What the heck is going on in environmental law right now? Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University’s has some answers for us. In this episode, we talk federal climate funding, the billions of dollars that are at stake (frozen, impounded, and otherwise), and what’s going on with climate law at the international and local levels.
The Sabin Center develops legal analysis and tools to combat the climate crisis. I highly recommend checking out their resources – databases, trackers, research, newsletters and more so you can stay current on climate law and policy.
I met Mike through my work as co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, an ocean-climate policy think tank focused on coastal cities. He’s been generously serving on our advisory board since day one. (Thanks, Mike! And subscribe to our
newsletter.)Fun fact, I strongly considered going to law school because, as Earthjustice’s slogan puts it, the Earth needs a good lawyer. But the LSAT seemed like a real pain in the butt, and studying coral reef ecology and hanging out with fishermen in the Caribbean seemed like a more exciting path to wonky policy work. And here we are, careers converging on “NEPA babies” jokes.
Michael’s CALLS TO ACTION:
Don't despair.
Solutions require political support, so don’t run away from the politics.
Find resources that help inform your activities — like those at
BONUS — Ayana’s CALL TO ACTION: Follow/rate/review 🌟 the show (I feel so dorky asking, but it legit matters) and tell your fellow Earth lovers 🌎 to tune in wherever you get your podcasts.
REFERENCES:
Explainers on the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act
Key resources from the Sabin Center: Climate Change Litigation Database, Climate Backtracker, and New York State Climate Law Tracker.
International Court of Justice: Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change
Announcement from Lee Zeldin (EPA Administrator) about the Trump Administration’s massive push to roll back environmental regulations
Urban Ocean Lab’s Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities
CREDITS
Produced and edited by Matthew Nelson/Stramash Media and me, with help from Jenisha Shrestha.
Share this post