Antiquities Act

Petroglyphs? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Petroglyphs!

So says the House Natural Resources chairman.

Henry Ford famously said “history is bunk.” A House committee chair went him one better today, dismissing prehistoric art with the term “bull crap.” Now that I’ve got your attention, here’s a little background. President Obama today designated a new 704,000 acre Basin and Range National Monument under the Antiquities Act. This immediately set off a …

CONTINUE READING

Why Did Conservatives Support Saving Mono Lake?

The Skillful — and Lucky — Alliance Between Locals and Environmentalists

A little more than a year ago, I asked how the Mono Lake Campaign succeeded.  I had previously suggested that a principal cause of the Mono Lake Committee’s success was the enemy: the arrogant, bullying, and reactionary Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Everyone in the state “knew” that Los Angeles had “stolen” its …

CONTINUE READING

No Free Lunch In The Desert

A tough, heartbreaking story from the Los Angeles Times about the painful choices environmentalists are faced with in combatting climate change.  The issue is BrightSource Energy’s Ivanpah solar power project, a massive, 6-square-mile city of 173,500 mirrors that will scar much of California’s desert beyond recognition.  This was a hard compromise, reports Julie Cart, as “the …

CONTINUE READING

Join Our Mailing List

Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.

Join Our Mailing List

The Drain is a roundup of climate and environmental news from Legal Planet delivered to your Inbox once a week.

The Drain

TRENDING