What the heck is going on in environmental law right now? Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University’s has some answers for us. In this episode, we talk federal climate funding, the billions of dollars that are at stake (frozen, impounded, and otherwise), and what’s going on with climate law at the international and local levels.

Michael’s CALLS TO ACTION: (1) Don't despair. (2) Solutions require political support, so don’t run away from the politics. (3) Find resources that help inform your activities — like those at climate.law.columbia.edu.

Bonus — Ayana’s CALL TO ACTION: Follow/rate/review 🌟 the show (I feel so dorky asking, but it legit matters) and tell your fellow Earth lovers to tune in.

REFERENCES:

Explainers on the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Key resources from the Sabin Center: Climate Change Litigation Database, Climate Backtracker, and New York State Climate Law Tracker.

International Court of Justice: Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change

Announcement from Lee Zeldin (EPA Administrator) about the Trump Administration’s massive push to roll back environmental regulations

Urban Ocean Lab’s Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities

CREDITS: Producer and editor Matthew Nelson/Stramash Media, associate producer Jenisha Shrestha, and executive produced by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

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