Vibrant Environment

Ecosystem services research has traditionally emphasized the essential role of healthy ecosystems in supporting human well-being by showcasing the critical benefits they provide, such as clean air and fertile soil. While this research has been important to communicating these benefits and even creating market-based solutions to sustain them, it often neglects a key element: the social dimensions of equity, justice, and resource distribution.

In June of this year, Louisiana enacted a law governing the gathering of air pollution data by community-based organizations.  Similar legislation has been introduced (but not adopted) in West Virginia and may be proposed in other states. While proponents argue they are simply ensuring only the best data is used, the Louisiana law undermines valid community efforts to understand an

Achieving a leaf-free, edged lawn is now achievable using equipment that is much more beneficial to public health, the environment, wildlife, and worker safety than the ubiquitous gas-powered tools that have dominated in prior decades. Use of electric lawn equipment is on the rise in part because states and localities across the country are taking actions to reduce reliance on gas-powered leaf blowers in particular—including seasonal and time-of-use restrictions, decibel limitations, and outright bans.

 The Problem 

On November 12, the U.S. Court of the Appeals for the D.C. Circuit shattered the implementation framework of one of the nation’s foundational environmental laws, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In a 2-1 decision in Marin Audubon v.

Every year, from September 15 to October 15, we observe Hispanic Heritage Month across the United States to recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic culture to the nation’s achievements, culture, and history. Though the month has now officially come to an end this year, centering Hispanic and Latinx histories, issues, and voices in the environmental field must be a year-round effort. 

As the world grapples with the dual challenges of climate change and food security, innovative solutions are emerging at the intersection of agriculture and renewable energy. 2023 was the hottest year on record, over 2 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average.

Each summer, ELI's interns complete an independent research project (IRP) where they choose a topic to explore deeper. This blog offers an insight into the chosen focus and the research outcome.

Each summer, ELI's interns complete an independent research project (IRP) where they choose a topic to explore deeper. This blog offers an insight into the chosen focus and the research outcome.

This blog was written before the Farm Bill expired.

On June 20, 2024, four days before the case was set to go to trial, Hawaiʻi’s First Circuit Court approved a landmark settlement that resolved claims brought by thirteen Hawaiʻian youth plaintiffs against Hawaiʻi’s Department of Transportation (HDOT) and other defendants, including the department director and Governor. That case, Navahine F. v.

The Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review (ELPAR) is published annually in the August issue of The Environmental Law Reporter (ELR) in collaboration with Vanderbilt University Law School (VULS) and ELI. Each year, Vanderbilt Law students work with an expert advisory committee, senior staff from ELI, and Vanderbilt law professors to identify some of the year’s best academic articles that include creative and feasible law and policy proposals.