt Crisis: A Debt-Nature Swap with China
Debt-nature swaps allow countries with major debt over-hang and relatively weak economies to reduce their debt in return for undertaking environmental measures. The U.S. now seems to be in the same need of debt relief as many developing countries in past decades. In the meantime, the Chinese have a thriving economy and hold enormous amounts of U.S. debt. The Chinese leadership also seems to realize that climate change is a serious problem facing China in the future...
CONTINUE READINGSo Much for California’s Anti-Sprawl Law, Ctd.
My post on the shortcomings of SB 375, California's anti-sprawl law, generated a swift response from NRDC’s Amanda Eaken and TransForm’s Stuart Cohen, two smart growth advocates for whom I hold a lot of admiration and respect. In their detailed post, which is largely a critique of the San Diego Association of Government's (SANDAG) sustainable community strategy (SCS) plan and less about the arguments I made, they describe my post as “poorly informed.” Yet now...
CONTINUE READINGAttack of the Dim Bulbs
The country may be flirting with deadbeat status and risking another financial meltdown, but some people keep their eyes on the prize -- they know what's really important. The House of Representatives yesterday voted on the BULB Act, repealing the federal mandate to increase the energy efficiency of light bulbs. (The bill was considered so urgent that it was brought to the floor under a special suspension of the rules; fortunately, this procedural move backfired when BUL...
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