The United States PV Market: Project Economics, Policy, Demand, and Strategy Through 2013

I recently read this very interesting article discussing the increase demand for Photovoltaics (PV) in the US. PV's are the cells that collect solar energy and convert it into direct current electricity. The article goes on to explain how regulatory incentives, stimulus funding, and falling system prices have all impacted the escalating market for PV's. In addition, each state has been targeted as individual markets based on utility. Different kinds of incentives, regulations, and prices for PV technologies have been introduced to each state based on suiting the states economic and social markets, and environmental needs.





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WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the Columbia Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan invite you to Healthy Homes and You: A Community Forum.

WE ACT for Environmental Justice, the Mailman School of Public Health, the Columbia NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are partnering to host a Scientific Session and Community Dialogue on April 13, 2010 at the Harlem School of the Arts. The program will include a report and discussion of research results in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx that affect health and exposure at home to indoor air toxins. The Director of the NIEHS, Dr. Linda Birnbaum, will discuss the national priorities for protecting environmental health of communities. Come out and learn how to reduce exposures to home air pollutants, household products, personal care products, pests, cell phones, bedbugs, mold, lead and much much more. The Scientific Session will run from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm and the Community Forum will be from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Learn from featured panelists from the WE ACT for Environmental Justice, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Mailman School of Public Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service. 

Go Green Expo

The "Go Green Expo" is happening this weekend in NYC (March 19-21 2010). The tickets are cheap, ($5 fore students with a valid school ID and $10 for adults) the networking opportunities will be great, and the expo is sure to open everyones minds and eyes to new emerging eco-businesses and other green opportunities. I highly suggest you attend if you are interested in any kind of eco-friendly venture.

To learn more about the event visit the Go Green Expo website and click on the link for the New York expo: http://www.gogreenexpo.com/index.php

Green Showhouse Complete in Brooklyn

If you are interested in Green construction, Natural Home magazine has created and completed a green show house for all those interested in building green homes. It is located in Boerum Hill Brooklyn so if you are in the area, please take a look.

The following are two links where you can get more information about the specificity of all the building materials they used.

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/restored-historic-homes/show-time-the-completed-natural-home-show-house.aspx

http://www.jetsongreen.com/2010/03/natural-home-completes-show-house.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jetson_green+%28Jetson+Green%29

Katrina Survivors Attempt to Sue Carbon Emitting Corporations

A group of Mississippi residents are trying to sue large carbon emitting corporations such as Exxon, Shell, Chevron, as well as other. 

The plaintiffs claim these companies had a responsibility to void endangering environmental and human health, as well as personal property and public property.

To read more please follow this link: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/04/katrina-victims-sue-corporate-greenhouse-gas-emitters/

Keep in mind some issues while reading the article. Do the plaintiffs have proper standing against the defendants in whom they are trying seek relief from?  How can the plaintiffs prove that these corporation had a hand in creating or making hurricane Katrina worse then what it would have been had the corporations not emitted so much carbon? If the court sides with the victims, how will the judge equitably apportion the percentage of damage each corporation is responsible for and apportion its individual contribution to the damages that hurricane Katrina caused, especially when there are so many unnamed defendants who could also be named as contributors to the carbon problem?  

Do the Mississippi Plaintiffs have a strong case?

Is this a good way to push the legislature to enact climate legislation?

What are the arguments from both side? 

EPA Student Summer Jobs

United States Environmental Protection Agency

Region 2 - New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

2010 SUMMER EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS
MARCH 1- MARCH 15, 2010





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Another Student Writing Competition

For any student interested in a writing contest on the constitutional legitimacy of environmental law check this out:

Fifth Annual “Endangered Environmental Laws”
Student Writing Competition (2009-2010)

Co-sponsored by

The Environmental Law Institute

The American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources

The National Association of Environmental Law Societies

 





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Environmental Law Essay Contest

The following is Information regarding the "2010 Professor William R. Ginsberg Memorial Essay Contest".  This is an annual competition designed to get law students to challenge themselves in regards to environmental Issues.





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Siberian permafrost leaking methane

Methane is a greenhouse gas thirty times more potent than carbon dioxide.  Climate change is warming the arctic region and destabilizing the subsea Siberian permafrost that has held back massive methane deposits.

"The amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world’s oceans. Subsea permafrost is losing its ability to be an impermeable cap."

See the Mother Jones post.

President Obama Proposes HOMESTAR: An Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program

President Obama has proposed the HOMESTAR Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program which is designed to incentivize homeowners  to make energy efficient investments in their homes through energy efficient improvements and installations, and to create more jobs in the "green" construction market. 

The HOMESTAR program, first and foremost, has been designed to help three groups at the same time.  It'll help homeowners improve their real property and use less energy.  It'll help construction workers find projects and employment.  It'll help manufacturers and vendors sell green products. 

In doing more research, we went right to the source to find out what kind of rebates the President has in store, to the press release from the Office of the White House Press Secretary.





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California's Smog creates $193 Million Healthcare Bill

RAND - a non profit research group dedicated to public policy issues says that the air pollution in California is causing over $193 million in hospital based medical care each year. The medical costs are mostly related to respiratory illnesses such as asthma and pneumonia. Over two thirds of the costs are covered by government run medical programs like Medicare and Medi-Cal.

As future lawyers, what can we do about this problem?  Can we effect legislation?  Lobby for better regulation dealing with smog pollution?  Help eco-entrepreneurs get greener products on the market?  Or are we just left to pick up the pieces for those who have been injured due to air pollution? There are so many different contributors and factors to smog that it is hard to pinpoint an single resolution to the problem.  How else do you think we, as future lawyers, can positively contribute to reducing the impact of smog and other air pollutants?

Read more at Inhabitat.com.

Massive iceberg separated from Antarctica

One massive iceberg has collided with the main body of Antarctica, dislodging a second massive iceberg.  See the story at ClimateProgress.

You can't live without clean water.

Regulatory controls over pollution in American waterways are slipping.  Follow the NYTimes series here, and read our quick recap below.

The court rulings causing these problems focused on language in the Clean Water Act that limited it to “the discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters” of the United States. For decades, “navigable waters” was broadly interpreted by regulators to include many large wetlands and streams that connected to major rivers.

But the two decisions suggested that waterways that are entirely within one state, creeks that sometimes go dry, and lakes unconnected to larger water systems may not be “navigable waters” and are therefore not covered by the act — even though pollution from such waterways can make its way into sources of drinking water.

Welcome!

Welcome! To the new home of the Environmental Law Society at New York Law School.  We're a little group with a big heart, doing our best to give environmental law a new home in downtown NYC.  Stay tuned for info, events, and opportunities to get involved.