Tag Archives: Kaplow

With ‘new’ proposed Maryland BEPS regulations what does a Building Owner do now?

After this was posted, on January 13, 2025 citizen groups and business associations jointly filed suit in the U.S. District Court against the Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment challenging the Maryland BEPS program as preempted by Federal statute and unenforceable as a matter of law. Read more here. After this blog was … Continue Reading

Reduce Methane Emissions with Kitchen Garbage Disposals

By Stuart Kaplow on July 21, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, greenhouse gas

By embracing in sink garbage disposals and complementing them with waste reduction and composting efforts, we can all play a part in slowing climate change and creating a more sustainable future.… Continue Reading

Court Dismisses Baltimore’s Climate Claims: Implications for Future Litigation

By Stuart Kaplow on July 14, 2024 Posted in City, Climate Change

This case is pathbreaking because it is the first time a state court has dismissed one of these several similar climate claim suits brought by states and local governments across the country. … Continue Reading

The Government is Coming For Your Gas Stove But Voters May Save You

By Stuart Kaplow on July 7, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental

Washinton state citizens are going to vote in the November elections to repeal government's efforts to mandate decarbonization because all electric building laws are wronngheaded environmental public policy.… Continue Reading

In Ohio v EPA Supreme Court Reins in EPA: A Win for Environmental Protection

By Stuart Kaplow on June 30, 2024 Posted in Environmental, Federal

Together with other recent Supreme Court cases, this provides a path for good stewardship of the environment without overreaching government. … Continue Reading

Maryland Governor Executive Order Mandates Climate Action

By Stuart Kaplow on June 23, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

The executive order mandates comprehensive economy wide actions in both the public and private sectors, to place Maryland ahead of all other states in mitigating climate change… Continue Reading

Legal Action Seeks Mandatory Pollution Warnings for Gas Stoves

By Stuart Kaplow on June 16, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG

Absent some new government intervention with warning labels on cooking oil, a government action that would be rationally related to a legitimate government interest would be proper increased ventilation in buildings… Continue Reading

Maryland’s Offshore Wind Ambitions Set to Soar with New Agreement

By Stuart Kaplow on June 9, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental, wind turbine

The next step will be when BOEM holds a sale for the proposed offshore wind projects off the Maryland coast later this year. … Continue Reading

White House Unveils Commitment to Carbon Offsets

By Stuart Kaplow on June 2, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Voluntary carbon offsets are indispensable tools for organizations striving to achieve net zero emissions, particularly those unable to generate enough onsite renewable energy. … Continue Reading

Maryland Needs to Produce More Electricity

By Stuart Kaplow on May 26, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Solar Panel, wind turbine

Maryland, like many other similarly situated states, cannot import its way out of this predicament with ever increasing electricity demand, produced from coal or not. … Continue Reading

Chinese Solar Panel Tariffs: Protecting U.S. Industry or Hindering Green Growth?

By Stuart Kaplow on May 19, 2024 Posted in Energy, Federal, Solar Panel

Americans need to budget for the higher costs of solar panels.… Continue Reading

Constitutional Rights vs. Climate Change: Inside the Juliana Case Dismissal

By Stuart Kaplow on May 12, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, greenhouse gas

The Ninth Circuit’s decision that environmental climate change is not justiciable is already having repercussions… Continue Reading

Does Federal EPCA Trump Colorado Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)?

By Stuart Kaplow on May 5, 2024 Posted in Energy, State

These Colorado laws fail as being precisely what Congress was barring with the express preemption mandate in EPCA… Continue Reading

New Environmental Laws in Maryland: 2024 Brings Opportunities for Businesses

By Stuart Kaplow on April 28, 2024 Posted in Environmental, State

business opportunities to lead and profit in environmental and sustainability matters advantaged by these newly enacted state laws… Continue Reading

EPA Takes Action: PFOA and PFOS Now Hazardous Substances Under Superfund Law

By Stuart Kaplow on April 21, 2024 Posted in Environmental, Federal

PFAS is no doubt a developing environmental catastrophe but this just announced EPA action listing PFAS as a hazardous substance in the U.S. is yeeting the matter without regard that this solution may do more harm than good.… Continue Reading

Shedding Light on the Future: The Evolution of Lightbulbs in the Wake of New Energy Efficiency Standards

By Stuart Kaplow on April 14, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental

In 2024 there is nothing wrong with doing that better than Thomas Edison in 1860, with LEDs, and repairing the planet … Continue Reading

2024 International Energy Conservation Code is Final After Addressing Preemption

By Stuart Kaplow on April 7, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Green Building, Local Government

This is a big deal because versions of the IECC are in use or have been adopted in 48 states … Continue Reading

Settlement Portends Broad Failure in Attempts to Ban Natural Gas

By Stuart Kaplow on March 31, 2024 Posted in Federal, GHG, State

The immediate and long term failure of state and local governments' attempts to ban natural gas in homes and businesses.… Continue Reading

SEC Climate Disclosure Rule Stay and Venue Now in the 8th Circuit

By Stuart Kaplow on March 24, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Compellingly 25 states have now filed petitions for judicial review attacking the SEC Final Rule. … Continue Reading

EV Charger Data Apocalypse

By Stuart Kaplow on March 17, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Energy, GHG, greenhouse gas

I don’t think this is some secret coterie of tech companies and governments seeking to weaponize EV chargers, but it is malfeasance at a huge scale and the transgression will certainly do more harm than good . … Continue Reading

SEC Final Rule on Climate Change and GHG Disclosure

By Stuart Kaplow on March 10, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Adopted long awaited rules to enhance and standardize climate related disclosures, including for the first time requiring greenhouse gas emission disclosures… Continue Reading

New York is Coming for Your Cheeseburger with Greenwashing Case

By Stuart Kaplow on March 3, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, Green Washing, greenhouse gas, greenwashing, State

net zero by 2040… Continue Reading

Hawaii Considers $25 Climate Tax

By Stuart Kaplow on February 25, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Environmental, State

A $25 tax to create a “special fund to prevent climate crises and more effectively respond to climate crises when they occur.”… Continue Reading

Defense Contractor Prohibition on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Disclosures

By Stuart Kaplow on February 18, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Defense contractors are not permitted to “disclose a greenhouse gas inventory or any other report on greenhouse gas emissions.”… Continue Reading

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