Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Law
An Environmental Lawyer's Fraught Quest For Legal Tools To Hold Back The Seas, Michael B. Gerrard
An Environmental Lawyer's Fraught Quest For Legal Tools To Hold Back The Seas, Michael B. Gerrard
Faculty Scholarship
The law is the principal mechanism by which society resolves disputes and implements policies. For more than forty years, I have worked to use the law to address environmental problems, initially by trying to stop projects that would increase pollution and harm communities. But there are limits to what the courts can do without explicit direction from legislatures. Climate change is a prime example. Some have seen litigation as a silver bullet, but at least so far that has not been the case. Elections matter more than lawsuits. Until and unless elections bring to power a president, a Congress, and …
Direct Air Capture: An Emerging Necessity To Fight Climate Change, Michael B. Gerrard
Direct Air Capture: An Emerging Necessity To Fight Climate Change, Michael B. Gerrard
Faculty Scholarship
The Paris Agreement of 2015 declared that we must keep global average temperatures well below 2.0°C (3.6°F) above preindustrial levels, and as close to 1.5°C as possible. However, a 2018 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed that even 2.0°C would be catastrophic; 1.5°C should be the firm goal. We are now around 1.0°C and are already seeing wildfires, hurricanes, inland precipitation, and other events of unprecedented magnitude.