John Crump/Grid Arendal: “As awareness about the implications about Arctic climate change has grown, so has interest in the region as a potential reservoir of oil, gas and other resources. When the Arctic Council was formed in 1996, it didn’t need a large venue to hold its meetings. The recent Ministerial meeting at the end… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Environmental Law
Our National Marine Sanctuary System
“Within the National Marine Sanctuary System, you’ll find places of hope, inspiration, biodiversity, and resilience. The system encompasses more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, and contains amazing cultural and historical resources, as well as vibrant ecosystems as diverse as coral reefs and kelp forests. A healthy ocean is the basis… Continue Reading
Politoco – Inside Trump’s war on regulations
“The chaos of Donald Trump’s first four months as president has overshadowed a series of actions that could reshape American life for decades — efforts to rewrite or wipe out regulations affecting everything from student loans and restaurant menus to internet privacy, workplace injuries and climate change. Trump and his agencies have already wielded executive… Continue Reading
Dartmouth-led study finds heavier precipitation in northeast began in 1996
For those of us on the east coast experiencing a very rainy, chilly May, this new study, via EurekAlert warrants a read: “Over the past century, the Northeast has experienced an increase in the number of storms with extreme precipitation. A Dartmouth-led study finds that the increase in extreme Northeast storms occurred as an abrupt… Continue Reading
Federal Environmental Prosecutions Fall to Record Low
“The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during the first six months of FY 2017 the government reported 152 new environment prosecutions. If this activity continues at the same pace for the remainder of the year, environmental prosecutions will be at the lowest ever recorded since the Justice Department started tracking its… Continue Reading
The end of the Arctic as we know it?
“A new report released at the International Conference on Arctic Science in the United States this week shows that profound changes are under way in the Arctic. Driven by increasing levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases and a warming Arctic Ocean, these changes are so dramatic, and so rapid, that they are creating a new Arctic… Continue Reading
Atlas of the Human Planet 2017 Global Exposure to Natural Hazards
European Commission (Free PDF) – “The Atlas of the Human Planet 2017. Global Exposure to Natural Hazards summarizes the global multi-temporal analysis of exposure to six major natural hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods, tropical cyclone winds, and sea level surge. The exposure focuses on human settlements assessed through two variables: the global built-up and the… Continue Reading
NOAA Fisheries Economics of US and ImprovedStatus of Stocks Reports
“Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the release of two new reports: the Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries and the 2015 Fisheries Economics of the United States Report. These reports highlight the continued rebuilding and recovery of U.S. fisheries and the broad economic impact of commercial and recreational fisheries on the U.S.… Continue Reading
Threats on Tap: Widespread Violations Highlight Need for Investment in Water Infrastructure and Protections
NRDC: “America has a drinking water crisis. An NRDC study has found that contaminants that may harm human health are found in tap water in every state in the nation. Established in 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act is one of our bedrock environmental laws, consisting of rules that regulate about 100 contaminants found in… Continue Reading
Climate change already forcing 17 U.S. communities to move, new analysis says
“…a new report, released (May 3) by the Center for Progressive Reform, lays out other ways for indigenous communities to buy land as their homes buckle from melting permafrost or are swallowed by rising seas. One of the report’s three authors, Loyola University law professor Robert R.M. Verchick, said he hopes that the analysis achieves two things: That… Continue Reading
New NOAA mapping tool – see how sea level rise will impact your specific local coastline
Sea Level Rise Viewer – NOAA Office for Coastal Management: “Use this web mapping tool to visualize community-level impacts from coastal flooding or sea level rise (up to 6 feet above average high tides). Photo simulations of how future flooding might impact local landmarks are also provided, as well as data related to water depth,… Continue Reading
Courting Disaster: Climate Change and the Adjudication of Catastrophe
Weaver, R. Henry and Kysar, Douglas A., Courting Disaster: Climate Change and the Adjudication of Catastrophe (May 8, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2965084 “Do we court disaster by stretching the bounds of judicial authority to address problems of massive scale and complexity? Or does disaster lie in refusing to engage the jurisgenerative potential of courts… Continue Reading
