The federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) is widely known for being the primary law in the United States that focuses on protecting biodiversity, and also for being a “pit bull” of environmental laws that has few exceptions and broad sweep. (For instance, the ESA was a major component of the litigation strategy by environmental groups … Continue reading »
land use
California’s infill backlash
For environmental and economic reasons, we want jobs and people to move back to our cities. People living in cities pollute less because they don’t drive as much and tend to live in smaller homes. Economically, they can save a lot of money on transportation and energy costs, while thriving neighborhoods can create cultural and … Continue reading »
CEQA reform 2013 holds promise for improving the environment
Governor Brown recently signed into law this year’s version of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reform, which as my colleague Eric Biber noted was decidedly stripped down from what it could have been. SB 743 (Sen. Darrell Steinberg) got a lot of negative attention for giving the Sacramento Kings basketball arena proponents accelerated environmental review … Continue reading »
Is environmentalism bad for fighting climate change?
Sure, it sounds like a paradox. The environmental movement has done a lot of good for the planet and for pollution. But in the face of the greatest environmental threat of our time, the movement may be fundamentally ill-suited to tackle the climate crisis. For most of its history, environmentalism has essentially been about stopping … Continue reading »