Insights

We regularly produce original research and analysis that highlight attorney general work on clean energy and the environment and provide commentary on important and timely topics in these areas of work.

  • Blog An illustration of a pork cut diagram, but the lines are actually U.S. state borders; the text of the Supreme Court decision in National Pork Producers Council v. Ross fills the background.

    Pigs Fly! SCOTUS Upholds State Sovereignty in CA Pork Case

    Last week, SCOTUS upheld a California ballot initiative addressing animal cruelty in the pork industry against a dormant Commerce Clause challenge, affirming states’ authority to tackle far-reaching problems. The decision offers four key takeaways for states seeking to regulate complex environmental, energy, and climate issues that involve effects in other states.

  • Blog An abstract, outline drawing of an offshore wind turbine and a construction worker in front of a yellow sun.

    Winds of Change: Developing a Domestic Supply Chain & Good Jobs in the Offshore Wind Sector

    The buzz around the nascent offshore wind sector is palpable, with huge amounts of untapped power, waiting to be unleashed. But the U.S. lacks a domestic offshore wind supply chain, and the anticipated job growth will need to be accompanied by strong labor parameters in place to ensure that these jobs will be good jobs.

  • Blog A graphic depicting the U.S. Capitol from a money bill, a bullhorn with noise symbols, a plaque that says "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency" on it, all in various shades of green.

    A Call from Communities to Remove Barriers to Access EPA's EJ Grants

    A wave of community-based and resident-led organizations recently submitted comments calling for the removal of systemic barriers to participation in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program.

  • Blog An illustration of patchwork farmland from a bird's-eye view

    Growing Calls for a More Just, Climate-Savvy Farm Bill

    There has been a flurry of climate justice advocacy in recent weeks—from social media posts to rallies at the capitol—around the Farm Bill. So what is the Farm Bill, what does it have to do with climate justice, and why does it matter right now?

  • Articles The Environmental Forum - ELI logo

    Not an Afterthought: Remedies Receiving Their Day in Court

    “In the Courts” Column: There is news in the world of remedies for agencies that violate the law. These developments could have repercussions for any incoming president seeking to roll back the prior administration’s policies, as well as implication for parties seeking to avert environmental harms.

  • Trackers A pie chart with two sections: a larger, teal green section labeled 73.6%, and a smaller dark pink section labeled 26.4%

    Tracking Pro-Environmental Federal Litigation by AGs

    Updated April 6, 2023

    This resource tracks pro-envi­ron­men­tal lit­i­ga­tion brought by AGs dur­ing the Biden and Trump admin­is­tra­tions, breaking down the wins & losses during each administration. The tracker will be updated as pending cases are resolved and new cases are brought.

  • Blog Line art of items such as trash cans, recycling bins, trash bags, tin cans, boxes, and a recycling symbol. The lines are black, and the recycling symbol is filled in with green.

    Reduce, Reuse, and Reinvigorate the FTC’s Green Guides

    Student Blog Series

    You may not think twice about tossing a plastic bottle in a blue recycling bin, but there’s more to the “recyclable” label than meets the consumer’s eye. Behind that label is a complex set of guidelines—the FTC’s Green Guides—that should, but often don’t, guide when and how marketers can tell consumers that their products are recyclable, and they are finally being reviewed after a decade without updates.

  • Blog A pipeline stretches across an pale blue and orange ombre sky.

    Waiting for the Hammer to Drop: FERC Considers Unneeded Pipeline Expansion

    FERC is considering a request right now to let the Regional Energy Access Expansion gas pipeline expansion project begin construction, against evidence that it is not needed. This case will likely end up in court, with FERC yet again facing the music.

  • Articles The Environmental Forum - ELI logo

    In a Threat to State Priorities, a Broadside Against Standing

    “In the Courts” Column: A pair of cases are pending in the Supreme Court that may stretch or upend standing and administrative law doctrine, with dramatic impacts on environmental protection.

  • Issue Briefs Green, blue, yellow, and red plastic nurdles spread out on a surface; negative space forms the chasing-arrows recycling symbol.

    What’s in a Label? The FTC’s Green Guides in Context

    The Federal Trade Commission is considering updating its Green Guides for the first time on over a decade; this comes at a crucial time, as research and litigation have revealed ambiguities in the Guides’ definitions of “recyclable” and other environmental labels, leading to consumer confusion. This brief explains what the Green Guides contain, how the FTC plans to reevaluate them, the interplay between the Guides and state consumer protection laws, and how this interplay affects regulation of “recyclable” labels.

  • Blog A freight train with colorful cars recedes into the horizon at sunset; text from an AG comment letter on hazardous material transport by rail is overlaid across the sky.

    Stronger Regulations Might Be Just the Ticket

    Recent freight train accidents illuminate the risks of rail transport of HAZMAT and the need for improved safety guidelines and practices, which AGs have long been advocating for.

  • Blog Several images drawn in colored chalk on a black chalkboard: a sun, clouds, the phrase "K-12," smokestacks, a line graph, and handprints surrounding the globe

    States Face Learning Curve on K-12 Climate Curriculum

    Though climate change has the potential to affect the lives of most school age children today, a recent study shows that schools do not have a standard curriculum on the topic.