Environmental Law Toolkit Webinar: Common Law Tools for Protecting the Environment

The Environmental Law Toolkit Webinar Series presents Richard Lindgren of CELA on Common Law Tools for Protecting the Environment. This webinar will take place online on Tuesday July 30, 2019 at 1:00pm EDT. For those who cannot make it a recording of the webinar will be made available to all those who register (available until September 30, 2019).

Landmark Court Decisions Acknowledge Citizen Rights to a Healthy Climate (Video)

Ordinary citizens including children are using the courts to force governments to act on climate change. A number of lawsuits and some early judgements suggests that the courts may be able to spur significant climate action.

In August a group of 21 children, supported by renowned climate scientist James Hansen, filed a landmark constitutional climate change lawsuit against the federal government.

US Supreme Court Ruling Makes it Easier to Buy Election Outcomes

A recent ruling by the Republican-appointed majority on the US Supreme Court has freed uber-wealthy to flex their financial muscles so that they can buy electoral outcomes. The ruling on the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission case upholds the $2,600 limit per candidate, however, limitations on the number of candidates that can be given money has been lifted. This means that those with the financial means can now interfere with the democratic process.

US Senators Climate Change Slumber Party

On the night of March 10 into the morning of March 11, Democratic and Independent US Senators pulled an all-nighter to discuss climate change. A total of 28 Senators spoke all night to urge action on climate change.

Democrats May Have Renewed Interest in Tackling Climate Change

We may be seeing renewed interest in climate change advocacy from Democrats. While Republicans have made their contempt for climate change legislation known, many Democrats are also guilty of dereliction of duty on the subject of climate change. Four years ago there were not enough votes in the Democrat controlled Senate to move forward with climate change legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently told reporters that, "Climate change is the worst problem facing the world today." This is a reiteration of comments he made last June, when he said in a speech on the Senate floor that "we have no more important issue in the world than this issue, period."

Event - Making Waves: The Second Annual Canadian Association of Environmental Law Societies (CAELS) Conference

The Environmental Law Conference will take place on February 21 - 22, 2014 at the University of Ottawa’s new Faculty of Social Sciences building in Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian Association of Environmental Law Societies (CAELS) is an exciting new networking project connecting environmental law students across the country.

The second annual CAELS conference will focusing on Canadian environmental law issues. The conference will bring together law students, academics, and practitioners from around the country to learn and network. This student-run conference will feature keynote addresses from Gord Miller (Environmental Commissioner of Ontario) and Maude Barlow (Council of Canadians). In addition, the conference will have multidisciplinary panels of speakers featuring graduate students, practitioners, and academics.

The Environmental Implications of the US Omnibus Spending Bill

A new spending bill may have bipartisan support but it has both good and bad implications for the environment. On Monday January 12, 2013, the House and Senate appropriations committee chairs announced that they had agreed on an omnibus appropriations bill (FY14). The bilateral agreement put together by House Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and Senate Appropriations Chair Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) allocates $1.012 trillion in federal spending.

Supreme Court to Review EPA's Right to Limit GHGs

The United States Supreme Court has indicated that it may limit the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On Tuesday, October 22, 2013, the US Supreme Court indicated that it would hear arguments against the EPA's right to regulate GHGs under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This is in response to six separate petitions for ‎certiorari (a writ or order by which a higher court reviews a case tried in a lower court). The litigation is titled Coalition for Responsible ‎Regulation, Inc. et al., v. Environmental Protection Agency (D.C. Cir. Index No. 09-1322). Those who filed the petitions are putting the interests of the old energy economy ahead of efforts to combat climate change. They include the State of Texas, the US Chamber of Commerce, and predictably industry associations ‎of energy producers and users.‎

Event - Regulating Climate Change: The Supreme Court, Clean Air Act and EPA's Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Rules

Regulating Climate Change: The Supreme Court, Clean Air Act and EPA's Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Rules October 30, 2013 12 p.m. -1:15pm Faculty Club, D’Agostino Hall New York University School of Law 108 W 3rd St, New York, NY Registration is free, but required: RSVP.

New Jersey Supreme Court Ruling Undermines Enforcement of Wetlands Protections

Sometimes laws that protect the environment are emasculated by precedent setting rulings by the courts. In New Jersey, the state's highest court has made it harder to enforce environmental protections. The New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of upholding the state's wetland protections but added an unsettling caveat.

A 1987 law in New Jersey was supposed to give the state's Department of Environmental Protections the mandate to protect wetlands. The law protects drinking water, prevents flooding, and preserves important habitats for fish and wildlife. However, a recent unanimous decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court erodes the law.

Comprehensive Summary of US Green Legislation

It is essential for businesses to keep abreast of the legal imperatives that impinge on their operations. Keeping up with green legislation in the US is no easy task. To help make this effort easier, Greenful has put together a comprehensive summary of environmental legislation from the Clean Air Act (CAA) which was passed in 1967 to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (Cafe) of 2012. Here are 27 links that cover all major green legislation and related amendments:

Lawsuit to Protect Arctic Sea Ice as Critical Seal Habitat

Environmentalists are using the courts to try to protect vanishing Arctic sea ice. In September, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit intended to protect the critical habitat of two species of seals in the US District Court in Anchorage. Even though the agency proposed listing the ringed seal and the bearded seal as threatened in 2010, nothing has been done. The suit accuses the National Marine Fisheries Service of illegally delaying listings for the two species of seals under the Endangered Species Act.

BP Accused of Corporate Recklessness Including Willful Misconduct, Gross Neglect and Making False Statements

A recent US Justice Department court filing, accuses British Petroleum (BP) of gross neglect, as well as making false and misleading comments. The accusations stem from BP's handling of the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon that spilled 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and killed 11 workers.

The Justice Department alleges false statements and misrepresentation over BP's assertion that the Gulf Coast's natural resources are making a "robust recovery" from its massive 2010 oil spill.