Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler

The Boston Globe reports that Nathaniel Abraham is suing the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, alleging he was fired for his creationist beliefs. From what the Globe reports, it appears Abraham claims Woods Hole discriminated against him for his religious beliefs. Woods Hole allegedly fired Abraham, a biologist, after he refused to work on “evolutionary aspects” […]

Several states and environmental groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seeking regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry. European nations have also sought to impose such limits. As the NYT reports, the industry already has substantial incentive to reduce its fuel use. The petitioners suggested several steps to curb emissions, including the […]

Laurence Krauss, a noted physicist at Case Western Reserve University, argues in today’s WSJ that the next President must be scientifically literate, a standard some candidates could not meet. Almost all of the major challenges we will face as a nation in this new century, from the environment, national security and economic competitiveness to energy […]

A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Texas Land Commission and Public Utility Commission in an effort to stall two wind developments in the state. The lawsuits threaten to delay or stop the two massive wind projects, which could place more than 600 turbines on 60,000 acres near Laguna Madre, south of Corpus Christi. […]

From today’s Washington Post: Divorce is not just a family matter. It exacts a serious toll on the environment by boosting the energy and water consumption of those who used to live together, according to a study by two Michigan State University researchers. The analysis found that cohabiting couples and families around the globe use […]

Which college football team should be ranked number one? Who should play for the national championship? After yesterday’s upsets, it seems there’s an open field. Make the case for your teams in the comments.

Portishead fans can rejoice — at least those on the far side of the Atlantic. The trip-hop stars will perform at next week’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival and the following week at Bristol Academy. According to NME, the latter will be “the first non-festival full band performance the band have played in ten years.” A […]

This past week, the Food & Drug Administration held a hearing on whether to regulate salt as a food additive under federal law. The hearing was held in response to a petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The Washington Post reports: A consumer group prodded the Food and Drug Administration yesterday […]

Overlawyered.com is rounding up news and commentary about the criminal indictment of noted plaintiffs’ attorney Richard Scruggs. Scruggs is not the only high-profile plaintiffs’ lawyer under siege. Earlier this year, class action maven William Lerach pled guilty to a federal conspiracy charge. Meanwhile, it seems there’s a new ATLA that’s being challenged by the old […]

In honor of Judge Alex Kozinski becoming the new chief judge of the Ninth Circuit, there is a U.S. Court of Appeals Chief Judge trivia contest at How Appealing. UPDATE: Here are the answers to questions one and three, question two, and question four.

He’s just terrible, even when — which is often, once he’s off the subject of the war — I agree with him. His voice is too high, he can’t remember who the Kurds are, and he often comes off like a crazy old man in a bus station. But that’s good news, in a way. […]

My post on a proposal by Georgetown law professor Nick Rosenkranz for a constitutional amendment barring the use of foreign law in constitutional interpretation prompted extensive comment. The post was based on a presentation Prof. Rosenkranz made on a panel at the Federalist Society’s annual lawyer’s conference. Audio and video of the panel are now […]

PENNumbra, the on-line supplement of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, has posted a debate between Bradley Smith and Ed Foley on voter ID requirements. Later this term, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, a constitutional challenge to Indiana’s particularly stringent voter ID requirement.

In 2004, environmental consultants Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger published an essay provocatively called “The Death of Environmentalism.” In it, they argued modern environmentalism had played itself out, had become yet another component of interest-group liberalism, and was incapable of addressing climate change and other major contemporary challenges. Coming from within the movement, the essay […]

A history of hand-washing — and good reason to continue the practice.