Verdad Verde

There has been an explosion of climate change related lawsuits within the last couple of decades. With the amount of national and international attention give to climate change, these types of lawsuits will continue to be filed at an increasing rate. Corporations, cities, states, and even individuals must now recognize and factor in climate change issues in daily decisions. This is especially so given the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA. Among other things held in this case, the EPA must now research greenhouse gases as they relate to climate change. If the EPA determines that greenhouse gases “endanger public health or welfare” it must regulate greenhouse gases. Where the EPA comes down on this issue will have a profound effect on climate change lawsuits.

There is no serious debate on whether the Earth is warming. Instead the climate change debate is over whether the warming is a direct consequence of human activity or natural processes. However, from a legal point of view, a second debate is over whether a jury can be convinced that a defendant is at fault for climate change. The purpose of this blog is to keep the reader informed of new developments in both the scientific and legal debates.