People Places Planet

On May 18, 1971, Pennsylvania’s voters ratified an Environmental Rights Amendment to its state constitution. Fifty years later, with climate change now the overriding threat to the health of the planet, the architect of that amendment makes the case for an environmental amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In this episode, we talk to Franklin L. Kury, who served in the Pennsylvania House of Represe...

There are many benefits to offshore wind, but what about its impacts on birds, bats, and other wildlife? In this episode, we "engage the experts” and listen in on a conversation between two experts in the field of environmental law and policy, Brooke Marcus Wahlberg, a Partner at Nossaman LLP, and Ed Roggenkamp, an associate. The two offer background on offshore wind, discuss obstacles and opportu...

For over 60 years, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and its predecessor agencies have been a national and global leader on a wide range of environmental issues, from air quality to water quality to remediation. In this episode, Heather Palmer, a Partner at Sidley Austin LLP, talks with Toby Baker, Executive Director of the TCEQ. The two discuss a wide range of issues, including...

In the first few weeks of the Biden-Harris Administration, we’ve seen an unprecedented environmental justice (EJ) campaign platform develop into far-reaching executive actions. But even before the Biden-Harris campaign brought EJ to the federal spotlight, states were starting to implement ambitious, history-making EJ-focused legislation, a trend that appears to be continuing into 2021.  In this ep...

The United Nations projects global meat production to double by 2050 in response to growing demand for protein. The problem? Meat production is a primary source of methane gas, a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In light of the negative impacts arising from our heavy reliance on animal-based protein, innovators are developing a variety of more sustainable alternatives. In t...

As we approach one year of remote work here at ELI, we were curious about the working-from-home experiences of our own staff. In this episode, we talk to three members of ELI’s Research and Policy Department: Linda Breggin, a Senior Attorney; Akielly Hu, a Research Associate; and Jarryd Page, our Public Interest Law Fellow. The trio talk about their own working-at-home experiences and the challeng...

Earthjustice is the nation’s largest environmental nonprofit dedicated to litigation, employing more environmental litigators than any organization in the United States except for the U.S. Department of Justice. Earthjustice uses the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. In th...

Data gathering by members of the public—often called “citizen science” or “community science”—is gaining traction in the field of environmental protection. In this episode, Jay Benforado, Chief Innovation Officer at EPA’s Office of Research and Development, talks about the recent revolution of citizen science brought about by emerging technologies and what it means for environmental agencies. Join...

Gas stations are America’s largest carbon spigot, a leading source of neighborhood-based pollution, and a sacred cow. Today, four emerging issues—the climate crisis, the rise of electric vehicles, the aging of underground storage tanks, and new research establishing the dangers of gas station pollution—are challenging the gas station status quo and intensifying the need for tighter governance. In...

Founded on the first Earth Day in 1970, the New Jersey DEP protects the Garden State’s air, lands, water, and natural and historic resources. In the latest episode of People Places Planet Podcast, Justin Savage, a Partner at Sidley Austin LLP who co-leads the firm’ global environmental practice, talks to NJ DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe. The two discuss a wide range of issues, including the in...

For decades, there has been a bipartisan consensus that federal agencies should base their decisions on evidence, expertise, and analysis. But under the Trump Administration, inconvenient evidence has often been ignored, experts have been sidelined, and analysis has been misused to intentionally obscure important truths. In this episode, we talk to Prof. Michael Livermore (University of Virginia S...

No matter their practice area, today’s lawyers should have a basic understanding of climate change. Yet, most law courses do not include climate-related cases and other materials, even when such resources would be useful in teaching fundamental competencies and skills. In this episode, we hear from Prof. Warren G. Lavey about his article, Toolkit for Integrating Climate Change into Ten High-Enroll...

The United States has created an intricate system of laws, regulations, policies, and programs to respond to environmental and public health concerns. Enforcement is vital to the system’s effectiveness. In the latest episode of People Places Planet Podcast, Justin Savage, a Partner at Sidley Austin LLP who co-leads the firm’ global environmental practice, talks with Todd Sax, Section Chief of CARB...

The United States has created an intricate system of laws, regulations, policies, and programs to respond to environmental and public health concerns. Enforcement is vital to the system’s effectiveness.  In the latest episode of People Places Planet Podcast, Justin Savage, a Partner at Sidley Austin LLP who co-leads the firm’ global environmental practice, talks to Susan Bodine, the Assistant Admi...

Hurricane season is in full swing, and this year is unlike any before. What is driving this year’s record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season? And what implications is it having on coastal communities in the Gulf of Mexico states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida? In this podcast, we talk to Amy Reed, Director of ELI’s Gulf of Mexico program, to discuss the 2020 hurricane season...

Compensatory mitigation offers a viable way to protect the long-term health of the nation’s watersheds, and its success relies on a robust review and approval process that ensures that the protections in federal regulations are implemented in practice on the ground and that compensation projects effectively offset permitted impacts. However, the review and approval process can often be lengthy, so...

As renewable energy development is happening throughout the country, changes in environmental regulations and related court decisions are impacting project development. What does this shifting terrain mean for the development, expansion and maintenance of renewable energy technologies? In this episode, we hear from Brooke Marcus Wahlberg, a Partner at Nossaman LLP, and her colleague Rebecca Barho...

International environmental law is often characterized as fragmented and heterogeneous; there is currently no single, overarching framework that outlines a set of rules and criteria of general application in international environmental law. In the latest episode of People Places Planet Podcast , we explore the recent push for a set of globally recognized principles on environmental law—called the...

What tried and true environmental law strategies are animal rights and welfare advocates using in their efforts to protect animals? How does the exploitation of meatpacking and slaughterhouse workers in the age of COVID-19 highlight the interconnectedness between animal, environmental, and human rights issues? In this episode, we talk to Prof. Randall S. Abate about his forthcoming book, What Can...

There are many benefits to solar energy, but what about its impacts on wildlife? In this episode, we "engage the experts” and listen in on a conversation between two experts in the field of environmental law and policy, Brooke Marcus Wahlberg, a Partner at Nossaman LLP, and Dr. Karl Kosciuch, a senior biologist at Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc. Brooke and Karl will discuss their work at the n...

Towns and cities all across America are increasingly finding themselves at the front lines in protecting their citizens from the impacts of climate change. Fortunately, a number of tools just waiting to be used can already be found in many local communities’ toolbox. In this episode, we talk to Prof. Jonathan Rosenbloom about his new book, Remarkable Cities and the Fight Against Climate Change: 43...

Since 1989, ELI has honored over 200 champions of wetlands protection through the National Wetlands Awards program, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional effort, innovation, and excellence in protecting the nation’s wetlands. In this episode, we invite our 2020 National Wetlands Awardees to share their thoughts on the same question: What is the importance of wetlands prote...

There are many benefits to wind energy, but what about its impacts on wildlife? In this episode, we "engage the experts” and listen in on a conversation between two experts in the field of environmental law, Brooke Marcus Wahlberg, a Partner at Nossaman LLP, and Joy Page, Director of the Renewable Energy and Wildlife team at the Defenders of Wildlife. Brooke and Joy will discuss their work at the...

Climate change and climate science have been the subject of a great deal of discussion and political controversy here in the United States. In this era of information and disinformation, wouldn’t it be great if we had a vehicle for separating fact from fiction in this important area? A new report from ELI reveals that we already have a mechanism for crunching truth – the judicial system. In this s...

Drinking water contamination in Flint, Michigan, has garnered nationwide attention, but it is neither isolated, nor a primarily urban problem. As Madeline Kane explains in the April issue of ELR—The Environmental Law Reporter , a hidden water crisis is straining thousands of smaller communities that share Flint’s risk factors—shrinking populations, social marginalization, and deficient funds. In t...