Cap-and-trade is a system that limits aggregate emissions from a group of emitters by setting a “cap” on maximum emissions. It is characterized as a market-based policy to reduce overall emissions of pollutants and encourage business...
environmental law
carbon capture
Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies prevent or remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere, and then the captured carbon is reused in manufacturing or stored underground. CCUS technology has yet to be widely adopted,...
carbon offset
Carbon offsets are credits representing the removal of one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These offsets are obtainable through activities such as planting trees or carbon capture and legally offset the amount of carbon that a...
carbon offsets
In cap-and-trade programs, carbon offsets are activities such as planting trees or carbon capture that legally offset the amount of carbon that a polluting entity has emitted.
Clean Air Act (CAA)
The Clean Air Act (CAA), codified in U.S.C. Title 42, Chapter 85, is a central piece of legislation in the field of environmental law which promulgates uniform national standards for a wide range of air pollutants and sources. The CAA...
clean energy
Clean energy refers to energy generated from recyclable sources without emitting greenhouse gases. There is confusion and debate on the definitions of clean, renewable, and green energy such as whether clean energy includes sources that...
Clean Water Act (CWA)
The Clean Water Act (CWA), encoded in 33 U.S.C. Chapter 26, is a landmark piece of legislation in the field of environmental law designed to prevent and repair water pollution in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency,...
commerce
Commerce refers generally to the activity of exchanging products, goods, and services for financial gain. The word commerce usually is used to mean economic activity broadly on a national or other large scale. Commerce can be used in many...
Commerce Clause
The Commerce Clause refers to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among states, and with the Indian tribes.”
Congress has often...
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Overview
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), codified in 42 U.S.C. Chapter 103, is a large piece of legislation passed in 1980 that gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the ability to...