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Full-Text Articles in Land Use Law
Conceptualizing Climate Justice In Kivalina, Marissa Knodel
Conceptualizing Climate Justice In Kivalina, Marissa Knodel
Seattle University Law Review
Due to climate change, indigenous communities in Alaska are forced to develop in ways that adversely affect their livelihoods and culture. For example, decreases in sea ice, increases in the frequency of sea storms, and melting permafrost have so accelerated the erosion of one barrier island that an entire village faces relocation. These indigenous communities, which have contributed little to causing climate change, are limited in their ability to adapt. After examining three broad questions about the effects of climate change on indigenous communities, this Article reaches four preliminary conclusion about relocation as a climate adaptation strategy and its relations …
Coping With Climate: Legal Innovation In The Absence Of Full Reform, Robert R.M. Verchick, Faye Sheets
Coping With Climate: Legal Innovation In The Absence Of Full Reform, Robert R.M. Verchick, Faye Sheets
Robert R.M. Verchick
In the absence of a federal legislation directing government to adapt to the unavoidable effects of climate change, the Obama administration has put its faith in existing environmental laws like the Clean Air Act (“CAA”), the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), and the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). But often federal objectives focus only on reducing greenhouse gases—what experts call “mitigation”—and neglect strategies for coping with the climate disruptions that we cannot avoid—otherwise known as “adaptation.” Where the federal policy falls short, states are beginning to experiment on their own with climate adaptation strategies. This essay examines both approaches, mitigation and …
Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation: A Local Solution To A Global Problem, Sarah J. Adams-Schoen
Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation: A Local Solution To A Global Problem, Sarah J. Adams-Schoen
Scholarly Works
Local land use laws offer powerful tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation. However, notwithstanding New York municipalities’ many impressive efforts, local laws are not yet being utilized sufficiently to create disaster-resilient or disaster-adaptive communities. New York City has done substantially more than many other cities, including, critically, setting specific CO2 emissions reduction targets and amending zoning and building codes. But, in light of the evidence of climate change and its impacts, local decision makers, resource managers, and planners throughout the state must ask whether we are doing enough. Failure to do so will continue to be costly in terms …