Teaching Climate Change Law & Policy

Yale economics professor William Nordhaus has published a new analysis of alternative outcomes for emissions, climate change and potential damages under different policy scenarios after the Copenhagen Accord using a integrated model that divides the world into 12 regions and incorporates pertinent economic data, key geophysical inputs, including carbon dioxide emissions, the carbon cycle, radiative [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1227No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/30/scenarios-in-a-post-copenhagen-world/Scenarios+in+a+Post-Copenhagen+World2010-07-01+00%3A11%3A51Dr.+Wil+Burns

Robert B. McKinstry, Jr., Jennifer E. Drust and Brendan K. Collins of the firm Ballard Spahr have prepared an excellent 17-page memo that summarizes efforts to address climate change by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Council on Environmental Quality and the Securities & Exchange Commission. This would be a very good student reading at the [...]

Filed under: Climate Change Law | 1225No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/30/u-s-executive-agency-responses-to-climate-change/U.S.+Executive+Agency+Responses+to+Climate+Change2010-06-30+19%3A09%3A08Dr.+Wil+Burns

A new study on sea level rise trends and potential impacts and was published last week in Science, Robert J. Nicholls & Anny Cazenave, Sea-Level Rise and Its Impact on Coastal Zones, 328 Science 1517-1520 (2010) (subscription required). This would be an excellent student reading because it updates the assessments of the IPCC’s 4th Assessment [...]

Filed under: Climate Change Science | 1220No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/27/sea-level-rise-and-coastal-impacts/Sea+Level+Rise+and+Coastal+Impacts+2010-06-28+02%3A37%3A37Dr.+Wil+Burns

By Simon Bird, Environmental Accountant at AgRefresh The US national policy for biofuels has been advancing at a fast and furious pace. Every day new research fights for our attention, heralding technological advances or new impact assessments. A successful national biofuel promotion program would be fluid, allowing for the incorporation of this new research and [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1207No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/25/the-limitations-of-the-epa%e2%80%99s-rfs2-program/The+Limitations+of+the+EPA%E2%80%99s+RFS2+program2010-06-25+15%3A36%3A31Jennifer+Perron

By Charles Kerchner, Senior Environmental Accountant at AgRefresh With the economic concerns, health care debate, and climate skepticism delaying any immediate action on climate change policy in Washington, the door has been left open for other climate policy proposals. The question facing farm and forest landowners during this time of uncertainty is: How can the [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1200No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/25/delivering-ghg-reductions-under-various-climate-policy-options/Delivering+GHG+Reductions+under+Various+Climate+Policy+Options2010-06-25+15%3A29%3A05Jennifer+Perron

By Jeffrey Frost, Executive Director of AgRefresh When the models we use generate answers which violate common sense, it is time to check the prevailing assumptions within. The Manomet study for Massachusetts, “Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study”, essentially concludes that global warming will be exacerbated by substituting forest biomass energy for fossil fuels for [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1187No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/25/models-versus-common-sense/Models+versus+Common+Sense+2010-06-25+15%3A24%3A56Jennifer+Perron

Jonathon Porritt of the BBC has produced an excellent 23 minute documentary film on China’s progress in transforming its economy in terms of sustainability and eco-design.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1185No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/24/chinese-environmental-policies/Chinese+Environmental+Policies2010-06-24+22%3A12%3A58Dr.+Wil+Burns

As it becomes increasingly obvious that we must develop effective adaptation responses to likely temperature increases of 3-4C during this century, it has become increasingly critical that we develop sounds methods to assess potential adaptation responses. A new brief by Rachel Berger & Muyeye Chambwere, Beyond Cost-Benefit: Developing a Complete Toolkit for Adaptation Decisions, IIED [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1182No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/24/a-methodology-for-assessing-the-merit-of-adaptation-approaches/A+Methodology+for+Assessing+the+Merit+of+Adaptation+Approaches2010-06-24+21%3A33%3A17Dr.+Wil+Burns

An excellent new article on ocean acidification was published last week in Science as part of a special section of the oceans, Richard Kerr, Ocean Acidification Unprecedented, Unsettling, 328 Science 1500-1501 (subscription required). The piece is appropriate for undergraduate, graduate and law students and provides a really good summary of research to date on “the [...]

Filed under: Climate Change Science | 1176No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/21/ocean-acidification-and-potential-toll-on-marine-life/Ocean+Acidification+and+Potential+Toll+on+Marine+Life2010-06-21+18%3A48%3A32Dr.+Wil+Burns

For instructors looking for good assessments of developments since the Copenhagen Accord was established at COP15 of the UNFCCC, the International Institute for Environment and Development released an excellent paper this week looking at the track record to date of developed country parties in providing the $30 billion in “fast start” financing for mitigation and [...]

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1171No Comments »http://www.teachingclimatelaw.org/2010/06/18/new-publication-on-fast-track-financing-under-the-copenhagen-accord/New+publication+on+%22fast+track%22+financing+under+the+Copenhagen+Accord2010-06-19+04%3A13%3A34Dr.+Wil+Burns