Research Reports

Advances in remote sensing technologies, including GPS, lightweight cameras, drones, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), have revolutionized environmental monitoring and management possibilities. Yet there remains a lot to learn about how to effectively use them. ELI received a Wetland Program Development Grant from EPA to identify, develop, and disseminate practical approaches to integrate remote sensing techniques and other emerging technologies into state and tribal wetland program policy frameworks.

This report surveys recent and past decisions of the United States Supreme Court, examines their impact on the fields of environmental law and regulatory law, and evaluates how they might affect various conservation strategies. Given the present period of rapid, highly impactful change in the Court’s jurisprudence, it outlines the 50-year arc of federal environmental protection, documenting the shift from a widely held societal consensus on strong national authority to the more constrained, piecemeal approach unveiled in recent decisions.

ELI created the Food Waste Prevention Resource Guide Series (funded by Urban Green Lab with support from the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh) to provide ready-to-use, vetted, and science-based resources for classrooms, households, and workplaces. The Guides provide a range of resources, such as lessons plans and research reports, on specific food waste prevention strategies, including: Date Labels; Packaging Design and Use; Meal Prepping and Kits; Plate and Portion Size; and Storage and Freezing. This PDF compiles all five resource guides into one document.

Municipalities and other local governments around the country are setting climate mitigation targets and adaptation goals. These municipalities typically develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) that outlines the measures they plan to take to meet their targets and goals. Often missing from these CAPs are measures to increase the availability of plant-based proteins and engage the public on their benefits.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the existing legal authorities the U.S. federal government can leverage to achieve the national goal of eliminating plastic release into the environment by 2040 while safeguarding human health and the environment. Building on the legal framework established by a Congressionally-mandated report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the report categorizes federal authorities—spanning executive orders, legislation, regulations, and associated programs—into specific "intervention areas" across the plastic life cycle.