Region: National
The Mirage of Trump’s State Climate Law Executive Order
There is no overreach.
On Tuesday, the White House released an Executive Order titled “Protecting American Energy from State Overreach.” It is unclear what the order believes is in need of protection, but it is certainly not the near-term health of our lungs or the long-term livability of our communities. What is clear, fortunately, is that there is little …
Continue reading “The Mirage of Trump’s State Climate Law Executive Order”
CONTINUE READINGIntroducing Your Legal Planet Weekly Roundup
The L.A. Times Boiling Point is ending its informative weekly news roundups. Here’s your weekly Legal Planet roundup, The Drain.
Good morning! The L.A. Times fantastic Boiling Point column is ending its weekly news roundups of environmental and climate stories. As columnist Sammy Roth noted in his message to readers, “reading and analyzing so many news stories every week takes up an enormous amount of time and energy.” No kidding! I produce something similar for …
Continue reading “Introducing Your Legal Planet Weekly Roundup”
CONTINUE READINGTouched by the Keeling Curve
Teaching the Keeling Curve in International Environmental Law has me reflecting on the role of climate science then and now.
Teaching the climate change unit last week in my International Environmental Law and Policy class, I found myself so moved that I started crying at the board. My poor students thought I was in distress. I was simply telling the story of the Keeling Curve. That’s a daily record of global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration devised by …
Continue reading “Touched by the Keeling Curve”
CONTINUE READINGTrump’s Discordant Coal Quartet
Yesterday’s four executive orders were long on talk and short on action.
Yesterday, flanked by a coal miners in hard hats, Trump signed four executive orders to restore their industry to its past glory. Given that coal is now the most expensive way to generate power other than nuclear, that’s going to be a heavy lift. Like many of Trump’s orders, these four are full of threats and bluster, but will have little immediate effect. These orders give the same impression as many executive orders — that Something Important is Being Done — but they are really more in the way of promises of future action.
CONTINUE READING168 Years of Climate Science
The scientific evidence for climate change traces back before the Civil War.
Climate change is no fad or Johnny-come-lately in science. Rather, our knowledge has grown over 168 years, since an American scientist first discovered the heat-trapping properties of carbon dioxide.Over time, it has become more and more certain that humans are causing climate change and that continuing down that road poses great risks.
CONTINUE READINGSenate Parliamentarian Confirms that California Waivers Are Not Subject to the Congressional Review Act
Will Republicans honor her determination?
As I have previously written, the Trump Administration is attempting an end run around the administrative process it is supposed to follow if it intends to revoke the waiver California received for three important programs to cut air pollutants from cars and trucks. You can find the details about this end run around — using …
CONTINUE READINGWhat if DOGE Came for the NFL?
This is what it looks likes like when DOGE takes on a new task.
We know what DOGE is doing to the government. But why stop there? What if they got loose on another part of U.S. society, professional sports? Here’s a picture of what that could look like. June 2026 June 30. New Trump Order: DOGE to Fix Football (NY Times) Trump on Truth Social: “Too long have …
Continue reading “What if DOGE Came for the NFL?”
CONTINUE READINGCommunity Benefits from Climate Infrastructure Investments
Tracking Investments Under BIL and IRA
Community Benefits tools, including Community Benefits Plans (CBPs), Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), Host Community Agreements, and other variations are tools that can accompany infrastructure investments and bring benefits to communities that host those projects. There are different drivers that result in the use of community benefits tools and the tools employed (i.e., agreements, plans, etc) …
Continue reading “Community Benefits from Climate Infrastructure Investments”
CONTINUE READINGWhat are the benefits of NEPA?
NEPA’s benefits are not necessarily easy to measure, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important
This is the seventh in a series of posts on the reasons we might have environmental review. The first post is here. The second post is here. The third post is here. The fourth post is here. The fifth post is here. The sixth post is here. Which of the various reasons that we might …
Continue reading “What are the benefits of NEPA?”
CONTINUE READINGUCLA Law Professors Condemn Attacks on the Rule of Law
A letter to students with 106 signatories expresses collective condemnation of the Trump Administration’s attacks on the rule of law.
A huge group of UCLA Law professors sent a letter to our students yesterday expressing our collective condemnation of the Trump Administration’s attacks on the rule of law. In doing so we join colleagues from other institutions and law deans in voicing our concerns. Here is an important excerpt from the letter: Lawyers have special …
Continue reading “UCLA Law Professors Condemn Attacks on the Rule of Law”
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
