Monthly Archives: November 2015

16 posts

Failure To Take Climate Action Is Not Only Morally Wrong, It’s Illegal

Michael Burger Executive Director Today marks the official beginning of the long-anticipated 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, in Paris, France. As in the past—Copenhagen in 2009, Kyoto in 1997—hopes are high that government leaders will sign an international agreement that puts the planet on course to avoid […]

Incorporating Sea Level Rise Into Flood Maps: Advisory Council’s Interim Report to FEMA

Justin Gundlach Climate Law Fellow The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 calls for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to incorporate sea level rise into the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) that inform how FEMA and other agencies implement programs related to flood insurance and flood-related disaster mitigation […]

Public Meeting in Georgia to Discuss NEPA Requirements for Oil and Gas Projects

Jessica Wentz Associate Director and Fellow Earlier this month, I visited Savannah, Georgia to talk with concerned citizens about the environmental review process for oil and gas infrastructure in their state. My presentation focused on how the public can use the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to ensure that agencies […]

Washington State Court Affirms that Climate Change Affects Public Trust Resources but Denies Relief

On November 19, the Washington State Superior Court issued a decision in which it affirmed that climate change affects public trust resources in the state, but ultimately held that the state was fulfilling its public trust obligations by engaging in rulemaking to establish more comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) standards. The […]

Rep. Lamar Smith Accuses NOAA of Potentially Violating Its Own Scientific Integrity Policies, And Threatens “Compulsory Process”

Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) is continuing his campaign for internal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) documents, including new claims from an unnamed whistleblower that NOAA scientists “potentially violat[ed] NOAA’s scientific integrity policies.” Rep. Smith has also now threatened to use an unspecified “compulsory process” to obtain the desired documents […]

Now Hiring – 2016 Summer Internships

The Sabin Center is now accepting applications for internships for summer 2016. Please feel free to circulate the following information to anyone who might be interested in these positions: Undergraduate and Master’s Students The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School is currently seeking a few exceptional undergraduate and/or master’s […]