The city of Copenhagen has developed a comprehensive plan to address short and medium range impacts of Climate Change. From green roofs to streets that divert storm water the City has developed a comprehensive plan to address the impacts of global warming. The plan lists some the key considerations in…
The U. S. Department of Agriculture is establishing seven regional Hubs to assist farmers and forest owners with climate change adaptation and mitigation. According to the USDA site: “These hubs are needed to maintain and strengthen agricultural production, natural resource management, and rural economic development under increasing climate variability.” The…
The United States and China have agreed to work to “phase down” HFCs. In a press release the White House announced: ” …the United States and China agreed to work together and with other countries through multilateral approaches that include using the expertise and institutions of the Montreal Protocol to…
New York adopted a law in July that provides for local implementation of tax exemptions for improvements to property, in excess of ten thousand dollars, that obtain LEED(R) certification or meet a similar standard, based upon adoption of a local law implementing such a provision. To be eligible the construction…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a decision this week rejecting a challenge to a series of EPA reguations aimed at curtailing GHG emissions from both vehicles and stationary sources. In Coalition for Responsible Regulation, Inc. v. Environmental Protection Agency, the Court summarized its…
The government of Scotland announced the formation of a Climate Justice Fund to aid less industrialized countries deal with the impacts of climate change. In a press release from the government, Professor Alan Miller, Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission is quoted as saying: “Climate justice is a key…
Last week the Virginia Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that an insurance carrier had no liability to cover its insured in an action claiming the insured’s activities had contributed to damages resulting from the effects of climate change. In AES Corporation v Steadfast Insurance Co., the Virginia Supreme…
In a report released earlier this month, NASA, in conjunction with California Institute of Technology at Pasadena concluded that by 2100 nearly 40 percent of land based ecosystems will undergo a change from one type of ecological community to another. Thus, the study concludes the changes in plant and animal…
The U.S. Supreme Court, in American Electric Power Company LLC v. Connecticut, held that the plaintiffs, which include several states and the City of New York, could not maintain their federal common law action against utility companies seeking to impose limitations on greenhouse gas emissions. In summarizing the decision, Justice…
A series of lawsuits commenced, since the beginning of May, seek action by state and federal government on Climate Change, based upon the Public Trust Doctrine. A group called Our Children’s Trust, in conjunction with other groups, commenced an action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of…