SEQUESTRATION, SCIENCE, AND THE LAW: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEQUESTRATION COMPONENT OF THE CALIFORNIA AND NORTHEASTERN STATES' PLANS TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING

The impacts of global warming are extensive and disastrous. Efforts to curb global warming are in full swing around the world. Although the U.S. federal government has yet to create a nationwide global warming prevention program, several states have started their own initiatives. Each initiative is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental law (Portland, Ore.) Ore.), 2007-09, Vol.37 (4), p.1217-1239
Main Author: Brodeen, Elizabeth C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Air pollution control
Air quality management
California
Carbon offsets
Carbon sequestration
Climate change
Climate change policy
Comment
Emissions credit trading
Emissions reduction
Emissions trading
Environment
Environmental policy
Environmentalism
Forest management
Forest soils
Forests
Global warming
Government regulation
Greenhouse gas emissions
Law
Laws, regulations and rules
Pollutant emissions
Science
U.S.A
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Summary:The impacts of global warming are extensive and disastrous. Efforts to curb global warming are in full swing around the world. Although the U.S. federal government has yet to create a nationwide global warming prevention program, several states have started their own initiatives. Each initiative is anchored by the science surrounding global wanning. In particular, each state-level program has a carbon sequestration element that is based upon current knowledge of how carbon is stored. This Comment describes the three major methods for carbon sequestration and examines the sequestration component of the initiatives in California and the northeastern states. The Comment argues that each program utilizes techniques that are scientifically sound; however, neither program takes advantage of the best available technology. Further, the methods of allowable sequestration are limited to sequestration by trees which is only one way that sequestration may be achieved. Lastly, this Comment demonstrates that while the sequestration components may underestimate the amount of carbon stored, this is inline with the overall policy of reducing emissions to slow the effects of global warming.
ISSN:0046-2276