In February 2010, the Environmental Law Institute along with Columbia University School of Law, University of Virginia School of Law and Vanderbilt Law School, sponsored a two-day conference on climate change. A number of the papers from the program are published in the June Environmental Law Reporter.
My article entitled, “Cooperative Federalism and Climate Change: New Meaning to ‘Think Globally – Act Locally’” briefly discusses examples of the limited involvement and recognition states have carved out for local governments in state-level climate action plans. The main focus of the article follows with an examination of the high level of largely uncoordinated activity taking place at the local government level, including innovative strategies worthy of replication throughout the country. The article concludes with recommendations for cooperative approaches to be introduced at the federal and state levels to harness the power and opportunities of acting locally to address significant global challenges.
