General
The Need for Enhanced and Meaningful Confidentiality in Tribal Cultural Resource Protection
For Indigenous Peoples, the forced removal from ancestral lands coupled with the Western commodification of human remains and ceremonial objects has resulted in a devastating and ongoing loss of cultural resources. This loss includes both tangible resources and landscapes as well as intangible traditional knowledge. During the pursuit of cultural resource protection, tribes are compelled …
CONTINUE READINGMaking Sense of the US-China Joint Glasgow Declaration
One small step for climate action, one modest leap for US-China relations
Yesterday, China and the US announced a “Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s” (En/Ch) What to make of it? The short answer is that it only offers slight forward progress on climate action. Increased climate ambition from China and US in the short-term remains the critical metric and in this regard …
Continue reading “Making Sense of the US-China Joint Glasgow Declaration”
CONTINUE READINGIs China Doing Enough on Climate Change? COP26 Version
Chinese leaders have an opportunity to increase ambition and clarify the country’s climate plans
As COP26 kicks off in Glasgow, Scotland this week, the world is confronted with a basic reality. Current national climate pledges fall well-short of the Paris Agreement goal to keep global average temperature increase this century well below 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The UN’s 2021 …
Continue reading “Is China Doing Enough on Climate Change? COP26 Version”
CONTINUE READINGCost-Benefit Analysis: FAQs
Cost-benefit analysis has been a key part of the regulatory process since 1980. Here’s how it works.
Cost-benefit analysis is required for all major regulations. It’s also highly controversial, as well as being a mysterious procedure unless you’re an economist. These FAQs will tell you what you need to know about how cost-benefit analysis (CBA) fits into the regulatory process, how it works, and why it’s controversial. Q: Let’s start with a …
Continue reading “Cost-Benefit Analysis: FAQs”
CONTINUE READINGLos Angeles County Passes Motions to Protect Environmental Justice Communities from Urban Oil Drilling
UCLA Wells Clinic provides legal support.
This post is co-authored by Sean Hecht, Cara Horowitz, and Beth Kent. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed three motions earlier this month that will start a process of phasing out existing oil and gas drilling on unincorporated land within the County, prohibiting new oil and gas extraction wells, and implementing a strategy …
CONTINUE READINGThe Global Methane Pledge
The US and EU Take an Important Step
I have written before about the importance of taking action quickly to reduce and eliminate methane emissions, including here. On Friday, the US and EU announced a Global Methane Pledge, which the UK and others immediately joined. The Pledge received limited press coverage, but it is an important step that will lead to real action, …
Continue reading “The Global Methane Pledge”
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia Enacts Historic Housing Reform Laws
Legislation Promotes New Housing, Infill Development, & Reduced Air Pollution
The California Legislature recently enacted, and Governor Gavin Newsom last week signed into law, two major housing reform measures. SB 9 and SB 10 represent California’s most transformative new housing laws in decades, and are a belated but welcome legislative response to the state’s longstanding housing crisis. SB 9, authored by California State Senate leader …
Continue reading “California Enacts Historic Housing Reform Laws”
CONTINUE READINGScience article argues that conservation should be allowed to pay its own way on public lands
The law too often restricts resource rights on public lands to extraction activities and precludes conservation
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auction in February, 2016, for oil and gas drilling rights near Arches National Park was unremarkable. The high bidder, Tempest Exploration Co. LLC, paid $2,500 for the 1,120 acre lease by credit card and began paying annual rental fees. What soon did prove remarkable, though, was the revelation that …
CONTINUE READINGMethane Emission Reduction
Last Best Chance?
The publication last week of the UN IPCC Sixth Assessment Report underscores the urgent need for action to substantially reduce methane emissions: “Strong, rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions would [ ] limit the warming effect resulting from declining aerosol pollution and would improve air quality.” Some Methane Facts Methane is the second most …
Continue reading “Methane Emission Reduction”
CONTINUE READINGSCREED: Masks and Climate
Political Cynicism in Full Sway
Governors of two of the largest U.S. states have made the calculation that the “freedom” to choose not to wear a mask is more important than public health. Their orders – precluding schools from requiring masks for students and teachers – will almost certainly result in significant increases in disease and even death. Theirs is …
Continue reading “SCREED: Masks and Climate”
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
