Politics
California Environmental Blueprint: Protect and Restore Funding
This post is part of an ongoing series on our Environmental Blueprint for California, released by UCLA Law last week. I’ll talk about the first–and, in many ways, most fundamental–recommendation in our paper: that Governor Brown do what he can to protect and restore stable, robust funding for our State’s core environmental initiatives. My coauthors and …
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CONTINUE READINGUCLA Law releases new environmental blueprint for California
In the looming battle over California’s budget, will there be room for environmental protections? What should Governor Brown’s top-priority environmental initatives be? UCLA Law released today “An Environmental Blueprint for California,” giving our view of the priorities Governor Brown should focus on to ensure the state’s environmental health in ways consistent with its economic prosperity. California faces difficult choices ahead. …
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CONTINUE READINGGaming Out EPA, Congress, and Climate Change
The Republican Party is not going to sit still as EPA regulates greenhouse gas emissions. Oh yes, they and their assorted constituencies will file lawsuits, but there is a more direct way for them to go: simply attach a rider to a free-standing EPA appropriations bill forbidding it to spend any funds on regulating greenhouse gas emissions. …
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CONTINUE READING“Cementing” the GOP’s Environmental Policy in Place
EPA’s cement rule would save roughly one life per year for every job lost. You have to wonder about the value systems of the folks who oppose the rule.
CONTINUE READINGGovernor Brown makes his first environmental appointments
Jerry Brown has hit the ground running not only in terms of budget work but in putting together his environmental policy team. Today he announced the re-appointment of Mary Nichols as Chair of the California Air Resources Board and the appointment of John Laird as Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency. Nichols’ reappointment is …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Schwarzenegger Legacy: Environmentalism on the Cheap
As Californians say “hasta la vista, baby” to Governor Schwarzenegger this morning, media retrospectives have focused on his environmental accomplishments as one of his few positive legacies. Specifically, they point to his signing of AB 32, the landmark climate change law limiting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. And Schwarzenegger himself likes to think of himself …
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CONTINUE READINGChanging the Climate in the Bay State
Massachusetts has adopted an ambitious goal of reducing GHG levels 20% below the 1990 level by 2020. According the NY Times, the program involves a mix of tools: Importing more hydropower from Quebec. Reducing vehicle miles driven through insurance incentives. Encouraging owners of old oil furnaces to replace them with more efficient systems. Using the …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat to Expect This Year in Terms of Climate Action
Although there will be many flashing lights and loud noises, 2011 will primarily be a year in which various events that are already in play evolve toward major developments in 2012. Litigation. The one exceptional major development in 2011 will be American Electric Power (AEP) v. Connecticut, the climate nuisance case that the Supreme Court …
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CONTINUE READINGEPA Takes the First Step
The NY Times has a story about EPA’s climate change regs that doesn’t contain anything newsworthy but does get the facts right. The key facts are these: 1. EPA has little choice about regulating given the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Clean Air Act in 2007. “With Mr. Obama’s hand forced by the mandates of …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Incoming Congressional Freshmen
Politico has a nice posting about the incoming freshman GOP in the House and their views on environment and energy issues. The bottom line: House Republican freshmen looking to make names for themselves on energy issues in the next Congress have some goals in common: Ramp up domestic energy production, roll back the Obama administration’s …
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