litigation

Climate change lawsuits are on the rise

People are suing their governments to demand action.

Activists wanted to clean up a coal ash dump. Dump sued activists for complaining.

A federal court will decide whether to throw out the $30 million defamation suit.

Court rules California's cap-and-trade program can advance

After a period of legal uncertainty, a California court has ruled that the state can proceed with developing a cap-and-trade program.

Silver linings behind Supreme Court's bummer clean air decision

This morning's Supreme Court decision in American Electric Power Co. vs. Connecticut is undoubtedly a setback for the environment. Yet there are two silver linings for environmentalists in today's opinion.

Jack in the Box surprise: How E. coli became a household word

Double your trouble.Photo: theimpulsivebuyFor most of us working in food policy, it’s hard to remember a time when food outbreaks of bugs like E. coli didn’t happen pretty much weekly. But reading the new book Poisoned by Jeff Benedict made me realize that bacteria-contaminated hamburgers are a relatively recent phenomenon. It’s a striking reminder of […]

Why the Supreme Court should let states sue the country’s biggest carbon polluters

This post was coauthored by Matt Pawa. He and I represent the land conservation trusts in American Electric Power vs. Connecticut. Today, the Supreme Court hears oral argument in American Electric Power vs. Connecticut — a case in which six states and other plaintiffs are trying to put emissions limits on America’s five largest greenhouse-gas […]

Reversing roles, farmers sue Monsanto over GMO seeds

Genetically modified seed giant Monsanto is notorious for suing farmers [PDF] in defense of its patent claims. But now, a group of dozens of organic farmers and food activists have, with the help of the not-for-profit law center The Public Patent Foundation, sued Monsanto in a case that could forever alter the way genetically modified […]

Native American group sues to block California's big solar projects

If 2010 was the year of big solar projects, 2011 is shaping up to be the year of big solar litigation. A Native American group has sued to block construction of six huge solar thermal power plants.

Texas and three other states threaten to sue California over AB 32

Texas and three other states with attorneys general beholden to Dirty Oil have vowed to sue California as a last-ditch effort to kill AB 32.