Featured Articles

Bush Administration Land Mines the Interior Department, EPA, and Other Environmental Agencies

Susan L. Smith
November 18, 2008 17:28

The Washington Post reports that the Solicitor of the Interior Department has shifted half a dozen key political appointees – including Robert Comer known for his opposition to the roadless rule and a questionable grazing agreement as well as Matthew...

A Microcosm of Biodiversity Loss from Global Warming

Susan L. Smith
November 03, 2008 21:19

Stanford's article by Dan Stober in the Stanford Report reported on a study made available on the PNAS website this week. The study by Stanford graduate student Sarah McMenamin and Professor Elizabeth Hadly concluded that Yellowstone National Park frogs and...

Recent Articles

Supreme Court Decides Sackett v. EPA Unanimously in Favor of the Petitioners

Susan L. Smith
March 22, 2012 09:28

With thanks to Rebecca Bratspies for bringing the Scotus Blog post on this decision to the environmental law professor's listserve, I wanted to highlight excerpts of key passages from today's unanimous decision in Sackett v. EPA authored by Justice Scalia,...

Embarking on an Exciting New Adventure in an Environmental Hot-spot

Susan L. Smith
March 21, 2012 01:49

At the risk of engaging in shameless self-promotion of my home institution, I've had the fortune to spend this week at my new place of employment starting June 1, the LSU Law Center. I grew up only four hours from...

The USD 99 million versus USD 3 billion nuclear question

Susan L. Smith
March 21, 2012 00:51

So it has come to pass...the Tamil Nadu government has cleared the nuclear power plant project in Kundankulam. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, who had until now demanded the central government and the Indian Atomic Energy Commission to...

Call for papers--LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

Susan L. Smith
March 20, 2012 05:40

Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center is inviting articles for its inagural issue of the Journal of Energy Law and Resources. Details regarding the submissions and deadlines are available here: Download LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources...

In Case You Missed It: Week of March 11 - March 17

Susan L. Smith
March 18, 2012 22:20

The Earth Policy Institute reported that wind energy developers installed a record 41,000 megawatts of electricity-generating capacity in 2011, bringing the installed capacity to a level that can meet the residential electricity needs of 380 million people at European consumption...

Fukushima and Burning Questions

Susan L. Smith
March 16, 2012 05:00

This week, National Public Radio aired the first of a four-part series entitled BURN: An Energy Journal. The first, aired on the one-year-anniversary of Japan’s earthquake, focused on Fukushima, asking what we’ve learned, and what’s next. Also this week, the...

Teaching Environmental Law Case Studies

Susan L. Smith
March 16, 2012 00:40

Several weeks ago, Lincoln posted about bringing practice into the classroom. On that theme, I thought I’d say a few words about a teaching approach I’ve been using for several years. To preview the punchline, I think it works well;...

Getting to the Questions of Green Schools and Student Performance

Susan L. Smith
March 14, 2012 20:49

Recently, editors of this blog have reported on some of the impressive sustainable efforts of schools around the nation. Perhaps because I am fortunate to have two of the best little boys on the entire planet, I think the subject...