Climate Change
A Subtle New Paper; “How Not to Save the Planet” by Thom Brooks
Thom Brooks has written a thoughtful new paper. Here is his abstract: Abstract. Climate change presents us with a pressing challenge. A global consensus accepts that human activity is responsible for climate change and its associated dangers. However, there is disagreement on how best to address this challenge. The essay argues that leading proposals are …
Continue reading “A Subtle New Paper; “How Not to Save the Planet” by Thom Brooks”
CONTINUE READINGObama Administration Rejects Keystone XL
Here: Obama laid the responsibility for the rejection of the pipeline on political gamesmanship by Republicans. “As the State Department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our …
Continue reading “Obama Administration Rejects Keystone XL”
CONTINUE READINGBain and the Environment
We’ve been hearing a lot about Bain Capital because of the Romney connection. I thought it would be interesting to see what I could find about Bain and the environment. I thought I might find that Bain shared Romney’s (current) anti-environmental views, but apparently not. Here’s what it says on Bain’s webpage: We have worked …
Continue reading “Bain and the Environment”
CONTINUE READINGGuest blogger David Pettit: In the Weeds with GHGs
This post, by David Pettit of the Natural Resources Defense Council, is part of an occasional series by guest bloggers. As Ann Carlson and Rick Frank have previously blogged, on December 29th 2011, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill ruled that California’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. …
Continue reading “Guest blogger David Pettit: In the Weeds with GHGs”
CONTINUE READINGEnvironmental Disasters and Regulatory Failures
There is a strong nexus between environmental disasters and regulatory failures. The connection is most obvious for the BP oil spill, where weak regulation contributed to a massive spill whose ecological consequences are not yet completely known. It’s also apparent in the reactor melt-down after the recent Japanese tsunami, which has resulted in radioactive releases. …
Continue reading “Environmental Disasters and Regulatory Failures”
CONTINUE READINGGuest blogger Vera Pardee: Clearing the Runway for Carbon Pollution Reduction — a Better Way to Fly
This post, by Vera Pardee of the Center for Biological Diversity, is part of an occasional series by guest bloggers. In the absence of international agreements on climate change, important state, regional and national efforts are forging ahead on their own to tackle greenhouse gas pollution. Despite the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, the business-as-usual …
CONTINUE READINGRick Santorum: The Second-Most Anti-Environmental Candidate
This is one of a series of posts describing presidential candidate’s views. I didn’t cover Santorum earlier because his poll numbers were so low, but that has obviously changed. Santorum’s website does not have a page dedicated to energy or environment but does make a number of pledges: Rick Santorum is committed to reviving our …
Continue reading “Rick Santorum: The Second-Most Anti-Environmental Candidate”
CONTINUE READINGCommerce Clause Challenges and State Climate Policy
As Rick previously blogged, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District struck down California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) last month on the grounds that the standard discriminates against out-of -state ethanol producers in violation of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. The decision — Rocky Mountain Farmers Union v. Goldstene — is …
Continue reading “Commerce Clause Challenges and State Climate Policy”
CONTINUE READINGMigration and Natural Disasters: Evidence from the Past
This is my first post at Legal Planet and I’m happy to be here. I’m an environmental economist at UCLA and I’m proud to hold a courtesy appointment at UCLA Law School. In this brief post, I want to advertise a new paper of mine. Leah Boustan, Paul Rhode and I look at young men’s …
Continue reading “Migration and Natural Disasters: Evidence from the Past”
CONTINUE READINGHey Conservatives! Let’s Make a Deal on Keystone XL!
The always-thoughtful Jared Bernstein has a, well, thoughtful take on Keystone XL. It might be called the view of a Realist Progressive Economist. Bernstein’s point is that given the global demand for oil, and the Canadian government’s commitment to getting it out of the ground and selling it (much stronger now that the Tories have …
Continue reading “Hey Conservatives! Let’s Make a Deal on Keystone XL!”
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
