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Showing 1,439 results

Sandra Zellmer | May 30, 2012

Protecting Our Greatest Asset: Ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity

a(broad) perspective Today’s post, co-authored by CPR Member Scholar Sandra Zellmer  and Policy Analyst Yee Huang, is the fourth in a series on a recent CPR white paper, Reclaiming Global Environmental Leadership: Why the United States Should Ratify Ten Pending Environmental Treaties. Each month, this series will discuss one of these ten treaties. Previous posts are here. Convention […]

Matthew Freeman | May 25, 2012

A Warning about Water Quality Trading in the Chesapeake

This Memorial Day weekend, boaters, swimmers, fishers and others will flock to the Chesapeake Bay to mark the traditional, if not quite calendrically accurate, beginning of summer.  They’ll bring their wallets with them, of course, thus supporting businesses and and jobs up and down the Bay. After a day in, on or near the water, […]

Daniel Farber | May 24, 2012

Why We Need Administrative Agencies Like EPA

Following is the first of two Dan Farber blog entries reposted today from LegalPlanet. Bureaucrats aren’t very popular.  But consider the alternatives when it comes to dealing with environmental problems.  Basically, bureaucrats are part of the executive branch of government.  For instance, the head of EPA is appointed by the President and can be removed […]

Daniel Farber | May 24, 2012

Why the Environment Requires Government Protection: Some Simple Economics

The The following is the second of two Dan Farber blog entries reposted today from LegalPlanet. The key to understanding the economics of environmental protection is the concept of externalities.  An externality is simply a cost that one person or firm imposes on another. In general, an externality means that an activity is causing more […]

Chris Wold | May 4, 2012

Member Scholars Urge U.S. Trade Representative to Protect the Environment in Trade Agreements

In the nearly 20 years since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force, the linkages between trade and environmental harm have become clearer than ever.  Trade agreements can lead to significant adverse environmental impacts, particularly when countries do not have sufficient environmental laws, policies, and institutions—and trade alone will not increase the […]

| May 1, 2012

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Ratifying the Basel Convention on Transboundary Waste

a(broad) perspective Today’s post is third in a series on a recent CPR white paper, Reclaiming Global Environmental Leadership: Why the United States Should Ratify Ten Pending Environmental Treaties.  Each month, this series will discuss one of these ten treaties.  Previous posts are here. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes […]

Alice Kaswan | April 24, 2012

Applying the Clean Air Act to Greenhouse Gases: What Does It Mean for Traditional Pollutants?

EPA’s March 27 release of a proposed rule to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new fossil-fuel power plants has reignited the long-standing debate over whether the Clean Air Act is an appropriate mechanism for controlling industrial sources. Congressional bills to repeal EPA’s CAA authority have been repeatedly (though unsuccessfully) introduced. Many environmentalists, while welcoming […]

Catherine O'Neill | April 20, 2012

What Progress Looks Like: Washington State’s Climate Change Preparedness Strategy

Earlier this month Washington State’s Department of Ecology released its integrated climate response strategy, Preparing for a Changing Climate.  The strategy again demonstrates that the state is a leader when it comes to preparing for climate change impacts (see also NRDC’s recent report examining climate preparedness in all 50 states). What makes Washington a leader?  […]

| April 11, 2012

Preserving the Pristine: Why the United States Should Ratify the Antarctic Liability Annex

a(broad) perspective Today’s post is second in a series on a recent CPR white paper, Reclaiming Global Environmental Leadership: Why the United States Should Ratify Ten Pending Environmental Treaties.  Each month, this series will discuss one of these ten treaties.  Previous posts are here. Annex VI on Liability Arising from Environmental Emergencies to the Protocol […]