Topics – The GW Point Source

March 25, 2024April 18, 2024

Heat Islands and Race in Washington, D.C.

By Dylan Basescu

When it comes to heat, not all neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. are created equal. In denser areas of the city with less wind, less green space, and less tree cover, heat radiates and is trapped at much higher rates that vary the ambient air temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit. This phenomenon is known as the urban heat island effect. This difference means different energy bills, emissions levels, health outcomes, and quality of life for thousands of residents. The District of Columbia has already noted this issue and implemented some programs to mitigate the heat island effect. However, D.C. can do more to mitigate heat islands in the most impacted communities in the District by expanding permeable surface replacements, creating a legal standard for tolerable heat, and installing new green roofs and roads in new construction.

March 22, 2024April 10, 2024

Transboundary Climate Litigation in the “Global Neighborhood”: An Interview with Andrea Tang

By Fiorella Valladares Meneses

Photo credit: INDECI

Climate change is one of the most pressing and complex challenges of our time, affecting people and ecosystems around the world. As the impacts of climate change become increasingly apparent, individuals and organizations are turning to legal action as a means of promoting environmental justice.

January 25, 2024January 25, 2024

Conquering Peaks, Defying Odds: Saul Luciano Lliuya, “The Hero of the Andes”

By Maria LeLourec

After Dean Randall Abate shared the inspiring climate justice story of Saul Luciano Lliuya, who is Peruvian like us, we became enchanted and did not hesitate to answer in the affirmative when he asked if Fiorella and I could interview him in the deep Andes of Peru. We knew that it was going to be challenging to prepare for this interview due to final exams, the holidays, and the remoteness of the area, but we happily accepted this exciting challenge.

December 28, 2023February 21, 2024

Clean Air Act § 303 Coming into the Limelight

Part 1: Legislative History and a Recounting of § 303 Uses

By Johanna Adashek

The Clean Air Act contains what can be considered an “Emergency Provision” or a “Substantial Endangerment Provision” that provides EPA with the authority to unilaterally issue orders to polluters substantially endangering the public health, welfare, or the environment. This broad and versatile power, while not frequently used, has demonstrated the potential to combat ongoing or imminent hazards from further harming the public or the environment. This post will review the legislative history of § 303 beginning with the emergency provision in the Air Quality Act of 1967 to the Clean Air Act of 1970 and two subsequent Clean Air Act amendments. After detailing how Congress has strengthened the emergency provision in Clean Air Act § 303, this post will then recount EPA’s use of § 303 over the past half century.

December 7, 2023December 8, 2023

Tesla and Greenwashing

By Maria LeLourec

Tesla’s Eco-Friendly Claims: Fact or Fiction?

Led by its CEO, Elon Musk, Tesla Inc. has garnered widespread acclaim for its role in revolutionizing the electric vehicle (EV) industry and promoting renewable energy, the reduction of carbon emissions, and a more sustainable future.^[1] The company’s eco-friendly image, however, is belied by accusations of greenwashing, with critics arguing that Tesla has exaggerated its environmental achievements to enhance its public image.^[2]