From Paris to Pittsburgh: U.S. State and Local Leadership in an Era of Trump

States and cities have long been leaders on clean energy and climate policy. Their work has informed development of federal policies including motor vehicle standards and the Clean Power Plan. With the election of President Trump and the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, subnational leadership has become even more important and urgent. In response, many states and cities have pledged to enact new policies to mitigate the effects of climate change and help communities adapt. This Article focuses on recent developments in subnational leadership on both climate mitigation and adaptation to demonstrate the breadth and depth of engagement by leading states and cities. It provides just some examples that illustrate how, despite the Trump Administration’s best efforts to dismantle federal environmental policies, many states and cities are fighting federal rollbacks and moving forward with their own policies to address climate change, promote a clean energy economy, and prepare for the consequences of a changing climate. Taken together, these efforts are important in keeping the United States within reach of the Paris Agreement targets. However, broader participation and meaningful federal action will be necessary to meet international commitments and avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change

Examining How Federal Infrastructure Policy Could Help Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change: Hearing Before the H. Comm. on Transp. & Infrastructure, 116th Cong., Feb. 26, 2019 (Statement of Vicki Arroyo)

As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in November, describes, the United States is already experiencing serious impacts of climate change—and the risks to communities all across the country are growing rapidly. These findings, along with those in the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)report, are clear and should be a call to immediate action. Even if we manage to limit planetary warming to just 2 degrees C, the world will still face increased chances of economic and social upheaval from more severe flooding, droughts, heatwaves, and other climate impacts as well as devastating environmental consequences, the IPCC report warns. The scientific consensus as described in the IPCC Special Report is that countries around the world must rapidly decarbonize their economies, cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and to near zero by 2050. Yet the current trends are going in the wrong direction. Despite our increasing understanding of the narrowing window to act, U.S. GHG emissions increased by 3.4% in 2018, according to a January report from the Rhodium Group. Clearly more action is needed. The encouraging news is that many states and cities have committed to taking action. They are taking steps to reduce emissions through legislation, executive orders, and pledges made in collaborations such as the US Climate Alliance –now covering roughly half the US population and GDP. In my testimony, I will be focusing on the transportation sector, which is the largest contributor of GHG emissions in the United States, and is already facing significant impacts from climate change. Federal standards have been important in increasing efficiency and reducing emissions, yet transportation-sector emissions are increasing as more vehicle miles are driven, more freight is transported in trucks, and airline travel continues to grow. Transportation is becoming an increasingly large share of U.S. economy-wide emissions as the power sector decarbonizes as a result of market shifts and policy. There is an urgent need, therefore, to transition to a low-carbon transportation system. Such a transition would not only reduce emissions and fight climate change, it also would bring additional important benefits, including protecting public health by reducing conventional air pollution, providing more mobility options, and driving innovation and economic growth through policy action and through public and private investment

Climate Policy in the United States and Japan: Prospects in 2005 and Beyond, Workshop Summary

Resources for the Future and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies convened a one and one-half day workshop on domestic and international climate policy May 11–12, 2005, in Tokyo, Japan. The first day included 49 participants hearing presentations from 13 speakers and discussing domestic activities, economics, and politics. The second day included a smaller group of participants listening to a panel of four experts and discussing opportunities for future international climate regimes. Participants included government officials from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment; the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Department of State; and the Massachussetts Department of Commonwealth Development; representatives from business and environmental groups; and academic experts. Over the course of both days, it was clear that great opportunities exist for regularly informing experts from both countries on recent policy developments, economic analyses, and political nuances in the other country. For example, U.S. participants had an opportunity to learn the process through which Japanese technology standards are set and implemented, the subtle evolution of mandatory policy discussions, and details of current policies on voluntary trading and an emission registry. Japanese participants benefited from a frank discussion with U.S. experts of how and why it would be difficult to link different domestic emissions trading markets, the current process to establish a regional emissions trading program, and the evolving dynamics in the U.S. Senate. Looking forward, important lessons may be taken from past negotiating experiences. A small group of national leaders, including large emitters of greenhouse gases and major economies, addressing not only climate change but also developmental issues, could be a useful vehicle for meaningful international efforts. Such a small-group process should be carried out in parallel with the multilateral United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process. In addition, policies in both the United States and Japan reflect a strong emphasis on technology development and commercialization; this may be an area where bilateral cooperation could be particularly beneficial.climate change, global warming, United States, Japan, Kyoto

Constitutional Dialogue and Human Dignity: States and Transnational Constitutional Discourse

Freestanding and well-ordered two-dimensional (2D) silica monolayers with tetrahedral (<i>T</i>-silica) and octahedral (<i>O</i>-silica) building blocks are found to be stable by first-principles calculations. <i>T</i>-silica is formed by corner-sharing SiO₄ tetrahedrons in a rectangular network, and <i>O</i>-silica consists of edge-sharing SiO₆ octahedrons. Moreover, the insulating <i>O</i>-silica is the strongest silica monolayer, and can therefore act as a supporting substrate for nanostructures in sensing and catalytic applications. Nanoribbons of <i>T</i>-silica are metallic, while those of <i>O</i>-silica have band gaps regardless of the chirality and width. We find the interaction of <i>O</i>-silica with graphene to be weak, suggesting the possibility of its use as a monolayer dielectric material for graphene-based devices. Considering that the sixfold-coordinated silica exists at high pressure in the bulk phase, the prediction of a small energy difference of <i>O</i>-silica with the synthesized silica bilayer, together with the thermal stability at 1000 K, suggests that synthesis of <i>O</i>-silica can be achieved in experiments

Investing in America\u27s Surface Transportation Infrastructure: The Need for a Multi-Year Reauthorization Bill: Hearing Before the S. Comm. on Env\u27t & Pub. Works, 116th Cong., July 10, 2019

The Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in November 2018, described the serious impacts of climate change already being felt throughout the U.S., and made clear that the risks to communities all across the country are growing rapidly. These findings, along with those in the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report should serve as an immediate call to action. Even if we manage to limit planetary warming to just 2 degrees Celsius, the world will still face increased chances of economic and social upheaval from more severe flooding, droughts, heatwaves, and other climate impacts as well as devastating environmental consequences, the IPCC report warns. The consensus from leading scientific research academies within the United States and internationally is clear: multiple lines of evidence indicate, and have indicated for years, that our atmosphere is warming, sea levels are rising, the magnitude and frequency of certain extreme weather events is increasing, and that human activity is the primary driver of climate change. As described in the IPCC Special Report, the consensus is that countries around the world must rapidly decarbonize their economies, cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and to near zero by 2050. The U.S. Department of Defense, and leaders within the defense and national security communities, have also recognized climate change as a “national security issue” that requires adapting military operations and planning to ensure readiness. Despite our understanding of the consequences we will face and the urgency to act, U.S. GHG emissions from fossil fuel combustion increased by 2.7 percent in 2018, according the Rhodium Group. Clearly more action is needed. While we all recognize the importance of transportation in our daily lives and for our economy, it is also important to recognize that the transportation sector is the largest contributor of GHG emissions in the United States, and is already facing significant impacts from climate change. There is an urgent need, therefore, to transition to a low-carbon and more resilient transportation system. Such a transition would not only reduce emissions and fight climate change, it also would bring additional important benefits, including protecting public health by reducing conventional air pollution, providing more mobility options, and driving innovation and economic growth through policy action and through public and private investment