Law Commons^™

Imperial Ignition: Ecological Debt, Greenhouse Development Rights And Climate Change, Jonathan Stribling

Jonathan Stribling

This paper argues for legal principles to remedy the harm done to those least responsible for yet most affected by climate change. It examines approaches to developing the concepts of ecological and climate debt in U.S. law. This paper argues for the importance of understanding ecological debt and particularly “climate debt” in order to sustainably remedy climate change. The paper also argues that the principles of capacity and responsibility, which are the basis of the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDR) framework, are critical to remedying climate debt and should be included in global climate negotiations and U.S. environmental law.

Legitimacy, Accountability, And Partnership: A Model For Advocacy On Third World Environmental Issues, David A. Wirth

David A. Wirth

To date, there has been little effort to define the characteristics of responsible environmental reform efforts by private citizens and organizations in the United States on foreign environmental problems, such as the quality of foreign aid. Moreover, there have been virtually no attempts to identify a principled role for American lawyers in Third World environmental issues. This Essay will respond to these lacunae by articulating a new approach to advocacy based on a partnership model. In Part I, this Essay identifies the need for American public interest advocates to establish partnerships with directly affected groups on Third World environmental issues. …

Hazardous Substances And Activities, David A. Wirth

David A. Wirth

This piece analyzes and critically evaluates the enormous number and variety of international instruments addressing the regulation of hazardous substances and activities, from consumer products to nuclear power plants. International authorities are categorized according to regulatory theory, ranging from hazard identification and testing to disposal. Other regulatory approaches include limitations on pollutant releases, prevention of and response to industrial accidents, and international trade in toxic chemicals and waste. Multilateral norms originating from global and regional institutions, UN specialized agencies, and non-UN organizations are analyzed. The piece addresses both "hard" (binding or conventional) and "soft" (nonbinding) instruments, correlating legal form with …

At War With The Environment, David A. Wirth

David A. Wirth

In this Article, Professor Wirth reviews the book National Defense and the Environment by Stephen Dycus, a recognized expert in both environmental and national security law. The emphasis of the book is on containing and remediating the environmental excesses of the American defense-industrial complex, with a domestic policy focus. While Professor Wirth considers Dycus’ work an intellectually rewarding and refreshing new entry into the ongoing environment-as-security colloquy, he does not consider the book to be accessible to a general audience given the book’s fundamentally legalistic nature.

The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux

Paul Boudreaux

Impact fees complicate the construction of new housing across the nation. Although justified as a means of forcing new development to “pay its way” for the costs of government infrastructure necessitated by the new housing, impact fees are imposed in a way that make them, in effect, a dubious population tax. Indeed, the typical impact fee does little to discourage costly suburban sprawl. This essay, using economic lessons from policies to discourage the wasteful use of resources with light bulbs, bathrooms, and buildings, suggests a new policy course. It proposes an impact xat (a cross between a tax and fee) …

The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux

Paul Boudreaux

Impact fees complicate the construction of new housing across the nation. Although justified as a means of forcing new development to “pay its way” for the costs of government infrastructure necessitated by the new housing, impact fees are imposed in a way that make them, in effect, a dubious population tax. Indeed, the typical impact fee does little to discourage costly suburban sprawl. This essay, using economic lessons from policies to discourage the wasteful use of resources with light bulbs, bathrooms, and buildings, suggests a new policy course. It proposes an impact xat (a cross between a tax and fee) …

Timber Piracy, Statutory Interpretation, And Legislative Intent: The Louisiana Supreme Court’S Decision In Sullivan V. Wallace, Mirais Holden

Mirais Holden

The Louisiana legislature imposes punitive treble damages on timber pirates, those who cut or remove timber from land belonging to another. For many years in Louisiana, it was unclear whether those same treble penalties applied to co-owners of land who sell timber of which they only own a part, without the consent of their fellow co-owners, in a blatant attempt to steal the full profit for themselves. In a historical circuit split, one Louisiana circuit held that the treble damage statute did apply to timber-pirating co-owners, while another Louisiana circuit held that it did not. The author of this case …

A Sticky Situation: Tar Sands, Alternative Fuels, Energy Security And The Eisa Section 526 Petroleum Procurement Problem, Surya Gablin Gunasekara

Surya Gablin Gunasekara

The Department of Defense (DOD) is one of the world’s single largest consumers of energy. To support two wars in hostile parts of the world, the DOD’s energy procuring agency, the Defense Logistics Agency Energy (DLA Energy), has been forced into the difficult position of doing business with sheikdoms and petro-dictatorships. This dependence on foreign oil, and the critical need for energy security, has prompted several legislative initiatives aimed at promoting renewable energy and alternative fuels. While much of this legislation has been transformative for DOD energy policy, one provision, in application, has complicated the petroleum procurement process. This article …

Sustainable Procurement Is Smart Procurement: A Primer For Local Governments To Successfully Implement Sustainable Procurement Policies, Zachary R. Kobrin

Zachary R Kobrin

Most local governments do not understand the benefits of sustainable procurement or how to successfully implement these policies. This article discusses the challenges facing local governments when adopting sustainable procurement policies and makes recommendations to successfully implement sustainable procurement. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes sustainable procurement as the purchasing of products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. For local governments, sustainable procurement can also be defined by the benefits it will provide the local environment and economy. Before …

Setting The Foundation: How Local Climate Change Adaptation Initiatives Can Pave The Way For A Regulatory Regime That Works, Thomas M. Gremillion

Thomas M Gremillion

Climate change is here and with it a growing awareness of the need to adapt to impacts that are already occurring. At the same time, efforts to establish an international regulatory program to reduce or mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have all but collapsed. This article argues that climate change adaptation at the local level, particularly in urban areas, represents a logical step forward. In addition to managing risk, adaptation can stimulate a needed shift in emphasis towards a more pluralist or polycentric approach to climate regulation, laying the groundwork for future national and global regulatory regimes. Examining some of …

Integrated Eastern States Water Management: Borrowing From The Coastal Zone Management Act, Robert H. Abrams

Robert H Abrams

More robust planning and management is needed to confront new patterns of water use and increasingly extreme and less predictable variations in water availability. Items such as water allocation law, an incomplete array of water management objectives, and the comparatively rigid operating rules for water facilities, that in the past had barely mattered, are now much more important. Neither the water law of most Eastern states nor the existing water institutions are adequate to the needs of a less stable, and possibly shorter, water supply. The failure of adaptation has the potential to cause serious economic and environmental harm if …

When The Law Is Silent, Trespassers W… : Law And Power In Implied Property Rights, Ann Brower

Ann Brower

In the daftly magical world of Winnie the Pooh, Piglet lives in a house signposted “TRESPASSERS W.” The golden silence that follows the W allows Pooh and his friends to wonder about the sign’s meaning, which Piglet insists honors his grandfather, Trespassers William. Piglet’s grandfather aside, silence in the law allows competing interpretations to arise and flourish in the realms of rhetoric, narrative, power and politics. In this paper we combine interest group politics, political ecology, property theory, and narrative assertion to propose a theory of implied property rights – how they work, whom they benefit, and when and why …

Expert Testimony: Groundwater Modeling Reliability, Brent Smith

Brent Smith

A presumption of helpfulness surrounds the term “expert”. For this reason, courts grant testimonial latitude to expert testimony that is normally unavailable to other witnesses. This is justified on the presumption that the expert's opinion rests upon a reliable basis in the knowledge and experience of his discipline. However, what happens when such testimony involves a area of science that is in of itself guesswork at times?

Electromagnetic Pulse And The U.S. Food Security Paradigm: Assumptions, Risks, And Recommendations, Maximilian Leeds

Maximilian Leeds

This paper analyzes the systemic dangers posed to the U.S. economy by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), either naturally occurring or maliciously generated, from a food security perspective. Section I examines the modern structure of the U.S. food supply chain, analyzing the just-in-time international distribution model and criticizing it as vulnerable to systemic shock and cascade failure. Section II examines the function and history of the electromagnetic pulse, assesses its potential to serve as a catalyst for systemic breakdown in the domestic food supply chain, and explores the current state of food security planning in the United States pertaining to this …

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs: How The Wilderness Society V. Kane County Leaves Everyone Confused About Navigating A Right-Of-Way Claim Under Revised Statute 2477, Hillary M. Hoffmann

Hillary M Hoffmann

The Tenth Circuit’s recent decision in The Wilderness Society v. Kane County has changed the landscape of litigation arising out of Revised Statute 2477, a provision of the Mining Act of 1886 repealed by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Prior to this decision, the presumption was that the United States owned all federal public lands unless an adverse claimant proved otherwise. Moreover, any adverse claimant was required to bring an action under the Quiet Title Act to divest the federal government of title to its property. This decision turns both of those presumptions inside-out, provided that …

How Lawsuits Could Ignite An Energy Market: The Case Of Anaerobic Digestion, Catherine Keske

Catherine Keske

This article focuses on anaerobic digestion—a technology that converts biomass into methane that can be captured and used as biogas, or that can be converted into electricity through a generator. The biogas and electricity can be used at the facility where the biomass is collected, or the electricity could be sold to the grid if net metering policies are available. Currently, anaerobic digestion is not feasible in many areas of the nation, including the U.S. West, where energy prices are relatively low. This article demonstrates how anaerobic digestion can help agricultural operations avoid the costs associated with a nuisance lawsuit. …

International Water Law: Reasonable Utilization, Margaret J. Vick

Margaret J Vick

Reasonable utilization of shared waters is a centuries old principle of riparian law. It is one half of the foundational principle of international water law that requires the equitable and reasonable utilization of international waters. The principle of equitable utilization is extensively developed through treaties, conventions, case law and the writings of scholars of the law of non-navigational uses of international watercourses. However, the principle of reasonable utilization has received little attention. This article examines the relationship and commonalities between riparian reasonable use and the principle of international law and traces the inclusion of the requirement of reasonable utilization in …

Ocean Governance For The 21st Century: Making Marine Zoning Climate Change Adaptable, Robin K. Craig

Robin K. Craig

The variety of anthropogenic stressors to the marine environment—including, increasingly, climate change—and their complex and synergistic impacts on ocean ecosystems testifies to the failure of existing governance regimes to protect these ecosystems and the services that they provide. Marine spatial planning has been widely hailed as a means of improving ocean governance through holistic ecosystem-based planning. However, that concept arose without reference to climate change, and hence it does not automatically account for the dynamic alterations in marine ecosystems that climate change is bringing.

This Article attempts to adapt marine spatial planning to climate change adaptation. In so doing, it …

The Need For More Stringent Regulation Of Biodiesel Fuel In California, Steven Goodman

Steven Goodman

Bioidiesel is an alternative fuel made from sources other than petroleum that can be used in diesel engines. It is a rapidly growing part of the fuels consumed in both California and the United States, and this consumption will continue to increase over time. This increased consumption warrants a greater focus on this fuel and the consequences of its use. Scientific evidence has established that biodiesel is not the clean, “green” fuel that some have purported it to be. Studies have found that biodiesel fuel causes increased nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission levels, resulting in higher levels of ozone and particulate …

The Real Story Behind The Columbia Basin Salmon Debacle: Preserving Dams Under The Endangered Species Act, Michael Blumm

Michael Blumm

This review of Steven Hawley’s provocative book, Recovering a Lost River: Removing Dams, Rewilding Salmon, Revitalizing Communities, examines Hawley’s claim that the best way to recover endangered Snake River salmon is by removing the four Lower Snake River dams. These dams, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, impede access to over 5300 miles of prime salmon habitat and operate with enormous public subsidies, largely to maintain a seaport 465 miles inland at Lewiston, Idaho. Hawley’s book not only shows that additional public subsidies in the form of river dredging and new levees will be necessary to maintain the …

In Defense Of The Shuckers: Enhanced Consumer Warnings And Assumption Of The Risk, Not Forced Post-Harvest Processing, As The Proper Remedy For Raw Oyster Toxicity, Scott T. Schmidt

Scott Schmidt

Oysters are a popular culinary delight. Oyster connoisseurs ("ostreaphiles") thoroughly enjoy consuming the bivalves in a multitude of ways, including fried, baked, and raw. A large portion of oysters in the U.S. come from the Gulf of Mexico. However, the FDA has proposed regulations which would make it difficult to consume living raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico during certain times of the year. The Vibrio family of bacteria is the leading cause of raw shellfish toxicity. It occurs naturally in seawater, and is more heavily concentrated in warmer months. It is known to cause several illnesses and death …

Rights Of First Refusal And Package Oil And Gas Transactions, Rick G. Strange, Thomas L. Fahring

Rick G Strange

Rights of First Refusal and Package Oil and Gas Transactions Package transactions – the sale of multiple oil and gas properties collectively, are fast becoming the norm in the oil and gas industry. Most operators use a model operating agreement prepared by the American Association of Petroleum Landmen. The AAPL forms contain a preferential purchase provision which allows the parties to buy any interest in the contract area being offered for sale on the same terms and conditions as offered by a third party. In a single-asset transaction, this is a relatively simple transaction. It becomes much more complicated if …

Integrating Community Knowledge Into Environmental And Natural Resource Decision-Making: Notes From Alaska And Around The World, Elizabeth Barrett Ristroph

Elizabeth Barrett Ristroph

Community knowledge (including traditional, local, and indigenous knowledge) has a role to play in government agency decisions regarding the environment and natural resources. This article considers the benefits of using community knowledge, as well as obstacles to collecting this knowledge and integrating it with Western science. The article further discusses how federal agencies in Alaska use community knowledge, and laws that potentially affect this use (including the Data Quality Act). Finally, the article provides recommendations for agencies to consider in collecting and using community knowledge.

Zoning In The Marcellus Shale Formation, Benjamin L. Knauff

Benjamin L Knauff

The growing practices of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have unlocked previously unrealized potential in natural gas-rich shale formations deep underground across the U.S. This growth stands in contrast to lagging regulation of the energy sector. This article explores the potential environmental and health risks of natural gas extraction in shale formations, and the need for legislative changes in Pennsylvania, where activity is rapidly gaining momentum.

Water, Work, Wildlife, And Wilderness: The Collaborative Federal Public Lands Planning Framework For Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development In The Desert Southwest, Tim Duane, Siobhan Mcintyre

Tim Duane

Federal and state energy policies have recently emphasized increased renewable energy development, including large utility-scale solar energy projects in the desert southwest. Many of the prime solar development sites in the region are on public land, which is administered primarily by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Federal public lands policy has therefore been confronted with a rush of project development proposals seeking federal Rights-of-Way (ROW) from the BLM. State permits and licenses, together with compliance with other federal regulatory requirements (especially under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act) must be coordinated with the BLM …

Wind Turbine Wakes, Wake Effect Impacts, And Wind Leases: Using Solar Access Laws As The Model For Capitalizing On Wind Rights During The Evolution Of Wind Policy Standards, Kimberly E. Diamond, Ellen J. Crivella

Ellen J Crivella

Wind rights and access to natural wind flow raise important legal issues, policy questions, opportunities, and financial risks for landowners and their neighbors, as well as for wind facility developers. This is particularly evident with respect to the phenomenon called wake effect (downwind effect), as natural wind flow access between adjacent developers and the rights and income streams that flow with it, can be adversely impacted and can influence such developers’ decision as to whether or not to construct a wind project. Applying precedents founded on litigation-based legal theories invites confrontation between impacted parties and may not be the best …

Going-Going-Green: Strategies Fostering Sustainable New Federal Buildings, Patrick E. Tolan Jr.

Patrick E. Tolan Jr.

Green building, also known as sustainable building or high performance building, has exploded in popularity over the past several years as construction experience and cost-benefit studies have shown that owners of green buildings derive financial as well as environmental benefits. By smartly designing the building to maximize advantages at the onset, these newer buildings are more friendly to workers, more flexible for future growth, better integrate environmental and comfort factors using a whole building design philosophy, and help conserve energy, water, and other resources. As the world’s largest owner and operator of buildings and the nation’s largest energy user, the …

The Bp Oil Spill: Marine Pollution, Admiralty Law And State Police Power Under The Oil Pollution Act Of 1990o, John J. Costonis

John J. Costonis

ABSTRACT

Choice of law issues in marine pollution events engage federal admiralty/general maritime law, federal environmental legislation and the reserved powers of the states to protect their natural resources and economic welfare. Admiralty and general maritime law enjoyed center stage throughout the first two thirds of the last century. Federal marine pollution statutes were few and weak, and state initiatives were typically deemed preempted in all but the so-called “marine but local” cases. The equilibrium began to shift in favor of state police powers and federal environmental values in the mid-1960’s in consequence of the Supreme Court’s solicitude for the …

Winters And Water Conservation: A Proposal To Halt “Water Laundering” In Tribal Negotiated Settlements In Favor Of Monetary Compensation, Jesse H. Alderman

Jesse H Alderman

In the century since the U.S. Supreme Court, in Winters v. United States, granted Indian tribes reserved water rights, few tribes have received the promised delivery of water, while at the same time, the Department of Interior—the same agency tasked with a fiduciary duty to hold all tribal assets in trust—constructed massive, multibillion-dollar water projects without cognizance of senior Indian rights. The water transformed much of the West, from arid desert to a green expanse of farmland and steel-and-mirrored urban centers with populations rivaling cities in the water-rich East. However, the rapacious pace of development has placed unsustainable strain on …

Reducing Carbon Emissions From The Developing World Through Compensated Moratoria: Ecuador’S Yasuní Initiative And Beyond, Thomas M. Gremillion

Thomas M Gremillion

This articles suggests that a proposed alternative for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—paying developing countries to forego fossil fuel exploitation in tropical forests, or “compensated moratoria”—could serve an important role in future climate change regulation. The article details Ecuador’s proposal to impose a moratorium on oil exploration in the Amazon rainforest—the Yasuní Initiative—and looks at the implications for broader climate change policy. The article briefly explores the shortcomings of prevailing policy mechanisms for mitigating GHG emissions in developing countries, and discusses how compensated moratoria could help to improve on these shortcomings. The article concludes that compensated moratoria should receive serious …