Environmental Policy & Law

Fellow Story

Sarah Kapnick named NOAA chief scientist

The Biden-Harris Administration named Sarah Kapnick, Ph.D., as NOAA’s chief scientist. Kapnick will serve as the senior scientist for the agency, advancing policy and program direction for NOAA’s science and technology priorities. “It is an honor to return to NOAA and serve as the chief scientist," said Kapnick.
November 22, 2022
Fellow Story

34 House Members ask EPA to implement Clean Water Act rules on ships' discharges

On June 23, 2022, thirty-four members of the House of Representatives and 74 organizations submitted a letter to the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency requesting the agency to establish discharge standards for ships' ballast water that comply with the Clean Water Act.
July 27, 2022
Fellow Story

Historic environmental justice victory to phase out oil and gas wells in LA

This spring, Zully Jaurez took a deeper dive into how frontline communities in Los Angeles, a city built on the world’s largest urban oil field, mobilized and ultimately won a ban on new oil drilling and begin phasing out existing wells in their city.
July 27, 2022
Fellow

Liz Jacob

2022 Fellow
Liz Jacob (she/her) is working to build a practice of community-based lawyering alongside movements for a just transition. Liz is dedicating her life to working in community to collectively dream and build a transformative new world grounded in mutual aid, justice, and equity so that all people and the planet can thrive. Liz is a recent graduate of Yale Law School and will be serving as a Skadden fellow with the Sugar Law Center for Social and Economic Justice and the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, where she will serve as an environmental justice lawyer to advance environmental, climate, and energy justice alongside communities of color and low-income residents in Detroit, Michigan.
Fellow

Amaya Simpson

2022 Fellow
Amaya is an educator and researcher pursuing accessibility of environmental stewardship within the BIPOC community by increasing diverse representation in the classroom and investigating how education and sustainability policy influence environmental justice.
Fellow

David Herrera

2022 Fellow
David is researching how the community organizing strategies of two environmental justice organizations in Oakland and San Diego get air pollution issues onto their local government’s policy agendas. He is an environmental justice advocate and mentor for students of color.
Fellow Story

Morello-Frosch publishes on historical racist redlining practices leading to higher exposures to oil and gas wells

The study adds to the evidence that structural racism in federal policy is associated with the disproportionate siting of oil and gas wells in marginalized neighborhoods, and an op-ed argues for considering this history in policy decisions about siting and leasing of new oil and gas drilling.
June 22, 2022
Fellow Story

Sue Chiang: the ‘Disposable’ Foodware Dilemma

In addition to the environmental impact of single-use waste, foodware can contain toxic chemicals that can lead to serious health issues, including reproductive and developmental toxicity, autoimmune and metabolic disorders, respiratory issues, neurodevelopmental effects, and cancer.
May 17, 2022
Fellow Story

Sarah Smith promoted to Chief of Programs at Clean Air Task Force

Now a member of the senior leadership team, Sarah oversees CATF’s global programs, ensuring alignment with the organization’s broader strategy and vision. Prior to this role, Sarah spent a decade leading teams, forming coalitions, and spearheading successful policy campaigns at CATF.
May 17, 2022
Fellow Story

Shi launches Adaptive Land Lab at Cornell

The Adaptive Land Lab aims to reveal how current institutions contribute to unjust and unsustainable adaptation to enable policy reforms that redress underlying causes of societal vulnerability to climate change.
May 5, 2022