Written by: Gabriella Godlewski While most people are aware of the individual financial costs attributed to the purchase of a cup of coffee each day, many are not aware of the environmental costs of doing so. It is estimated that every cup of coffee consumed destroys roughly one square inch […]
Legal Voice
Greenwashing, or Conscious Shopping?: H&M’s Controversial Sustainable Efforts
Written by: Meghan Wright On December 06, 2022, before a Missouri federal judge, the popular clothing brand H&M Hennes and Mauritz LP (known widely as “H&M”) filed a motion to dismiss in response to a class action claim brought against their “Conscious Choice” collection.[1] This collection was marketed as being […]
Legalizing “Green” Death Practices
Written by: Antonia Gelorme Where does the law intersect with the death industry and environmental consciousness? The “death industry” encompasses those businesses that are dedicated to memorializing loved ones who have passed on. In 2020, the industry, along with almost every aspect of society, was rocked by the pandemic. The […]
Groups Representing the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Allege That the City Has Failed To Meet Deadlines and Keep Accurate Records Regarding the Replacement of Lead Pipes
Written by: Daniel Larrimer Eight years after the story of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan became front-page news, the legal battles concerning the crisis persist. Civil rights and environmental groups allege that the city of Flint has failed to keep accurate records in compliance with a settlement agreement to […]
Heating in the United States
Written By: John Silvester As temperatures drop this fall, many Americans will feel the annual pecuniary pang that cold weather brings when they look at their gas or electric utility bill. The yearly spike in utility costs during the winter corresponds with increased energy consumption caused by the need to […]
Battling Climate Change One Rebate at a Time
Written By: Natalie Packert On August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, a bill that has been long awaited by Democrats.[1] The bill’s purposes are: investing in healthcare by making health care and prescription drugs more affordable, taxing corporations, and battling climate change by […]
Joule Volume 9 – 2021
Joule 2021 – Volume 9
Is the Judiciary Going to Protect our Environmental Rights?
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon recently established, in a landmark decision, the utmost protections for the environment. See Juliana v. United States, 217 F. Supp. 3d 1224 (D. Or. 2016). While this is not a federal circuit court of appeals nor the Supreme Court, it […]
The Falcon Has Landed
The Falcon Ethane Pipeline System [Falcon] is at the center of debate for many local energy supporters and environmental activists. The Falcon pipeline is a proposed 97-mile pipeline that will be built, owned, and operated by Shell Pipeline Company LP [Shell]. The Falcon will connect three ethane source points and […]
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Declines to Recognize ERA Violations
The Mariner East Pipeline Project consists of two phases, the first of which is commonly referred to as Mariner East 1. The second phase of the project, known as Mariner East 2, consists of two new pipelines, to be constructed adjacent to Mariner East 1, sharing much of the same […]