China unveils economic plan with focus on raising incomes and reining in pollution

BEIJING — China’s leaders unwrapped a new five-year economic blueprint on Saturday that set ambitious goals to raise ordinary people’s incomes, rein in pollution and energy use, and build advanced-science industries in fields like biotechnology and environmental protection.

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Environmental Law Society meeting next Tuesday (3/8), 12:50pm-1:50pm in W303

Mark your calendars! The Environmental Law Society of New York Law School will be hosting a General Membership Meeting next Tuesday, March 8th from 12:50pm-1:50pm in room W303.

On the Agenda: new environmental law courses at NYLS; internships and jobs; PlaNYC 2030; tree planting; West Virginia Law's Energy Moot Court Competition; "Gasland" and "Last Mountain"; Mike Gerrard; 2011-2012 ELS EBoard elections; and more!

Join us! Come with ideas! SNACKS AND DRINKS WILL BE PROVIDED!

If you have any questions or would like to add something to the agenda, please contact Jose Almanzar (jose.almanzar@law.nyls.edu).

Climate Change in Real Estate and Business Transactions

You ask and you shall receive.


Last semester, Environmental Law Society students requested that NYLS administration take a look at its academic curriculum and consider adding more environmental law-related courses.


Our message was heard! Next fall NYLS will be offering a new climate change course, Climate Change in Real Estate and Business Transactions.


Wohoo!

Boiler and incinerator regulations are so hot

In an attempt to reduce pollution from boiler and incinerator emissions, the U.S. EPA establishes new standards under the Clean Air Act.

These standards are set to cover more than 200,000 boilers and incinerators that emit harmful pollution including mercury, cadmium, and particle pollution.

Read more... 

"Home," a film about the effects of climate change sends a strong message

This film was recommended by one of our ELS members. This is what she had to say about "Home"-

This documentary was so moving I was crying. It's so important to please at least watch parts of it when you have nothing to do. Our planet is SO PRECIOUS and everyone is in immediate danger from climate change and humanity's depletion of our Earth's resources. Please pass this on because it was such an amazing and real documentary.

Wao. What an endorsement. I should check it out.


See the whole film here: Home. 

NYC looking at sewage treatment as source of renewable energy

I think it's incredible that New York City is thinking of more ways to make money out of our wastewater treatment by-products. This type of local innovation that helps the country take bigger strides towards clean(er)* energy.

Think about what's going on here: NYC collects all of our wastewater (via combined sewer and storm water system); filters out the organic material; cleans the water before sending it into the environment; and will now be selling energy (in the form of natural gas) in the open-market.

"Through a partnership with National Grid that is already in the works, officials said, the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Brooklyn is expected to add enough methane gas to the city’s natural gas network next year to heat 2,500 homes." 

It's not like the City is new to this industry; it already sells "biosolids,"the end-product of dried sewer sludge, in the open market.

Hey, way to make the most of the situation, New York.

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*Clean energy from wastewater. The irony makes me laugh.

Carbon Nation: A climate change solutions movie [that doesn't even care if you believe in climate change]

Carbon Nation, is an optimistic, forward-looking film, exploring potential alternatives to carbon fuel.

"From one-armed Texas cotton farmer Cliff Etheridge’s efforts to pull together an enormous wind farm, to green jobs innovator Van Jones, Peter Byck’s film presents vital solutions to a thorny problem and in the process reveals a thriving tradition of American ingenuity."

The Film Society of Lincoln Center is screening Carbon Nation THIS THURSDAY, February 10 at 6:30pm. BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

For more information, see the Film Society's page.

EPA: Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal is disgusting!

"EPA’s investigation confirmed the widespread presence of more than a dozen contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and various metals, including mercury, lead and copper, at high levels in the sediment in the Gowanus Canal."

Why am I not surprised?

The EPA's "Human Health Risk Assessment" also found that people who eat fish and crabs from the Canal are at risk from exposure to PCBs. My question is, who the heck is eating fish from the Gowanus Canal?

As the EPA moves forward with the Draft Feasibility Study, a lot of questions remain, namely: can we really "revitalize" the Gowanus Canal? How long is this going to take? 10, 20, 30 years? How much is this costing the taxpayers? Can the EPA track down the "Potentially Responsible Parties"? And who is ultimately benefiting from the Superfund process?