Courses

College of Law

Climate Change & Policy

Course Number: 6915
Professor: Sam Kalen
Credit Hours & Type of Credit: 3
Semester Offered: TBA
Required: No
Prerequisites: Environmental Law & students must have completed their first year of law school, as well as Environmental Law.
Recommended Courses: None

Course Overview: This course introduces students to the scientific principles surrounding the discussion about climate change, and then explores the role of legal institutions in addressing the concern about increased greenhouse gas emissions. We will examine, for instance, how climate change concerns have influenced the development of common law public nuisance causes of action and how those concerns have been incorporated into environmental laws (e.g., Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act). We also will look at various approaches for reducing and mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., carbon capture and sequestration; renewable resources; land use and transportation planning; alternative transportation fuels; energy conservation and increased efficiency standards), and adapting to unavoidable changes as a consequence of climate change. These approaches will vary from exploring geographically based efforts (e.g., local and regional efforts and national and international efforts), market based mechanisms (e.g., carbon-trading; carbon footprint labeling and disclosure; taxes), command and control mechanisms (Clean Air Act), and international (latest round of international negotiations) and national efforts (pending Federal climate change legislative initiatives).

Course Materials: See the current Book List located under Scheduling.
Course Format:
Written Assignments:
Type of Exam:
Basis for Grading Student Performance: Written paper
Other Comments: