Law Commons^™

Jumping The Pond: Transnational Law And The Future Of Chemical Regulation, Noah M. Sachs

Law Faculty Publications

Just as domestic pollution can cause transnational externalities, domestic environmental regulation can create transnational ripple effects in other jurisdictions. In this Article, I show how chemical regulation-long a weak link in the network of U.S. environmental laws-is about to be reshaped and reformed through the extraterritorial ripple effects of new European Union legislation. Contributing to both international law and environmental law scholarship, this Article shows how transnational information flows can be harnessed to end the longstanding drought of data on chemical toxicity in the United States. ·

Part I of this Article critiques the U.S. chemical regulatory regime, arguing that …

Brownfields Development: From Individual Sites To Smart Growth, Joel B. Eisen

Law Faculty Publications

Remediation and reuse ofbrownfields is a hallmark of sustainable land use because the societal and economic benefits of remediating and rehabilitating an underused urban parcel are often greater than those of comparable development taking place at greenfields locations. These benefits are mentioned frequently in the large (and growing) body of brownfields literature, where brown fields redevelopment is seen as especially desirable because it meshes with the goals of the smart growth movement. However, not all brown fields redevelopment activity is "smart," for development of individual sites continues to be parcel-specific and state brownfields programs do not fully integrate well-known benchmarks …

Greening Demand: Energy Consumption And U.S. Climate Policy, Noah M. Sachs

Law Faculty Publications

The search for greener, less polluting energy supplies has dominated discussions of u.s. climate change strategy, but we often overlook cheaper and faster greenhouse gas emissions reductions achievable through energy efficiency and conservation. In this article, I outline a decade-long "greening demand" agenda to reduce the amount of energy consumed in the United States. The federal government should aim to reduce U.S. energy consumption by fifteen percent by 2016 and twenty percent by 2020 to achieve needed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

While the United States has achieved notable efficiency gains since the 1970s, several market failures and other barriers …

The Tragedy Of The Commons: The Case Of The Blue Crab, Carl W. Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

The blue crab has achieved iconic status throughout the Chesapeake Bay area, while the pugnacious crustacean and the majestic estuary are national treasures. The shallow waters provide optimal habitat for the species that has been deeply woven into the bay's economic and cultural fabric. Last year, after a respected committee ascertained that the crab was in jeopardy, anticipated future deterioration, and proffered extreme recommendations, Virginia and Maryland imposed draconian strictures which could reduce harvests by one third and help ameliorate the creature's depletion. A recent Executive Order, ambitiously designed by President Barack Obama to safeguard and restore the Chesapeake, illuminates …