Law Commons^™

The Damming Of Nature: How China Is Expanding Its Dam Infrastructure And Potential Negative Downstream Effects On Fisheries Of The Yaluzangbu-Brahmaputra River, Stephanie M. Smith

Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal

In light of the critical need to shift from fossil fuels as the primary source of energy, China continues to plan expansive hydropower generation projects on the Yaluzangbu-Brahmaputra River, one of the few remaining clean and biologically diverse river basin ecosystems in China. In March 2011, the Chinese National People’s Congress approved the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (Plan) for national development with specific themes and targets within the economic and social arenas. The Plan has a specific focus on “higher quality growth,” which is defined in the Plan as addressing the issues of renewable energy and sustainability. Specifically, the Plan addresses …

Environmental Tax Incentives: What The United States Can Learn From The Netherlands And Japan, Kali Waller

Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal

This Comment explores policy developments in the United States, Netherlands, and Japan, and identifies elements possessed by the most successful environmental tax schemes: simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and culture-specificity. These countries offer a diverse view of Western and Eastern culture and tax paradigms. Each country has a distinct way of managing taxes while implementing programs that encourage environmental reform. Additionally, the culture in each country is unique, making tax implementations and management particular to each.

In Part II, this Comment addresses the historical development of Green Building and Energy efficiency globally and in the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan. Part III …