Climate Change—the effects of a warming world on the physical, biological, ecological, and social systems of our world—is emerging as the preeminent issue of the 21st century. Our ability lessen its impacts by effective policies, laws, and treaties that reduce the introduction of greenhouse gases (commonly referred to as mitigation), and our ability to adjust to the impacts which will occur regardless of mitigation or because mitigation is not as complete or effective as it needs to be (commonly referred to as adaptation), will largely dictate how severe and widespread climate change will be in this century and for centuries to come.

Donald A. Brown, Widener Law Commonwealth’s Scholar in Residence, writes and edits the blog, Ethics and Climate. The blog seeks to increase and deepen public reflection on the ethical implications of human-induced climate change among policymakers, the public, non-government organizations, and journalists.  Professor Brown has worked in government at the state, federal, and international level on climate change and taught the ethics, law, science, and politics of climate change for over 25 years. Occasionally the site also invites scholars in environmental ethics, science, and law to write guest articles.

Center faculty have long and extensive involvement in the articulation, exploration, analysis, and advocacy of issues related to climate change and energy.  Professor Dernbach has written a leading introductory article on climate change law, and co-authored an amicus brief in the landmark climate case of Massachusetts v. EPA.  Our faculty has regularly taught the subject of climate change law for nearly a decade, and will continue to be at the center of the policy, legal, and legislative debates designed to tackle these enormously important issues.