General
DOGE: A Dodgy Path to Deregulation
It’s supposed to be cost-saving, but the savings are trivial on the scale of the federal budget.
Musk and Ramaswami have said that their DOGE project will cut the federal budget by eliminating unnecessary regulations and cutting regulatory agencies. Putting aside what “unnecessary” means here, that’s not even going to be a downpayment on the kind of budget cuts they’re seeking. The numbers are pretty simple. Suppose they eliminated EPA entirely. That …
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CONTINUE READINGLA Fires and the Climate Connection
New UCLA research connects the dots between the climate crisis and the supercharged LA wildfires. “Hydroclimate whiplash” means worse floods, droughts, and fires.
Like millions of Angelenos, I’ve been staying indoors and off the roads, glued to the Watch Duty app, radio, and TV coverage as LA is engulfed by these historic fires. The last 48 hours of coverage has focused, understandably, on the firefight and immediate devastation. Now, it’s time to start hearing about the climate connection, …
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CONTINUE READINGGovernment by Reconciliation
The reconciliation process avoids the risk of a Senate filibuster. But it comes wth procedural and political complications.
The GOP’s efforts to accomplish a big agenda through the reconciliation process will face serious complications. The Byrd rule limits the use of reconciliation to achieve non-budgetary purposes. A razor-thin House majority and factional warfare will make it hard to reach deals, as will Trump’s (& Musk;s) distaste for compromise.
CONTINUE READINGGood & Bad Environmental News From the U.S. Supreme Court
Escalating Legal Attacks on California’s Longstanding Clean Air Act “Waiver” Authority
This past week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued important orders in two closely-related environmental cases previously decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Last Friday the justices granted review in Diamond Alternative Energy v. Environmental Protection Agency, agreeing to decide whether fossil fuel manufacturers have legal standing to challenge an …
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CONTINUE READINGHow to Make Climate as Compelling as Egg Prices
While politicians are right to focus on cost of living, it’s dangerously wrong to assume voters rejected climate policies in the 2024 election.
How do we make the climate crisis as compelling to voters as the price of eggs? That’s a question—an existential question—I’ve been asking myself for weeks now. My UCLA Emmett Institute colleagues and I have some ideas that I’ll be sharing over the next weeks and months. We’re hardly alone: Two months after a disheartening …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat’s at Stake in the ICJ Hearings
Representational sovereignty, Indigenous rights, and ecocide are all key to the climate obligations of states, write guest contributors Mollie Cueva-Dabkoski, Julia Phượng Nguyễn, and Molly-Mae Whitmey.
A new chapter of global climate accountability has hopefully begun, as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) prepares to issue an advisory opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. Hearings for that opinion began today with over 100 countries and other parties presenting over two weeks. At the request of the U.N. General …
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CONTINUE READINGNew This Thanksgiving: Toxic Turkey
Losing the farm to PFAS, or losing PFAS on the farm?
As Americans gather to celebrate the harvest’s bounty, there are few revelations about our food supply more distressing than the 2024 news that sewage-derived fertilizer has contaminated millions of acres of U.S. cropland with toxic PFAS chemicals. Marketed as “biosolids” that enhance soil productivity, the voluminous outputs from wastewater treatment plants have poisoned productive lands …
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CONTINUE READINGOne Bright Spot to COP29 in Baku
The outcome of this year’s U.N. climate conference was depressing. But there was some notable news regarding global methane emissions commitments.
Some have described the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku as “challenging,” “ineffective,” and “disappointing.” On the one hand, global greenhouse gas emissions have reached an all-time high, and the temperature for 2023 is the highest ever recorded. On the other hand, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw the U.S. from …
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CONTINUE READINGEven in Dark Times, There are Still Reasons to be Thankful
The election was largely a disaster. But we’ve also seen some positive developments.
Trump’s triumphant return to power promises to be a disaster for environmental protection, casting a pall over all else. Even so, if you’re someone who cares about energy and environment, there are some things to be thankful for ithis year Here are a few.
CONTINUE READINGThis Big Oil Sponsorship Just Got Dirtier
The Dodgers do business with a company that’s been polluting LA neighborhoods — and the climate — for years. Now, Phillips 66 faces federal charges of illegal wastewater dumping.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ most prominent sponsor — Phillips 66, which owns 76 gas — was just indicted for violating the Clean Water Act by allegedly dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater from its Carson oil refinery into the LA County sewer system. The details are spelled out in a six-count indictment …
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