Region: National
Enforcing NEPA’s Forgotten Mandate
The courts have failed to enforce a core requirement of NEPA. That leaves the White House.
The Democrats have adopted an ambitious platform for environmental protection, full of innovative legislative initiatives. Here’s another idea Biden and Harris should consider, making use of the oldest of the modern environmental statutes. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is best known for requiring environmental impact statements. While they have enforced that requirement, the courts …
Continue reading “Enforcing NEPA’s Forgotten Mandate”
CONTINUE READINGAutomakers Love to Use the Great Outdoors to Sell Cars That Pollute National Parks
Auto companies continue campaign against progress on vehicle pollution
At the top of Franklin Pass last week, 11,710 ft above sea level and deep in Sequoia National Park, I stopped to catch my breath. There’s no doubt the altitude was affecting me, but looking back towards the thick inversion layer sitting over the western San Joaquin Valley, I had to wonder to whether pollution …
CONTINUE READINGRIP Jim Mahoney, Climate Champion At Bank Of America
Financial executive helped launch UC Berkeley/UCLA Law “Climate Change and Business Initiative”
Jim Mahoney was perhaps an unlikely climate hero. A senior Bank of America and FleetBoston Financial executive for 25 years who tragically passed away this past weekend at the age of 67 (the result of complications from injuries he sustained in a bicycle accident last year), Jim’s work focused on global corporate strategy and public …
Continue reading “RIP Jim Mahoney, Climate Champion At Bank Of America”
CONTINUE READINGTrump Finds His Medical Rasputin
The newest addition to Trump’s coronavirus task force is a faux expert who just happens to share all of Trump’s views.
President Trump has added a new member to his coronavirus task force, Dr. Scott Atlas. It’s no wonder that Trump loves Dr. Atlas, a retired Stanford radiologist who frequently appears on Fox. Atlas thinks “we are committing national suicide” if we continue serious health precautions against the coronavirus. Here are more of Dr. Atlas’s dubious …
Continue reading “Trump Finds His Medical Rasputin”
CONTINUE READINGThe Draft Democratic Platform and the Environment
The Democrats are promising bold climate action but not committing to details.
The Republicans have decided not to update their 2016 platform, but the Democrats now have a draft of their 2020 platform. The platform essentially calls for aggressively moving beyond Obama’s actions (and eliminating Trump’s). For those who are in a rush, I’ll start with the takeaways. Key Points Here are some of the most important aspects …
Continue reading “The Draft Democratic Platform and the Environment”
CONTINUE READINGWhat Will Harris’s Nomination Mean for the Environment?
She’s been outspoken on climate and EJ issues, but her core interests may be elsewhere.
Kamala Harris has taken some strong positions on climate change and environmental justice. Her nomination signals the extent to which the Democratic party now embraces those issues. However, to the extent one can judge from her public record, her highest priority interests have been elsewhere during her time in the Senate. While campaigning for the …
Continue reading “What Will Harris’s Nomination Mean for the Environment?”
CONTINUE READINGUCLA Law Faculty Weigh In on Solar Geoengineering Experiment at Harvard
How to engage the public when everyone on Earth is a stakeholder?
It’s been a surprisingly busy year for solar geoengineering research. In late December, Congress appropriated $4 million to NOAA to study the influence of atmospheric aerosols on climate, with an eye on assessing “solar climate interventions.” In March, Australian scientists ran a trial of a cloud-seeding technology on the Great Barrier Reef that may …
Continue reading “UCLA Law Faculty Weigh In on Solar Geoengineering Experiment at Harvard”
CONTINUE READINGManaging a Pandemic, Enron-Style
The Administration’s management harkens back to a spectacular business collapse at the turn of the century.
Think of this as a parable. I’ll draw out some parallels at the end with the Trump Administration’s handling of the coronavirus, as detailed in a story in Sunday’s Washington Post. But first I’ll let you make some of the connections yourself. The Trump team’s triumph in 2016 was one of the great upsets in …
Continue reading “Managing a Pandemic, Enron-Style”
CONTINUE READINGHot Spots
Climate change isn’t uniform. Some parts of the U.S. are seeing conditions that won’t hit elsewhere for decades.
Friday’s Washington Post had a fascinating article about climate change hotspots within the United States. The largest one was on the Western Slope of the Rockies, which has already seen 2 °C of warming. The story is a reminder that the impacts of climate change will be global and yet also very much local. Before …
CONTINUE READINGBP’s Surprising Pivot
An oil giant decides to face the future instead of fighting it.
With all that’s going on, it’s easy to miss what would in normal times be major news. On Tuesday, BP announced it was beginning to turn away from the oil business. The most significant thing may be this: BP stock rose after the announcement. BP has already sold its petrochemical business. It also announced that …
Continue reading “BP’s Surprising Pivot”
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
