News

Maryland Law and Policy Fellowship – great job opportunity for 3Ls interested in the environment and climate change.

This Small Lake in Africa Once Killed 1,700 People Overnight, And We Still Don’t Know Why – not new, but relevant to the controversy over CO2 pipeline accidents.

Biden urged not to approve oil terminals that could create ‘carbon bombs’

Feds slash Gulf’s first offshore wind farm areas

Background on LA wind

Lawmaker wants wind farms in Louisiana waters, but his bill may send them elsewhere

United States – Annual Average Offshore Wind Speed at 90 m

Power increases by the cube of wind speed.

9 MPH produces about 2x power as 7 MPH

Alabama-Florida-Georgia Offshore Wind Speed at 100 Meters

Assignment

Permitting Green Infrastructure

Inflation Reduction Act Advances Stalled Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales – Postscript to the Haaland NEPA case – Congress overruled Haaland in the IRA.

How does permitting for clean energy infrastructure work? (Environmental Review and Authorization Inventory – full inventory) – This is a good review of the permitting delays and some reforms. Read it carefully and explore the links.

Michael B. Gerrard, A Time for Triage, 39(6) ENVTL. F. 38 (2022). – Read this and think about the potential tradeoffs necessary to rapidly build out green infrastructure. What are the political tradeoffs in amending NEPA, the ESA, etc.?

For an example of the conflicts between different green strategies look at this site and think about biodiversity: Trillion Trees

Also: Thunberg, indigenous protesters block Norway energy ministry over wind farms

International Agreements

Tseming Yang, “The Relationship Between Domestic and International Environmental Law,” in Martella & Grosko, eds., International Environmental Law: The Practitioner’s Guide to the Laws of the Planet (2014)

Read this short piece as an introduction to my lecture, Introduction to Treaties and International Agreements.

Slides – Introduction to Treaties and International Agreements