Climate Law Blog

by David Markell David Sive Visiting Scholar, fall 2016 The legal environment for local government in Florida is beginning to change when it comes to sea-level rise (sometimes referred to as SLR). Innovations in institutional structure and governance strategies are underway in the State as well. This paper, Sea-Level Rise and Changing Times for Florida […]

by Michael Burger and Justin Gundlach This morning the Sabin Center filed an amicus brief in support of EPA’s Clean Power Plan on behalf of a coalition of local government representatives including the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and 54 U.S. cities, counties, and mayors. (Check the end of the post […]

Justin Gundlach Climate Law Fellow The City of San Diego has issued a climate action plan (CAP) that makes the City susceptible to law suits for noncompliance with its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. That commitment is ambitious: by 2035, San Diego must cut emissions (measured against a 2010 baseline) in half and […]

Michael Burger, Executive Director This morning the Sabin Center filed a motion for leave to participate as amici in the Clean Power Plan litigation on behalf of a nationwide local government coalition that includes the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities and the cities of Baltimore, MD; Coral Gables, FL; Grand Rapids, […]

By Nancy Rader, Executive Director of the California Wind Energy Association, and Michael B. Gerrard, Columbia Law Professor and Director of the Sabin Center The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ move to ban utility-scale wind turbines and to impose severe restrictions on utility-scale solar in unincorporated areas of the county is not compatible with averting […]

Jessica Wentz Associate Director and Postdoctoral Fellow Earlier this month, the City of Miami submitted comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed expansion of the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, urging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to reject the project in light of climate-related risks. The City’s chief concerns are that […]

Jessica Anne Wentz Associate Director and Postdoctoral Fellow In the early morning of February 28, 2010, storm Xynthia hit the French Atlantic coast, overwhelming coastal defenses and flooding over 50,000 hectares of land. The storm caused over one billion euros of damage and 47 fatalities in the Vendée Department of France.[1] Over half of these […]

Jennifer M. Klein, Esq. Associate Director & Fellow Sea level rise is an “inevitable consequence” of global warming and requires innovative capital planning, according to a new Report by the Miami-Dade Sea Level Rise Task Force. The Task Force will present its recommendations to the Miami-Date County Commission on January 21, 2015. Southeast Florida is […]

By: Daniel P. Selmi* Visiting Scholar, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and Fritz B. Burns Professor of Law, Loyola Law School In an emphatic opinion, a state appellate court has invalidated the environmental impact report for the first “sustainable communities strategy” prepared by a regional council of government in California. In Cleveland National Forest […]

Jennifer M. Klein, Esq. Associate Director & Fellow Sea level rise is a “pervasive and increasing threat” and should be evaluated as infrastructure projects are built or modified along San Francisco’s shorelines, according to Guidance adopted by San Francisco’s Capital Planning Committee (CPC) on September 22. San Francisco, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the […]