Gov. Brown is Supporting a Giveaway to Polluters

“California currently has one of the most comprehensive climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction programs in the world,” writes Mark Paul, a postdoctoral associate at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity. However, legislation supported by Gov. Jerry Brown “falls woefully short” if the goal is to safeguard both the Earth’s climate and the health of Californians, while promoting economic security of Californian families, he writes.

Read More in The Huffington Post

 

Why The State Department’s Human Trafficking Report Matters

“The State Department has released its annual Trafficking in Persons report on human trafficking. The big headline was that China was downgraded to Tier 3, the lowest ranking, suggesting that the Trump administration had decided to rebuke China by grouping it with the likes of Syria, Iran and North Korea,” writes Judith Kelley, public policy and political science professor and a senior associate dean at the Sanford School of Public Policy.

Read More in The Washington Post

HONEST Act Needs Honest Engagement of Scientific Community

“The bill as written could have far-reaching consequences that would ultimately hamper or undermine the scientific process generally and EPA’s work specifically,” writes statistician Jerry Reiter and a colleague. “The goals of transparency in government and data accessibility must be balanced with the necessity to protect individuals’ and businesses’ privacy.”

Read More in The Hill

U.S. Climate Policy in the Trump Administration

In a newly released policy brief, law professor Jonathan Wiener, Kenan Institute for Ethics’ Rethinking Regulation co-director, provides context on the complex web of climate change policy, written for the Climate Economics Chair in Paris. Wiener’s essay covers a range of topics related to U.S. climate policies in the wake of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the country from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Read More at Kenan Institute

How Scientists Reacted To The US Leaving The Paris Climate Agreement

“Trump’s decision is as short-sighted as it is disheartening. The oceans already hold about 35 percent of the carbon dioxide that has been released to the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution,” says oceanographer Susan Lozier. “Nothing good for the ocean and the life it contains comes from this storage. Whether you simply admire marine life or count on it for your livelihood, this decision shouldn’t sit well. An already fragile ocean is further imperilled.”

Read More in Nature

Apple, Google, California Rebuffing Trump Over Climate Deal

Some companies and states are working to uphold the Paris climate accord, from which President Trump announced a U.S. departure last week. But, as is often the case, conservative state legislatures can easily undo measures taken at the city and county level, says Megan Mullin, a professor of environmental politics and policy. “Depending on the type of activity, a conservative state that is hostile to the idea of climate change action could clamp down on a city’s flexibility to engage in these activities,” says Mullin.

Read More in Vox

The Paris Agreement, Climate Change, NC Coast

“President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement may have serious consequences for North Carolina and our precious coast. In his withdrawal speech, he made no reference to the fact that the Paris Agreement is the first global step in the direction of slowing down the sea-level rise,” writes
Orrin Pilkey, professor emeritus at the Nicholas School of the Environment.

Read More in The News & Observer

Trump’s Decision on Paris Climate Change Agreement

Energy expert Brian Murray joins a panel to discuss the president’s decision to pull the United States out of the agreement.  Murray says the move means the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases is stepping away from the international process to address emissions over the next several decades, and that the responsibility will now fall on other nations.  (starts at 8:25 mark)

Watch More on “Capital Tonight”

Takeaways From A Possible US Exit Of Paris Climate Accord

Being a part of Paris Accord discussions is so important that it’s spurred many companies across a broad array of U.S. sectors to advocate for staying in the agreement, says Brian Murray, director of the Environmental Economics Program at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. “You want the U.S. at the negotiating table,” Murray says. “These are companies that operate in most of those countries anyway, so they’re going to be living with the Paris agreement with or without the United States in it.”

Read More at Law 360