climate change and agriculture: a synopsis of key issues...
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CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE:
A SYNOPSIS OF KEY ISSUES FOR LAWYERS
Frederick O. Boadu Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics Texas A&M University College Station, Texas
David K. Waggoner
The Waggoner Law Firm Hillsboro & Corsicana, Texas
State Bar of Texas
AGRICULTURAL LAW COURSE 2009 May 14-15, 2009 Lubbock, Texas
Inspirational
Why Agricultural Lawyers and Climate Change?
Poses some large legal issues
Humans at center of climate debate
Likely impact on property relationships
Solutions have implication for firms and households
The rural economy is especially implicated
Plan of Presentation
What is climate change?
Climate change and agriculture
Climate change in the courts
Law practice and climate change
What is climate change?
“a change in climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable periods of time.”
UNFCCC, Article 1, 1992
What is climate change?contd.
Climate change and agriculture
Sustainability of resources supporting the production of food. floods, droughts, loss of soil moisture, water
availability, weed growth, and pests.
Solution to climate change may lower food supply
Impact feedstock for biofuels production.
Climate change in the courts
LITIGATION BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES
Massachusetts v. Whitman
New York v. EPA
Northwest Environmental Defense Center v. Owens Corning Corp.
Massachusetts v. EPA
Climate Change in the Courts contd.
Litigation based on WILDLIFE PROTECTION STATUTES
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
Endangered Species Act
Climate Change in the Courts contd.
LITIGATION BASED ON ENERGY STATUTES
Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)
Climate Change in the Courts contd.
LITIGATION BASED ON INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Climate Change in the Courts contd.
LITITGATION BASED ON COMMON LAW TORT THEORIES
Connecticut v. American Electric Power Co.
Native Village of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corp.
Comer v. Murphy Oil USA, Inc.
Summary of Litigation and Challenges
The courts will see more cases
Federal-State preemption issues
International dimensions of climate change litigation may intensify
Litigation has reduced the transaction costs facing private attorneys
POSITIONING LAW PRACTICE IN RESPONSE TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
The “latent market” for legal services
The collateral markets and industries
alternative fuels
environmental goods
rural lands market
government policy and regulations market
International contracts (JI & CDM)
horizontal alliances
Drivers of Agricultural Law Market
Leadership and Service to Rural America
environmental impacts of increased water use and air pollution
utilities and energy distribution systems
organizational and business structure issues
property rights, land and water resources
negotiating land contracts for climate change-related carbon sequestration, and forest management projects.
Drivers of Agricultural Law Market contd.
Make Climate Change Policy relevant to Rural Sector
The goal is to move beyond the widely-discussed cap-and-trade approach and to pay equal attention to “the progress of carbon capture and storage demonstration projects, efforts to build new transmission corridors to bring renewable energy to market, the development of the smart grid, and the retrofitting of energy-efficient homes and offices.
Working with State and Local Governments and Collateral Market Opportunities
Bringing it all Back Home
The Legal issues related to climate change will gain in increasing complexity
The need for horizontal alliances is critical in the expanding market for climate change-related services
The rural climate-related legal market has great potential.
The climate change-related market extends beyond our borders.