Vermont Law School invites VT gubernatorial candidates Dem. Peter Shumlin and Rep. Brian Dubie to an Oct. 26 debate in the run up to Election Day. The event, which is free and open to the public, will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Chase Community Center.

UPDATED: According to the press release, Shumlin has accepted the invitation, but Dubie has not yet responded.

(more…)

Vermonter Rowan Jacobsen wrote the book Fruitless Fall about colony-collapse disorder in honeybees.  My favorite quote is:

Like any livestock, healthy bees require good pasture.  And that’s what fewer and fewer bees can find.  You might say that, like us, they’re suffering from “suburban disease”: more roads, big-box stores, and developments, fewer wildflowers. (Rowan Jacobsen, Fruitless Fall 151 (2008))

Now this article suggests that scientists may be getting closer to solving the mystery of colony collapse disorder.  But while we may learn the scientific cause (e.g., virus, fungus), I think we must still address what factors might contribute to the honeybee populations inability to fight off the disease.

Reports the Times.  The activities of Liu Xiaobo, and the government response, were a common topic of conversation in closed settings while we were in China.  This news will make the Chinese government very unhappy.

It’s really amazing that the Fox show Glee has led to a revival of Journey songs.  On my work commute this morning, I heard two Journey songs, “Don’t Stop Believin'” and “Faithfully,” on the radio.  I also heard from a music teacher yesterday that Glee has increased interest in school music programs.   If you have no clue what I’m talking about, then watch this ‘Journey Medley’ from Glee that has received over 5 million You Tube hits.

Greenwire has this promising report:

Under a set of environmental marketing guidelines that were proposed by the Federal Trade Commission today, businesses would soon have to tread more carefully when calling their products “green” or “eco-friendly.”

FTC’s draft guidelines tell companies not to make “unqualified general environmental benefit claims” — such as calling their products “green.”

See article here.

Just over four months ago I had an extended conversation with a well-connected person about what the future would bring for Hillary Clinton.  By most accounts and polls, her popularity is relatively high and she’s thought very highly of within the State Department, but it would be unexpected if she were to stay on as Secretary of State another term, if Obama is re-elected.  During the conversation we pondered whether Hillary Clinton could be the next Vice-Presidential candidate, replacing Joe Biden on the ticket.  Now, Bob Woodward has indicated that this might be a real possibility (at least from the Clinton camp point of view).  See here and here.  I can guarantee that this story, Obama-Clinton 2012, will have legs.  Why?

  1. Current VP Joe Biden is the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I suspect would like to be Sec. of State.
  2. It’s very unlikely Joe Biden would run for president in 2016 at age 74.
  3. While Clinton as VP in 2008 would have had scars from the heated primary and caused vetting difficulties, the wounds have healed, Obama and Clinton seem to work well together, and she (and Bill) were already vetted for the State post.
  4. There is no heir apparent to Obama with Biden as VP.  For this reason, there should be speculation that Biden will be replaced in 2012 with someone younger, regardless of whether or not it is Clinton.  Will Obama want to pick a future leader of the Democratic party?  Will Obama want that person to be Clinton?
  5. It’s possible that the Clinton camp views this as the best path to the Presidency.  She’ll be 69 years old in 2016, and may have a much easier path to the nomination as Obama’s VP.
  6. Many pundits would see this as shrewd political move in gaining votes among certain demographics.

If its Obama/Clinton v. Palin/Anybody in 2012, the entertainment value of American politics just went through the roof.

Reports this NY Times article.   A hope/problem (?) is that issues like national security, energy independence, and defense are likely to be the issues that lead to new climate policies and renewable technologies.

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO SERVE AS AN ACADEMY TRAINER IN THE ACADEMY’S TRAINING THE TEACHERS (TTT) ADVANCED COURSE

Wuhan, China, 28th February – 4th March 2011

The IUCN Academy of Environmental Law is pleased to extend an invitation to distinguished environmental law scholars within member institutions of the Academy to express their interest in serving as an Academy trainer in the first Training the Teachers Advanced Course at Wuhan University, China, to be delivered from 28th February to 4th March 2011. (more…)

The first annual Colloquium on Environmental Scholarship at Vermont Law School on October, 22, 2010 promises to be a fantastic event.  Thank you to everyone who submitted a paper, and congratulations to those selected to participate.  The Colloquium, designed as a works-in-progress event, provides an opportunity for environmental and natural resources law scholars to present their forthcoming scholarship, get feedback from colleagues, and meet and interact with those who are also teaching and researching in the environmental and natural resources law area.

I am thrilled to announce this spectacular list of participants:

  • Todd Aagaard, Assistant Professor, Villanova University School of Law
  • Mary Jane Angelo, Associate Professor of Law, University of Florida, Levin College of Law
  • Eric Biber, Assistant Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley
  • Robin Kundis Craig, Associate Dean for Environmental Programs & Attorneys’ Title Professor of Law, Florida State University College of Law
  • Jason J. Czarnezki, Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
  • David M. Driesen, University Professor, Syracuse University College of Law
  • Timothy P. Duane, Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz and Vermont Law School
  • Pamela N. Epstein, Esq., LL.M, Consulting Attorney & Legal Intern Coordinator, Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter
  • Patricia L. Farnese, Assistant Professor, University of Saskatchewan College of Law
  • T.L. Gray, Doctoral Student, Vanderbilt University, Laboratory of Ethics and Society
  • Shi-Ling Hsu, University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
  • Madeline June Kass, Associate Professor  of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law
  • Andrew Long, Assistant Professor, Florida Coastal School of Law
  • Bradford Mank, Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law
  • Lesley K. McAllister, Professor of Law, University of San Diego School of Law
  • Timothy M. Mulvaney, Associate Professor of Law, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
  • Sean Nolon, Director of Dispute Resolution Program and Associate Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
  • Uma Outka, Visiting Scholar in Energy and Land Use Law, Florida State University College of Law
  • Jessica Owley-Lippmann, Associate Professor, University at Buffalo Law School
  • Dave Owen, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Maine School of Law
  • Cymie Payne, Distinguished Environmental Law Scholar, Lewis and Clark School of Law
  • Tracey M. Roberts, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
  • Shannon Roesler, Assistant Professor of Law, Oklahoma City University School of Law
  • Jonathan D. Rosenbloom, Assistant Professor, Drake University Law School
  • Erin Ryan, Associate Professor, William & Mary Law School
  • Jack Tuholske, Visiting Professor, Vermont Law School, and Adjunct Professor, University of Montana
  • Nickie Vlavianos, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary Faculty of Law
  • Annecoos Wiersema, Associate Professor of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
  • Hannah Wiseman, Associate Professor, University of Tulsa College of Law

For more information, see http://www.vermontlaw.edu/ces2010, and check out the story about the Colloquium in our Fall Newsletter.