LAW 435

Climate Change Law and Policy: From California to the Federal Government

Law School

Recommended for route(s):

[ Litigation ] Environmental Law: Clean Tech

General course Description:

(Same as EARTHSYS 233/133). This class explores California's groundbreaking developments in climate change law and policy, and the way in which many of those policies are now being translated into federal law. It covers several California climate laws: the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (SB 375), the Clean Cars and Trucks Bill (AB 1493), the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Performance Standard (SB 1368), as well as complementary and subsidiary regulations such as the Renewable Portfolio Standard, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and energy efficiency and decoupling. In December 2009, California adopted its "scoping plan" for achieving its ambitious and unprecedented economy-wide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and this course will discuss the up-to-date implementation of that plan. Many of California's efforts are now getting play on the federal stage. After years of legal battles, California is likely to get its clean cars waiver under the Clean Air Act, which will mean that more than half of the nation's cars will conform to California's standard. President Obama has asked Congress to send him a climate bill, and has planned for revenue from a cap-and-trade program in his 2012 budget. Congress is poised to adopt a version of California's landmark SB 375. This course covers all the latest federal developments and their implications.

Course Style: A Substantive course teaches the law, theory, and policy in a particular area of law

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