endangered species Archives

endangered species

Pearl Harbor Today

82 years after the attack, what is the state of the harbor?

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, the anniversary of the Japanese attack that launched the U.S. into World War II. Those of us who don’t live in Hawaii may not think much about the harbor, but I started to wonder how things were going environmentally there. The geography is more complex than I had expected. I …

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How Sackett Will Hurt Endangered Species In California

And what the state can do about it

Others have already posted about the Supreme Court’s Sackett decision that significantly cuts back on the geographic scope of Clean Water Act Section 404 regulation protecting wetlands. Understandably, there has been a lot of attention to the direct effects of that change, which means that federal permitting will no longer apply to many wetlands in …

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“Fully Protected” No More?

Newsom’s infrastructure package makes a big change for California species protection

Last week, the Newsom administration announced a budget trailer bill package it said was designed to facilitate the deployment of historic federal infrastructure funding for climate-friendly projects. The package consists of 11 separate trailer bills, dealing with a variety of topics ranging from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to state contracting rules. Unsurprisingly, the …

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Lobster Wars

An industry lawsuit against Monterey Aquarium is a blatant assault on free speech.

The Maine lobster industry is suing the Monterey Aquarium for advising consumers to avoid Maine lobsters. This is “cancel culture” on steroids. The Aquarium has taken a stand the industry doesn’t like, so the industry is trying to silence it and its other critics. “Silencing” here is quite literal: the industry is seeking an injunction …

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St. Valentine’s Other Assignment

Along with lovers, couples, and marriage, he has a more environmental domain.

St. Valentine is associated with love and romance. He is also the patron saint of beekeepers. It’s unclear why. Maybe it’s the association of honey with happiness and affection, especially in the age before chocolate reached Europe. Or maybe it’s because of the “birds and the bees” as models for explaining sex to children. Whatever …

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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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The COP28 Halftime Report

Has the annual UN climate conference grown too big to function? Takeaways from Week 1 of COP28 in Dubai.

Pearl Harbor Today

82 years after the attack, what is the state of the harbor?

A $1 Billion Investment in the ‘New Forest Economy’

A global group of governors just issued a call-to-action for more flexible funding for forest protection. Here’s why that’s important.

Is “carbon management” just another COP-out?

Fudging the differences between carbon capture and carbon removal risks weakening climate action

Addressing Corruption In Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chains

New CLEE/NRGI issue brief offers solutions

The New Frontier of Methane Regulation 

Nations, companies, and NGOs are targeting methane like never before using satellite data. A new UCLA paper outlines what that could mean for regulation. 

When Communities Take Over Their Energy Systems

Is Local Control A Good Thing? It’s Complicated . . .

Climate Change and the Hard-Headed Realist

Henry Kissinger showed that you don’t have to have a shred of idealism to favor climate action.

Why Do Small Changes in Global Temperature Matter So Much?

One problem is that we’ve pursued optimization rather than robustness.

Climate Backlash

Vicious attacks on climate progress are on the rise.

A Guide to Environmental Law Centers

There are twenty and the list is growing.

Evolving Air Quality Standards

The standards have gotten tougher. Compliance still lags.

Who Should Own Our Electric Utilities?

Voters in Maine rejected a ballot initiative to buy out private utilities, but the campaign reflects a growing interest in public power.

Climate Policy in the World’s Fourth Largest Country

In case you’re wondering, that would be Indonesia in terms of population.

How to Get to Zero Emissions at the Ports

A new report by UCLA and UC Berkeley examines policy solutions to accelerate deployment of zero-emission cargo handling equipment at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

endangered species

82 years after the attack, what is the state of the harbor?

And what the state can do about it

Newsom’s infrastructure package makes a big change for California species protection

An industry lawsuit against Monterey Aquarium is a blatant assault on free speech.

Along with lovers, couples, and marriage, he has a more environmental domain.

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.

TRENDING

Has the annual UN climate conference grown too big to function? Takeaways from Week 1 of COP28 in Dubai.

82 years after the attack, what is the state of the harbor?

A global group of governors just issued a call-to-action for more flexible funding for forest protection. Here’s why that’s important.

Fudging the differences between carbon capture and carbon removal risks weakening climate action

New CLEE/NRGI issue brief offers solutions

Nations, companies, and NGOs are targeting methane like never before using satellite data. A new UCLA paper outlines what that could mean for regulation.

Is Local Control A Good Thing? It’s Complicated . . .

Henry Kissinger showed that you don’t have to have a shred of idealism to favor climate action.

One problem is that we’ve pursued optimization rather than robustness.

Vicious attacks on climate progress are on the rise.

There are twenty and the list is growing.

The standards have gotten tougher. Compliance still lags.

Voters in Maine rejected a ballot initiative to buy out private utilities, but the campaign reflects a growing interest in public power.

In case you’re wondering, that would be Indonesia in terms of population.

A new report by UCLA and UC Berkeley examines policy solutions to accelerate deployment of zero-emission cargo handling equipment at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Some thoughts for Environmental History Week.

Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms are technically no longer plaintiffs in the lawsuit they launched. But their water war wages on.

Here are key takeaways from the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis ahead of the UN climate talks in Dubai.

Vicious attacks on climate progress are on the rise.

Is Local Control A Good Thing? It’s Complicated . . .

Nations, companies, and NGOs are targeting methane like never before using satellite data. A new UCLA paper outlines what that could mean for regulation. 