In her new book, "Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air," Ann Carlson – UCLA Law professor and faculty director of the @uclalawemmett.bsky.social – explores the hazy history and offers a brighter outlook. law.ucla.edu/news/smog-an... #EnvironmentalLaw

Look at our Class of 2026 and you see why #UCLA is among the #1 environmental law programs worldwide. Friends and families traveled from all over the world to toast their J.D. and LL.M. graduates. 🎉🌲🎓 @law.ucla.edu

Hi from Panama City. We're here to brief 39 lawmakers from 12+ countries around the region on the law, policy, and governance implications of large-scale interventions in major Earth systems, like sunlight reflection or #SRM, in partnership with @degrees.ngo

Voters in Monterey Park in LA County just became the first in California to vote on a full-fledged ban on data centers. It's the one unifying political issue in 2026. legal-planet.org/2026/06/03/o...

When I posted this week that NPR is shrinking its climate reporting staff it got a big reaction on here. Please help me also share that there remain dozens of climate & energy reporters at LOCAL public media outlets all across the U.S. whose work deserves props and support. Here are 20. Plz repost!

Yosemite and other iconic national parks are getting crowded for summer. Here are some underrated parks and public lands in the U.S. that our UCLA Emmett Institute faculty and staff recommend. Happy trails!

If you don't plan to celebrate America's 250th birthday by visiting ornamental fountains in D.C. or watching UFC fighters spar outside the White House, here are some picks for the best parks and public lands from my colleagues at the @uclalawemmett.bsky.social. legal-planet.org/2026/05/28/n...

If you want a deep dive into the history of how Los Angeles cleaned up its air, check out this interview with Ann from Monday @kalwradio.bsky.social. I also highly recommend her new book on the subject.

Our Ann Carlson joined @ethanelkind.bsky.social on "Your Call" to tell the story of fierce policy battles—and the scientists, lawyers, community members, and public officials who took on major polluters to clear the air in Los Angeles. 👂⬇️ www.kalw.org/show/your-ca...

Will oil companies convince the Supreme Court to block state courts from considering holding the companies liable for climate-related damages? Our Prof. @alejandrocamacho.bsky.social writes that this effort misreads the U.S. Constitution. theconversation.com/the-us-const...

The US Constitution and laws do not protect oil companies from being sued over the harm they cause to the climate theconversation.com/the-us-const...

Tropical forest loss dropped 36% in 2025, as compared to 2024, according to Global Forest Watch. How do we build on that dramatic near-term improvement? This week marks the 16th Annual Meeting of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force in Caquetá, Colombia. legal-planet.org/2026/05/18/r...

How did Los Angeles clean up its air? On today's Your Call, I'll interview @uclalawemmett.bsky.social Prof. Ann Carlson about her new book "Smog & Sunshine." Learn how LA did it and inspired the nation in the process. Stream live 10am PT @kalwradio.bsky.social! www.kalw.org/show/your-ca...

Tough times for environmental law. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Meet UCLA’s environmental specialization graduates from the Class of 2026!

“An Inconvenient Truth” hit theaters 20 years ago this month and changed how we talk about climate change for years. Is it the end of that era? @evanlgeorge.bsky.social legal-planet.org/2026/05/13/a...

For months, our California Environmental Legislation & Policy Clinic has worked with Sen. Menjivar’s office to evaluate potential regulatory pathways for addressing the environmental justice issues stemming from scrap metal recycling facilities. Here's where to start legal-planet.org/2026/05/12/s...

Classes are done; finals are here. We're gearing up to celebrate the Class of 2026 and our environmental specialization students at Friday's commencement ceremony with Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court. Shout out to the UCLA Environmental Law Society, who made this year a success.

The 2026 Pulitzer Prize announcements happened this week and environmental reporting was in the mix though not central enough if you ask me. It underscored that newsrooms in 2026 are fully invested in covering the breaking news aspect of climate-fueled disasters. legal-planet.org/2026/05/06/c...

More than double the gas that’s stuck in the Strait of Hormuz is needlessly wasted each year. Because methane emissions from fossil fuels stayed near record highs in 2025, with no sign of decline, the International Energy Agency says. www.ft.com/content/fdc6...

🌪️The world is halfway to the 2030 deadline for cutting methane 30% — but current action is far off track. The @iea.org says fossil fuel methane remains near record highs despite expanding pledges. ✍️ @stefananderson.bsky.social @unep.org @uclalawemmett.bsky.social @cleanairfund.bsky.social 📖⬇️& 🔁🙏

Bayer can now make and sell as much glyphosate as it wants to without having to worry about any additional new claims stemming from those sales. And if it wins in the Supreme Court, it can also knock out a substantial amount of its existing tort liabilities. But why? legal-planet.org/2026/04/27/r...

Today, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Monsanto v. Durnell. As expected, the Justices hewed close to the narrow question before the Court during oral argument. But our William Boyd notes that the broader context of the case is significant. legal-planet.org/2026/04/27/r...

Affordability is too often justification for lowering our ambitions to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Panel 2 of our recent symposium covers the complexity of the issue. Plus: a high-speed lecture on CA oil prices from @weakinstrument.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJzV...

50+ governments are gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia to design a roadmap to phase out oil, gas & coal. This aim, proposed at UN COPs, has never seriously been pursued. Current fuel market shocks give it new urgency. But here's something few are talking about: We have a model for how to do this. 🧵

Want to understand the Supreme Court's latest shadowy shenanigans, and what they mean for climate? Join me on Zoom today at 12:30pm PT! Talking with some of America's' best climate lawyers, including @michaelgerrard.bsky.social. Register here: www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/ccg-live-s...

It’s good to see climate storytelling recognized and advocated for. Thanks to the @thr.com and the Sustainability Entertainment Alliance.

On Panel 1 @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social, Executive Editor of @heatmap.news put it this way: “From California’s perspective, at least when I think about climate policy, the question is not ‘Can abundance be sustainable?’ but ‘Can sustainability be abundant?’ 👇 legal-planet.org/2026/04/22/c...

Can abundance be sustainable? We have a recap and video playlist so you can read and watch key takeaways from our 2026 symposium on climate policy and affordability. legal-planet.org/2026/04/22/c...

The first #EarthDay succeeded because of a decade of preparatory work. Here are the lessons for us in 2026. A powerful read from @alejandrocamacho.bsky.social @uclalawemmett.bsky.social. legal-planet.org/2026/04/22/o...

Our faculty director Ann Carlson will be part of this live Climate-Colored Goggles event on Friday with @sammyroth.bsky.social and some of our law school friends from around the country.

#EarthDay is a good time to think not just about your household footprint but from landfills. Our new report shows ways for operators to fix mega-leaks. No. 1 site is a Buenos Aires landfill with emission rate of 7.6 tonnes of methane per hour — well over the global heating effect of 1 million SUVs

This Earth Day, please consider buying our new book on how the US can learn from where we have been!

Satellites are revealing the world's top methane plume sites in the waste sector. On our new 2025 list, the No. 1 site is a Buenos Aires landfill with an emission rate of 7.6 tonnes of methane per hour—well over the global heating effect of one million SUVs. Brazil, Chile, Turkey all have 3 sites.

Republicans introduced federal legislation literally called the Bill To Shield American Energy Producers From Leftist Climate Litigation to give oil & gas companies immunity from laws or lawsuits that aim to hold them accountable for their role in the climate crisis hageman.house.gov/media/press-...

NEW: Satellites are exposing the world's top methane plume sites in the waste sector in 2025. We reviewed public satellite data from Carbon Mapper showing 3,000 methane plumes from 700 waste sites worldwide to ID the highest methane emission rates detected in 2025. law.ucla.edu/news/spotlig...

A new California bill by Sen. Henry Stern, SB 1359 the “Gas Transition Responsibility and Electrification Act,” would establish a comprehensive framework to manage the transition away from natural gas in a way that protects ratepayers, reduces emissions, and ensures an orderly, equitable phase-down.

In the US, ABC News, CBS News, and NBC News reduced the airtime devoted to climate change by 35%. Not so in the Global South: “There is little backsliding there. They understand the climate story is right on their doorstep.” New research from @coveringclimatenow.org @sejorg.bsky.social

"Prior generations did meet the moment." With environmental rollbacks accelerating, Alejandro Camacho speaks with @legal-planet.org. to discuss his forthcoming book, "Lessons for a Warming Planet: A Vital History of U.S. Environmental Law." Read more:

Lessons for a Warming Planet: UCLA’s Alejandro Camacho discusses his new book and the lessons we can learn from prior generations of environmental advocates. @alejandrocamacho.bsky.social @uclalawemmett.bsky.social legal-planet.org/2026/04/14/l...

Decommissioning utility gas lines at “ the Neighborhood level” sounds unobjectionable. It is also a big political and technical infrastructure policy experiment, for which there is no obvious model or precedent. legal-planet.org/2026/04/08/c...

Neighborhood decarbonization is an emerging yet promising climate strategy. A new FAQ from our friends at @luskininnovation.bsky.social outlines what we know (and don’t know) about implementation of SB 1221, California’s neighborhood decarbonization law. legal-planet.org/2026/04/08/c...

This new FAQ from UCLA outlines what we know (and don’t know) about the implementation of SB 1221, California’s landmark neighborhood decarbonization law. @luskininnovation.bsky.social @uclalawemmett.bsky.social legal-planet.org/2026/04/08/c...

Loved this conversation on @legalafmtn.bsky.social on the origins of modern #environmentallaw with Ann Carlson of the @uclalawemmett.bsky.social. We discuss her new @ucpress.bsky.social book #SmogandSunshine and the lessons for #socialchange in dark times. youtu.be/oqLdHqPycsc?...

Our Prof. Ann Carlson's "Smog & Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up its Air" comes out TODAY and is the subject of a book talk at UCLA on Friday, April 10. legal-planet.org/2026/04/07/s...

California’s transition away from natural gas is accelerating, with new policy tools emerging to speed the shift and ease the financial burden on ratepayers. Enter the Home Energy Choice Act (AB 2313). Our brief evaluates that proposal. law.ucla.edu/sites/defaul...

Panel 3 finished strong with Cara Horowitz as moderator, joined by the UCLA Lewis Center’s Shane Phillips, Politico’s Liam Dillon, and CBE’s Jennifer Ganata for a final discussion on affordable housing and environmental protection!

Panel 2 heats things up with UCLA Professor Allan Marks moderating an interesting discussion on the costs of the clean energy transition with Texas Law Professor David Spence, chief of staff of the Stanford Inst. for Econ Policymaking Ryan Cummings, and policy consultant Katie Venezuela!

Panel 1 is underway with @heatmap.news executive editor Robinson Meyer moderating a discussion on data center energy demand and how to grow our grid affordably and sustainably with Abre’ Conner from the NAACP, Professor William Boyd, and Tina Andolina from the office of California Sen. Ben Allen.

John Reynolds, President of the CPUC, kicked off today’s event with a great Keynote Address! @californiapuc.bsky.social

Hello Everyone! Meet Maya Hernandez from UCLA’s Journal for Environmental Law and Policy (JELP) who will be taking over the Emmett Institute’s feed for the day, live from the “Can Abundance be Sustainable” Symposium about affordability and climate policy! Stay tuned for key ideas and takeaways!