ELI In the News

EPA’s proposal to scale back state authority under Clean Water Act (CWA) section 401 to review whether federally permitted projects will harm state water quality standards is likely to prompt “lots of litigation” from states and environmentalists, if finalized, that could last for years, according to a former EPA attorney and other lawyers. “It’s going to be a mess for a long time,” Mark Ryan, who spent 24 years as one of EPA's leading CWA experts and chief trial attorneys, said of expected litigation challenging any final CWA 401 rule. . . .

For some, human rights are not enough - it’s nature’s turn, now. In a growing global movement, environmentalists are trying a new legal route to protect the planet - vesting rivers, reefs and threatened habitats with “rights of nature” that override the long-held human right to harm. Supporters say they are starting to notch victories and see momentum growing, particularly as the rising effects of climate change spur an openness to untried strategies. Critics call the efforts unwieldy, ineffective - or illegal. . . .

As Nigeria looks to deepen its gold industry, the government has stepped up its cooperation with Dubai following President Buhari’s visit to Dubai earlier this year. However, the Environmental Law Institute says Nigeria does not have a well-developed large-scale mining sector, and the majority of gold mining in the country is carried out by artisanal and small-scale miners unlike countries like Ghana and Burkina Faso. Nere Teriba, Vice Chairman of Kian Smith Trade & Co joined CNBC Africa’s Esther Awoniyi for this discussion....

Scientific reports, coming in a steady stream, are highlighting the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions so as to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Already, hurricanes, coastal and inland flooding, wildfires, heat waves and other extreme weather events are causing severe economic damage and loss of life, and their increasing severity has been attributed to climate change. The decades to come promise to be even worse.