Weekly Links: the long story of building codes, fires, wood-based construction, Texas Doughnuts, superblocks, and the other oddities that created the uniform look of apartment buildings. And, a denial of a rezoning request has led to a landfill fire in South Fulton that’s been burning for 5 months.
Who Knew The Term “Waters of the United States” Could Be So Controversial?
A new revision to the Clean Water Act pits private property rights against clean water and makes us question whether we should just prevent pollution in the first place.
Educating Kids is Our Greatest Victory In The BP Oil Spill Settlement
Weekly Links: The money used to educate kids about science may be the most influential and significant piece of the multi-billion dollar settlement agreement with BP. Plus, a transit-oriented soccer league is developing in Atlanta, a new study shows exposure to television news decreases your ability to discern fact from opinion, and e-scooter companies are finally being sued for negligence.
The Supreme Court Can’t Solve the Water Wars
The Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Florida v. Georgia shows why we shouldn’t ask the justices to create critical water policy.
Not Only is the EPA’s Wasteful Spending Unpopular, Its Entire Mission is Unpopular
This week, another poll shows President Trump’s environmental policies are widely unpopular, though people don’t seem too concerned about drastically cutting the National Weather Service’s budget. Also, Sweden introduces the first road capable of charging electric vehicles while they drive. And a study by AAA shows hit-and-runs are increasing as more people are walking and cycling, though the report mentions nothing about creating less car-friendly and more people-friendly cities as a solution.
Is the Supreme Court Capable of Valuing the Environment?
We’re still waiting on a decision in the Florida v. Georgia waters wars case and it will finally arrive on Wednesday morning after the Supreme Court added two additional days to issue opinions. Back in January when Florida and Georgia made their arguments to the Court, several justices appeared sympathetic to Florida. Meanwhile, in a brief on the matter, Atlanta asserted that the Supreme Court shouldn’t even attempt to help Florida because the benefits of the environment are often too vague to be valued.
When Land Use Codes Attack: How a 1970's Ordinance is Challenging the Supreme Court to Define The Property A Government Can Take
The waters of the St. Croix River serve as the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin for 125 miles prior to emptying into the Mississippi River just south of Minneapolis and eventually the Gulf […]
Conservation Easements: When Privatizing Environmental Protection Can Be a Great Thing
Support for environmental protection through land use regulation can be peculiar. On the national stage, the fervor over placing any type of regulation on how one can use his or her land […]