Editors' Summary: On May 3, 2007, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) hosted a seminar to discuss the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Massachusetts v. EPA case. This seminar was a follow-up to ELI's December 13, 2006, seminar, held just after oral arguments in the case. After the moderator offered introductions and an overview of standing law prior to Massachusetts v.
Editor's Summary: The genetically modified organism (GMO) safety regime in China is steadily evolving, with national, regional, and local government departments vying for regulatory power. The process is leading toward a reallocation of responsibilities among governmental departments overseeing science and technology, agriculture, public health, and environmental protection. The results of this power struggle inside the government will exert direct influence on the progress of legislating and implementing GMO safety. In this Article, Dr.
Editors' Summary: Moving beyond the command-and-control product regulation of the past, China is shifting focus to product management as an alternate means to address health and safety, waste management, and environmental contamination. China's restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances (RoHS), a new legal framework designed to govern product manufacture, use, and end-of-life issues, presents a new compliance challenge for industry all over the world and at all levels of the supply chain.
Editor's Summary: The 2006 passage of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan may mark a turning point for sustainable development in China. In 2006, China began to take a comprehensive approach to natural resources conservation and environmental protection. In this annual review, Mingqing You surveys the major developments in Chinese environmental law and policy in the past year. He covers national policy shifts, international environmental regimes China joined, economic incentive policies, and pollution control indicators.
Editors' Summary: Standardized appraisal methods for charitable contributions of conservation easement donations do not currently exist. Without such standards, landowners may potentially overvalue their donations of conservation easements to land trusts. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has recognized this abuse of the tax laws and has threatened to severely limit or eliminate the charitable contribution deduction program for conservation easements. In this Article, Jessica A.
Editors' Summary: The recent ESA delisting of gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes region has challenged the states in that region to develop wolf management plans to protect the species. Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are at the forefront of efforts to develop comprehensive wolf conservation plans. In this Article, Edward Fitzgerald discusses the case of the gray wolf and its delisting in this region. He begins with a history of gray wolf protection, then examines the delisting and the development of wolf management plans in the region.
Editor's Summary: Efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay began as early as the 1970s, but the agencies and organizations working on the issue lack direction, coordination, and cohesion. As a result, progress toward protecting the bay and its watershed has been slow, while the threat of interstate pollution has grown. In this Article, Matthew L. Paeffgen offers a solution to increase the effectiveness of Chesapeake Bay protection efforts: the interstate compact.
Editors' Summary: On September 19, 2007, the Environmental Law Institute hosted a seminar to examine developments in environmental standing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit following the Supreme Court's decision last term in Massachusetts v. EPA. The panelists discussed the concept of a risk-based standard for proving "injury-in-fact" in environmental and public safety cases in light of such recent decisions as NRDC v. EPA I and II and Public Citizen v. NHTSA. The seminar concluded with a question-and-answer period. Below is a transcript of the event.
Editor's Summary: Although the United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, governments at local, state, regional, and even federal levels have taken steps to begin reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this Article, Charles Openchowski explains that five presidential Executive Orders mentioning GHGs have been signed since the Kyoto Protocol was drafted, two others related to GHGs have been issued, and several state governors have signed similar orders.
Editors' Summary: In this Article, Kerry E. Rodgers presents an overview of Germany's current efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars, including discussions of the proposed European Union legislation to set binding CO emissions targets for cars and supporting measures.