On April 30, President Barack Obama signed into law the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015, a much pared-down version of a bill that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Sen. Rob Portman have been pushing for several years. Several other energy-efficiency bills just underwent hearings in Congress. At the same time, the House Appropriations Committee has just voted to slash federal research on energy efficiency, and several bills to impede efficiency efforts are advancing. Thus it remains to be seen whether the EEIA has broken the logjam on energy-efficiency legislation, and will be followed by a gush of other bills, or is an anomaly in a Congress that is much friendlier to fossil fuels than to clean energy. This column begins with a description of the new enactment. It then discusses the other pending energy-efficiency legislation, and it concludes with a summary of the appropriations actions.

The large and growing volume of litigation in the U.S. courts about climate change has received an avalanche of analysis in the professional and academic literatures. In contrast, climate litigation outside the United States is little known on these shores and has gotten far less attention. This column analyzes non-U.S. climate litigation specifically looking at relative breadths of ambition, statistical findings, and climate change induced migration. In addition to this, the author also speaks specifically to climate litigation in Australia.

On June 29, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule on mercury from power plants. The decision, Michigan v. EPA, is less significant for its effect on mercury emissions than for what it says about the court's deference to EPA in cases of statutory ambiguity. This column discusses the background and context of the case; the majority and dissenting opinions; and the decision's implications for mercury emissions, for judicial review of administrative actions, and for the Clean Power Plan

Unknown to many specialists in the field, the United States built a repository in the late 1970s, filled it with plutonium waste, and walked away. It has no signs, guards, or fences and it is on an island threatened by the rising seas. The site is in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, halfway between Hawaii and Australia. This article recounts the origins of this repository, known as the Runit dome, the unsuccessful efforts of the people of the Marshall Islands to obtain adequate compensation for the losses they endured as a result of the nuclear testing program in their homeland, and the likely future of the dome and of the nation.

To evaluate initial success of California's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program in assisting underserved communities tackle climate change,, The Greenlining Institute examined 10 projects: nine already funded and one that is eligible for funding. These case studies provide an early snapshot of the Fund’s impact and suggest ways the program might be improved. These 10 projects alone will provide over 2,000 solar power systems for low- income families generating nearly six megawatts of clean power, plant 2,250 trees in disadvantaged communities, provide 252 homes permanently-affordable to lower income households, create over 400 jobs and replace 600 old, highly polluting cars and trucks with clean electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Even though foreclosure filings have fallen, they still running at high levels. The foreclosures cause vacant roperties with resources to prevent them having dwindled. The state needs to put a great amoun of money to fight the blight created by foreclosures.

Ohio's labor and employment laws does not apply well to transportation companies and drivers. The law needs to be improved by adding exemption and taxation details, such as safety regulation and sales-tax collection by industry.

Economic inequality remains a reality in MA. To balance the situation, improving working conditions, raising wages are needed.

Economic inequality remains a reality in MA. To balance the situation, improving working conditions, raising wages are needed.

Body cameras are rapidly becoming the norm in communities across the country. Campaign Zero reviewed available police department body camera policies from the largest 30 cities in America to determine whether this new technology is being implemented in ways that ensure accountability and fairness while protecting communities from surveillance.