CLIMATE DISRUPTION AND GOVERNMENTAL ACTION: APPROACHES, OBSTACLES, AND OPPORTUNITIES

On February 6th and 7th, 2014, Nova Southeastern University and the Center for Progressive Reform co-sponsored a symposium on New Directions in Energy Law and Policy, Climate Disruption and Sea Level Rise. The gathering-which was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida featured presentations by an outstanding interdisciplinary group of scientists, legal scholars, federal, state and local government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations and others, along with thoughtful questions and comments from the audience. Preparation of a written law review article was not made a prerequisite to speaking at the symposium, and primarily due to other professional commitments-most of those who spoke on symposium panels chose not to summarize or expand their oral comments in a written piece. Nonetheless, three distinguished, nationally prominent legal scholars-Professors David Driesen, Joseph Tomain, and Thomas McGarity-followed up by submitting the articles that comprise this important issue of the Nova Law Review. In this brief symposium introduction, I will summarize some of the key points advanced by each of the article authors, note two themes that are common to their pieces, and discuss a few of the implications of their perceptive work.