Renewable Energy Federalism
This abstract is adapted from Danielle Stokes, Renewable Energy Federalism, 106 Minn. L. Rev. 1757 (2022), and used with permission.
Making Net Zero Matter
This abstract is adapted from Albert C. Lin, Making Net Zero Matter, 79 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 679 (2022), and used with permission.
Building a New Grid Without New Legislation: A Path to Revitalizing Federal Transmission Authorities
This abstract is adapted from Avi Zevin et al., Building a New Grid Without New Legislation: A Path to Revitalizing Federal Transmission Authorities, 48 Ecology L.Q. 169 (2021), and used with permission, and was discussed on a public webinar hosted by the Environmental Law Institute.
Arbitrariness Review and Climate Change
This abstract is adapted from Cass R. Sunstein, Arbitrariness Review and Climate Change, 170 U. Pa. L. Rev. 991 (2022), and used with permission.
The Dangers of Underscoping Risk
In 4°C, Ruhl and Craig effectively argue that governance measures, particularly adaptation planning, will fall short if institutions fail to embrace the real possibility that the planet will blow well past 2° Celsius (°C) above pre-industrial temperatures. Further, they argue that 4°C is a better target for adaptation planning because this metric better captures the future risk the nation faces. Ruhl and Craig are keenly aware that serious talk of a possible 4°C future will almost certainly trigger accusations of “doomism” from various critics.
Anticipating and Preparing for Climate Change
In 4°C, Ruhl and Craig acknowledge that the Earth’s climate is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, outside the range to which society has adapted in the past. Realistically, achieving the goal set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C will be almost unattainable without drastic actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
4°C
Accelerating ice loss and expanding wildfire zones are potential markers of what are known as tipping points—thresholds along a nonlinear pattern of system change that accelerate the pace of change. Scientists are concerned that our global climate system is dangerously close to passing these points. This trend has significant implications for governance and law. Climate change disruptions will extend beyond biophysical systems to social systems, including systems of governance.
Regulating EV Batteries’ Carbon Footprint: EU Climate Ambition or Green Protectionism?
The European Union’s (EU’s) recent proposal for a new regulation on EV batteries is a groundbreaking effort, the first to focus on the entire value chain to improve product sustainability and safety throughout the life cycle. Battery producers inside and outside of the EU will have to meet a series of requirements, starting from carbon footprint declaration and related labeling to complying with life-cycle carbon footprint thresholds, for having their products placed in the EU market.