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Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Environmental Law

The Loss & Damage Fund: Will It Leave Greenland Behind?, Natalie L. Nowatzke Jul 2024

The Loss & Damage Fund: Will It Leave Greenland Behind?, Natalie L. Nowatzke

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) maintains three pillars of international climate governance: (1) mitigation, (2) adaptation, and (3) loss and damage. Loss and damage, the newest pillar, refers to the negative effects of climate change that transpire despite mitigation and adaptation measures. This notion has manifested into the newly operationalized Loss and Damage Fund, which is designed to compensate developing nations for the losses and damages that occur. This Comment identifies a gap in the Loss and Damage Fund, which will leave Greenland left out of receiving compensation, despite being extremely vulnerable to climate change, because …


Sea Ice And The Law Of The Sea: The Myth Of Article 234, Amanda H. Lynch, Charles H. Norchi Jul 2024

Sea Ice And The Law Of The Sea: The Myth Of Article 234, Amanda H. Lynch, Charles H. Norchi

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The sea ice of Article 234 of UNCLOS represents not the physical ice of the Arctic Ocean but a negotiated myth of ice as it affects the Arctic littoral states. The stability of this prescription is threatened by anthropogenic climate change causing a preferential evacuation of ice from the eastern Arctic compared to the western Arctic, as well as expectations for a possible future ice-free Arctic. This is leading to an intensification of claims on marine space. The irreducible uncertainties of the future trajectory of Arctic change demands a dynamic response. The myth of Article 234 will ultimately align with …


A Greater Purpose For Icebergs: Iceberg Trade To Combat The Effects Of Climate Change, Lee A. Foden Jul 2024

A Greater Purpose For Icebergs: Iceberg Trade To Combat The Effects Of Climate Change, Lee A. Foden

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

Three-fourths of the planet’s freshwater is stored in glaciers, and as the glaciers melt, humans are forfeiting their greatest freshwater resource. Climbing global temperatures, attributable to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, accelerate glacial melt while intensifying drought and water scarcity. This Comment identifies a way to relocate our greatest freshwater resource before it melts into the salty sea. Further, this Comment discusses how an iceberg trade could ensure the right to water by creating access to freshwater for all. Finally, this Comment introduces the iceberg trade as an equitable remedy to be employed by the Paris Agreement in the …


Projections For Arctic Marine Accessibility: Risk Under Climate Change, Xueke Li, Amanda H. Lynch Jul 2024

Projections For Arctic Marine Accessibility: Risk Under Climate Change, Xueke Li, Amanda H. Lynch

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

Few transformations in Earth systems are as dramatic as those currently occurring in the Arctic. We reveal the emergence of a new route regime in response to the evolving context of climate change and human pressures. This paradigm shift presents both opportunities for Arctic exploration and maritime trade, as well as risks for marine ecosystems and coastal communities. It underscores the need for concerted efforts to recalibrate the associated legal framework.


Strategic Minerals And The U.S. Arctic Continental Shelf, James Kraska Jul 2024

Strategic Minerals And The U.S. Arctic Continental Shelf, James Kraska

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

The United States may seek to reduce its dependency on China for strategic minerals and rare earth elements by exploiting deposits on its continental shelf in the Arctic region. On December 19, 2023, the United States announced the outer limits of it extended continental shelf. Like other countries, the United States exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the living and non-living resources of the continental shelf, which is comprised of the sea bed and subsoil of the continental margin. The U.S. continental shelf extends beyond 200 nautical miles in seven locations, including the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. Although the …


Russia's Arctic Maritime Claims, Raul Pete Pedrozo Jul 2024

Russia's Arctic Maritime Claims, Raul Pete Pedrozo

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

As an Arctic State, Russia has extensive maritime claims in the Arctic Ocean. This Article analyzes those claims to determine their consistency with international law. A brief overview of the applicable legal regime in the Arctic is provided, in particular, a discussion of Article 234 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), applicability of the mandatory Polar Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2017, and the various legally binding agreements adopted by the Arctic Council. The Article will also review Russia’s maritime boundary agreements with the United States (1990), which is being provisionally …


The Public Order Of The Arctic: Problems And Prospects, Charles H. Norchi Jul 2024

The Public Order Of The Arctic: Problems And Prospects, Charles H. Norchi

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

No abstract provided.


Windward Woes: The Misalignment Of Economic Incentives And Renewable Energy Development Goals, Matthew S. Edwards Jan 2024

Windward Woes: The Misalignment Of Economic Incentives And Renewable Energy Development Goals, Matthew S. Edwards

Ocean and Coastal Law Journal

Energy tax credits have always been a significant driver of renewable energy development, but the recent Inflation Reduction Act in response to new national development goals represents the most significant change in several decades. The Inflation Reduction Act is certainly a step in the right direction, but there are numerous factors that limit the impact on future developments that should be remedied to allow for the nation’s best chance to reach 2030 renewable energy goals.