Law Commons^™

Debate: Collaborative Environmental Law: Pro And Con, Eric W. Orts, Cary Coglianese

All Faculty Scholarship

In this thoughtful and intricate cross-disciplinary debate, Professors Eric W. Orts, of Penn’s Wharton School, and Cary Coglianese, of Penn’s Law School, discuss the benefits and disadvantages of collaborative public policy decision making in the environmental context. It is no exaggeration to say that each year the world grows ever more aware of the nature of the environmental problems we face, and yet critical policy solutions continue to remain beyond the grasp of even the most interested parties. Professor Orts argues that it is time to embrace a different policymaking approach—that of collaborative environmental lawmaking. He argues that "the view …

Land Use Regulation: The Weak Link In Environmental Protection, A. Dan Tarlock

All Faculty Scholarship

Professor William Rodgers is one of the handful of legal academics who have shaped and influenced environmental law since it was created out of whole cloth in the late 1960s. The staggering quantity, quality, breadth, and creativity of his scholarship are perhaps unrivaled among his peers. It is easy to criticize the gap between the environmental problems that society faces and the inadequate legal tools and institutions that we have created to confront them. Professor Rodgers has always been able to see both the deep flaws in environmental law and the possibilities for more responsive legal regimes.

Slides: The Future Of Oil And Gas Development On Federal Lands, Mike Chiropolos

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

Presenter: Mike Chiropolos, Lands Program Director, Western Resource Advocates

44 slides

Some Preliminary Thoughts On Contrasts And Convergence In Environmental And Natural Resources Law, Karin P. Sheldon

The Future of Natural Resources Law and Policy (Summer Conference, June 6-8)

16 pages.

Includes bibliographical references

'There It Is: Take It' Endangered Species And Water Management In The San Francisco Bay Delta, W. David Ball

Faculty Publications

This paper explores endangered species and water management in the San Francisco Bay Delta. Two endangered species, the Delta Smelt and the Winter-run Chinook Salmon, use the Bay Delta for crucial portions of their life cycle. At the same time, California's agricultural industry, as well as population centers to the South, require substantial outflows of Bay-Delta water. The paper explores the multi-jurisdictional regulation of the Bay-Delta's water, takes a hard look at the purported success of the Environmental Water Account (EWA) program, and reports on the tensions between scientists at regulatory agencies and the political appointees who oversee them. We …

Slides: Environmental Justice: Comprehensive Approach, Nicholas Targ

The Climate of Environmental Justice: Taking Stock (March 16-17)

Presenter: Nicholas Targ, Holland & Knight, former Associate Director for Environmental Justice Integration, Office of Environmental Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

16 slides

To A Point, Joseph P. Tomain

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

For over a century, the United States has operated under a consistent energy policy that has served the country well. Our Traditional Energy policy is based on three economic assumptions: private capital and markets create wealth and stimulate innovation; there is a direct and positive correlation between energy production and economic productivity; and economies of scale will enable us to produce more energy at lower cost. Events over the last four decades, however, have given cause to question that Traditional Energy policy. The damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita helped focus that questioning. Increasingly over that period, national and international …

Trade And The Environment In The Wto, Steve Charnovitz

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The linkage between trade and the environment stands out as an important challenge in global economic governance. Over the past decade, the WTO devoted considerable attention to this issue and included it on the agenda of the Doha Round. In parallel, the jurisprudence on trade and the environment has experienced significant advances. This study provides an overview of the main institutional changes at the WTO and of the developments in the jurisprudence most relevant to the interaction between the environment and trade. Specifically, this study focuses on GATT Article XX and takes note of many positive (and a few negative) …

State Practice In The Management And Allocation Of Transboundary Groundwater Resources In North America, Gabriel Eckstein, Amy Hardberger

Faculty Articles

Throughout the world, international and state political boundaries divide groundwater resources into politically convenient jurisdictions. Subsurface water, however, does not recognize such borders and flows freely without regard to overlying politics. This disregard for the political dimension, coupled with the growing global importance of fresh water, has the potential for aggravating disputes and conflicts over the use, allocation, and preservation of such resources. To date, widely accepted norms of international law applicable to transboundary aquifers have yet to emerge. However, local and regional agreements, including both formal and unofficial arrangements, suggest the emergence of state practice that should be considered …