September 10, 2019 – Prompting rage by President Trump, California and several carmakers entered a voluntary agreement on carbon emissions from new cars that blew past the Administration’s efforts to repeal existing federal requirements. Last week, the Trump Administration slapped back at California. Although there’s been a lot of editorializing about that response, I’ve seen very little […]
Dan Farber, Legal Planet
Posted inOp-Ed
Dan Farber: Elections Matter – Even More Than You Thought
Aug. 13, 2019 – I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it hard to keep focused on November 3, 2020, given the confusing welter of candidates on one side and the daily bombshells issuing from the other. So maybe this is a good time for a reminder of a why elections matter. In fact, […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Dan Farber: Breaking Up With Fossil Fuels This Valentine’s Day
Feb. 14, 2019 – WORLD: Thanks for the card. . . . But I think we need to talk. FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY: About what? W: About us. FFI: About us?? Can’t it wait until some other time? This is Valentine’s Day, and I’ve made plans for us. Big plans. W: No, I think we need […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Dan Farber: Enquiring Minds Want to Know (Scott Pruitt edition)
April 6, 2018 – Control of the House matters for a number of reasons. It would allow the Democrats to block any further “reconciliation” bills (budget bills that can’t be filibustered). It would increase their leverage in negotiations. But at least as importantly, it would empower them to conduct investigations. Here’s a list of some […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Dan Farber: The Disagreeable Mr. Pruitt
March 15, 2018 – I’m sure that Scott Pruitt has his good side. Probably he loves dogs. But his bad traits are, well, pretty hard to overlook. Here are some of the main characteristics of the man who is now charged by statute with protecting our environment: Paranoia. As Grist says, “in just his first […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Dan Farber: Politicizing Science
Oct. 6, 2017 – We knew about the Administration’s disdain for scientific evidence from the beginning but the situation has only continued to deteriorate. The campaign against objective science is now becoming embedded within the government. Far more than its predecessors, the Administration has embarked on a campaign to impose political control on science within […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Dan Farber: Our Broken Flood Insurance System
September 7, 2017 – When people have gotten past the emergency of Hurricane Harvey, thoughts will turn to rebuilding. That requires money. Some of it may come in direct grants from the federal government, but flood insurance is the core source of funding for many people. Private insurance policies generally exclude flooding, so the main […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Dan Farber: Houston’s Shockingly Poor Flood Control System
August 29, 2017 – The torrential rain in Houston would have caused bad flooding no matter what. There’s no question about that. But it’s also true that Houston’s flood control efforts have been badly managed. Houston failed to learn a key lesson from Katrina: the most important disaster response is done years in advance through […]