In this podcast episode, Jeffrey Peterson interviews Susan Crawford and Robert Verchick, two noted lawyers who have new books on climate adaptation and coastal resilience published in April 2023. The interview covers a wide range of topics, including the challenges posed by sea-level rise, the importance of social justice in climate adaptation, and the role of law in addressing climate change. 

Drinking water in the United States is among the world’s cleanest and most heavily regulated, yet entire grocery store aisles are dedicated to bottled water. Why is this? In this episode, ELI’s Georgia Ray speaks with Cindy Donis, a community organizer for East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, and Gregory Pierce, director of the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab within UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation. Cindy and Gregory offer background on drinking water contamination in LA County, California, and share what needs to happen at the local, state, and federal level to combat negative perceptions about tap water while ensuring it is indeed safe to drink.

As sovereign nations, a unique relationship exists between Tribal Nations and the U.S. federal government, which is grounded in the U.S. Constitution. An integral component of this relationship is a process known as “government-to-government consultation,” or, colloquially, a “G2G.” In this episode, ELI’s Georgia Ray speaks with Meghan Gavin, a lawyer and partner at Cascadia Law Group, to learn about G2G consultation with Tribes in Washington state, the power dynamic surrounding government relations with Tribal Nations, and how changing environmental conditions impact future consultations. She will also weigh in on how the Biden-Harris Administration’s new policies on consultation impact her work. The episode is part of The Youth Review podcast series. 

Increasingly, independent third parties—better known as “corporate compliance monitors”--are appointed to oversee a company’s compliance following the settlement of a criminal or, sometimes, civil enforcement case. Justin Savage of Sidley Austin LLP, speaks with Ike Adams, a Partner at Sidley Austin, and Michele Edwards and Brad Wilson, both with StoneTurn, a global advisory firm. The trio discuss corporate compliance monitorships, which has been a perennial hot topic in DOJ enforcement, particularly in the environmental space over the last 5 years. The episode is part of The Enforcement Angle series, featuring conversations about state and federal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations with senior enforcement officials and thought leaders on environmental enforcement in the United States and globally. 

Global sustainable development requires attention to environmental, developmental, and social priorities. ELI’s Georgia Ray speaks with ELI Visiting Attorney Tomkeen Mobegi, an international law expert whose past work has focused on climate change, environmental governance, and human rights and development in the Global South. Tomkeen shares his perspective on intersectional and international legal education, the importance of international treaties, and the unique approach of the United States in the international legal space. 

International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 to bring attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. One women’s issue that is often overlooked is access to clean water. In this episode, ELI’s Georgia Ray speaks with Elizabeth Koch, ELI’s Senior Manager of International Programs, and Jessica Troell, Director of ELI’s International Water Program, about two ELI initiatives pertaining to women and water: strengthening the recognition and protection of water tenure of the world’s most vulnerable populations; and the importance of inclusive decisionmaking in water diplomacy processes and the resultant positive implications for regional peace and human security.