endangered species Archives

endangered species

What the Supreme Court Left Standing

No, the Court didn’t eliminate EPA’s ability to fight climate change.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in the West Virginia case left many people with the impression that it eliminated the government’s power to regulate carbon emissions. There are quite a number of areas of climate law that the Supreme Court has left untouched. Here’s the EPA authority the Court hasn’t touched: EPA’s jurisdiction over greenhouse gases. …

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A Beautiful Day for Bumblefish?

A California court just ruled that bumblebees are fish. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.

A California appeals court ruled last week that bumblebees are fish and are therefore protected by the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). That may sound ridiculous, but there’s actually a convoluted legal argument to support the court. That argument does justify giving the CESA some extra coverage beyond what we would ordinarily classify as fish. …

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St. Paddy Meets Modern Environmental Law

It’s not a match made in heaven.

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications An tAire Comhshaoil, Aeráide agus Cumarsáide Irish Republic March 17, 470 AD. Dear Mr. Saint Patrick, According to credible reports that have reached this office, you have been involved in the export (“banishing”) of snakes (reptiles of the suborder Serpentes) from Ireland. We are unable to find an …

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Reforming the California Endangered Species Act

Updating the state’s landmark biodiversity law for the twenty-first century

California has a rich heritage of biodiversity, with many species found nowhere else in the world (including the iconic giant sequoia trees). But California’s biodiversity faces grave threats – pressures from development that eliminates habitat; water shortages that harm aquatic species in California’s rivers; and climate change impacts that are shifting and altering habitats, among …

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Resuscitating Obama’s Environmental Legacy

Trump has had a single-minded focus on eliminating any traces of Obama’s presidency. But it’s not too late to turn the tide.

We’ve now had nearly four years of Trump’s all-out war on environmental protection. Trump has single-mindedly tried to wipe out every trace of Obama’s legacy. It’s time to see what’s left of Obama’s achievements. And what could a new President do to revive his legacy? In a Legal Planet post a week before the last …

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Where the Wild Things Are

For endangered species, don’t think Alaska or Montana. Think Hawaii and California. And Alabama.

When we think about preserving nature in the United States, we tend to think of the country’s great wilderness areas in places like Alaska and the Rockies. We don’t think about Alabama or Puerto Rico, for instance. But in terms of biodiversity protection, this is almost the opposite of the truth. By and large, the …

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Conflicting Visions of the Future of the American West

The GOP favors the Old West of ranching, logging, mining, and oil. The Democrats have a different view.

The Democratic and Republican parties have very different ideas about the 640 million acres of land owned by the federal government, mostly in the West. It’s not just that the party platforms disagree about the balance between preservation and resource exploitation. It’s also that Democrats have a much different vision of the future of the American …

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Recreational marijuana legalization in California

Will a proposed ballot initiative on recreational marijuana legalization in California help the environment

In the wake of the enactment by the legislature of a regulatory structure for medical marijuana, it looks like voters in 2016 will probably be able to decide whether to legalize recreational use as well. Leading advocates for legalization of recreational marijuana have submitted a language for a ballot initiative to the California Secretary of …

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Mixed results in CA medical marijuana legislation

New state law to regulate medical marijuana makes important environmental progress, still much to be done

California is moving towards marijuana legalization. This is a good and important thing for a whole host of reasons, but one important reason is the environmental impact of unregulated and illegal marijuana cultivation on the environment – something that has been discussed both in the news and here on Legal Planet. Those impacts include diversion …

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Going, Going, Gone

Despite it’s depressing subject, Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction is a great read. She travels around the world, from a “hotel” for endangered frogs in Panama to an outdoor biodiversity experiment in the Peruvian rainforest to an endangered rhino’s rectal exam in Cincinnati. Yet, there’s no denying that the topic is a downer. The title implies that we …

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endangered species

No, the Court didn’t eliminate EPA’s ability to fight climate change.

A California court just ruled that bumblebees are fish. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.

It’s not a match made in heaven.

Updating the state’s landmark biodiversity law for the twenty-first century

Trump has had a single-minded focus on eliminating any traces of Obama’s presidency. But it’s not too late to turn the tide.

For endangered species, don’t think Alaska or Montana. Think Hawaii and California. And Alabama.

The GOP favors the Old West of ranching, logging, mining, and oil. The Democrats have a different view.

Will a proposed ballot initiative on recreational marijuana legalization in California help the environment

New state law to regulate medical marijuana makes important environmental progress, still much to be done

TRENDING

In California, They Are

Local measures like Measure W are working. But more needs to be done to capture stormwater and rainwater.

Five decades back, the country was in the midst of unprecedented environmental ferment.

The first in a series that examines the hype around hydrogen production.

The EU has taken a major step to pressure global industries to clean up their act.

Tackling climate procrastination by closing the loopholes in ‘net-zero’ climate goals

Failure To Install Smart Water Meters Is Wasting Billions of Gallons Each Year

UCLA Clinic files amicus brief on behalf of Sen. Carper and Rep. Pallone to uphold standards

It’s a global phenomenon, with poorly understood causes. But there’s no point in blaming the victims.

It’s not easy in today’s polarized politics. But maybe it’s not completely off the table.

A startup firm proposes to sell dubious carbon credits from stratospheric aerosol injection

It’s a global phenomenon, with poorly understood causes. But there’s no point in blaming the victims.

UCLA Clinic files amicus brief on behalf of Sen. Carper and Rep. Pallone to uphold standards

Omnibus’ “Baby YIMBY” Bill Offers An Opportunity For Cities — And For Advocates

Failure To Install Smart Water Meters Is Wasting Billions of Gallons Each Year

Here are the top ten environment and energy developments to watch for.

Tackling climate procrastination by closing the loopholes in ‘net-zero’ climate goals

Los Angeles is about to require that new buildings be electric, but there’s a bigger decarbonization hurdle waiting.

The first in a series that examines the hype around hydrogen production.

New House Rule Designed To Cause Dysfunction