T H E GEORGE WA SHI NGTON U N I V ER SIT Y L AW SCHOOL
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY LAW
Perspectives
PROGRAM ESTABLISHED 1970
PERSPECTIVES
FALL 2021 ISSUE
The IPCC Report a ‘Code Red for Humanity’ Perry Elerts, Visiting Associate Professor of Law and Environmental and Energy Law Fellow
PERSPECTIVES 1, 4, 6 NEWS 2 FACULT Y IN THE NEWS 3–4 ALUMNI NEWS 5 CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 6–7 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS 8, 12 FACULTY PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS 9–12
PERSPECTIVES
Curriculum Changes Address the Energy Future Donna Attanasio, Senior Advisor for Energy Law Programs
U
nited Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the recent Sixth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group One a “code red for humanity.” This summer’s deadly heat waves, perilous floods, and massive wildfires made it clear that we are now living with the effects of climate change. The assessment indicates we are already on the doorstep of the 1.5℃ c goal set by the U.N. Paris Agreement climate negotiators in 2015. In fact, the World Meteorological Association predicts temperatures will keep rising toward the 1.5℃ c benchmark over the next five years,
and the increase would result in even more intense flooding, droughts, storms, and weather disasters, making sustainable development and poverty eradication efforts ever more difficult. Without immediate and drastic action to cut and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, we can expect 2℃ c of warming around mid-century and 5℃ c by the end of the century. Such increases in global temperature would be disastrous for human life and biodiversity. With these challenges ahead, the Environmental and Energy Law Program here at GW must prepare our law continued on page 4
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ur already strong and varied energy curriculum has been further enhanced for 2021-22 by two new courses, seven new adjunct professors, two new seminars, and other significant course updates and revisions. Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioners Suedeen Kelly and Bill Massey have been newly appointed to our adjunct faculty and will ofer a new seminar, Electricity Grid of the Future, in spring 2022. Another new seminar, Ofshore Wind, blends environmental and energy law and will be taught by Joshua Kaplowitz, Laura Smith Morton, and Jane Rueger, also newly appointed to GW Law’s adjunct faculty. continued on page 6