Politics
The Kavanaugh Court and the Environment
A new appointment would make Justice Kavanaugh the swing voter. Here’s what that would mean for environmental law.
A new appointment by Trump would shift the Supreme Court well to the right, making Brett Kavanaugh the swing voter in many cases. Kavanaugh has clear views about the powers of agencies like EPA. With him as the swing voter, the main strategy used by Obama to make environmental progress would be off limits for …
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CONTINUE READINGBattle for the Senate: Alabama
Losing this seat would make it much harder to build a pro-environmental majority.
By all accounts, Doug Jones is the most endangered incumbent Democratic Senators. He won in something of a fluke in a special election, after reports surfaced that his opponent had stalked teenage girls. Now he faces a tough reelection battle. If he loses, it becomes that much more difficult to slip enough seats for a …
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CONTINUE READINGCalifornia House Races and the Environment
Control of the House isn’t in play, but some California seats are up for grabs.
Control of the U.S. House doesn’t seem to be in play this year, but there are a lot of individual districts across the country that could flip. Cook Political lists 28 toss-up races and another 28 that lean one way or the other but are still competitive. Obviously, I’m not going to try to talk …
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CONTINUE READINGWhen Republicans Supported the Environment: Bush 41
The GOP wasn’t always the sworn enemy of environmental protection.
Younger people today probably know about George Herbert Walker Bush (R) as the father of George W. Bush and (perhaps) as the architect of the first Iraq War. But he also had some notable environmental achievements to his credit. Here are some of his accomplishments: Air Pollution Law. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments were …
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CONTINUE READINGNorth Carolina: A Tight Senate Race with High Environmental Stakes
Control of the Senate may hang in the balance.
In the Tar Heel State, Republican Incumbent Thom Tillis faces a tough face against challenger Cal Cunningham. This race is central to Democratic hopes to flip the Senate. The candidates have contrasting environmental views. Thom Tillis. When Tillis ran in 2014, his main claim to fame was championing deregulation in the North Carolina legislature, which …
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CONTINUE READINGGene Drives, Biodiversity Conservation, International Law, and Emerging Politics
My latest article is published by Global Environmental Politics
A set of new biotechnologies are being developed that will force many of us, especially those concerned about biodiversity loss, to re-examine how we understand the relationship between biotechnology and conservation. These are “gene drives,” which would be used to genetically modify, reduce, or eliminate populations of species. My paper “Governing New Biotechnologies for Biodiversity …
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CONTINUE READINGBattle for the Senate: Colorado
A Republican who’s expressing support for the environment, versus a Democrat who wants to do a lot more.
The Colorado Senate race pits incumbent Republican Cory Gardner against John Hickenlooper. Gardner makes a point of stressing his support for environmental protection and has apparently been working hard to strengthen his environment record since he moved to the Senate in 2014. Cory Gardner. Gardner’s Senate website touts his bipartisanship. It says that he “was …
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CONTINUE READINGTaking Technology Seriously in Global Environmental Politics
A special issue on new technologies is now available
I am proud to announce a special issue of Global Environmental Politics on new technologies, edited by Simon Nicholson of American University and me, is now available. We write in the introductory essay: Human beings are at once makers of and made by technology. The ability to wield tools was an essential ingredient in propelling an …
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CONTINUE READINGBattle for the Senate: The Environmental Stakes in Arizona
In an election that could determine control of the Senate, the candidates’ views are far apart.
In Arizona, the Senate race pits two former military pilots against each other. The Republican incumbent is not as rabidly anti-environmental as some of her colleagues, but clearly is no fan of regulation. Her opponent is committed to fighting climate change and seems open to major federal investment in renewable energy. Martha McSally. The incumbent …
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CONTINUE READINGBattle for the Senate: Too Close to Call in Maine
Control of the Senate may hinge on this race.
The 2020 Senate race pits Republican incumbent Susan Collins against Sarah Gideon. Collins is far more environment-friendly than her GOP colleagues. That still makes her much less so than Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) on the other side of the aisle. In contrast, Gideon supports much stronger climate action. Susan Collins. Collins is an outlier among …
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