By Jennifer Evola The high cost of electricity has recently re-emerged as a hot-button issue in Ontario, with headlines like “Ontario electricity has never been cheaper, but bills have never been higher” and “Why does Ontario’s electricity cost so much?”. Premier Wynne has been called on to reduce ever-increasing electricity rates, among a slew of […]
News & Posts
Sipping Pumpkin Spice Lattes in Summer Clothes: Disrupting Complacency About Climate Change
By Sarah Jane Attardo It was an early October weekend when I scurried outside with my jacket in hand heading towards the closest Starbucks to acquire my coveted seasonal beverage – a pumpkin spice latte. While in line, a sudden realization dawned upon me: it was a very agreeable 18°C outdoors and yet here we […]
How Can We Deal With Microplastics?
By Peter Little Why should we care about microplastics? What are microplastics? The name itself gives a pretty good indication, as microplastics are simply tiny pieces of plastic. Microplastics are generally considered to be smaller than 5 millimeters and can come in a variety of shapes. The term microplastics is popping up more often because […]
Indigenous jurisdiction over the environment in next-generation federal environmental assessment
By Jacqui Hebert In 2012, Steven Harper’s Conservative government “streamlined” the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) to promote “responsible resource development”. Critics said the amendments created a “carte blanche” for big energy companies and put a stranglehold on public participation. Under current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been […]
Creating Space for Environmental Justice: The importance of Youth Participation
By Pearl Lee Today, about 1.8 billion young people (aged 10 to 24) make up one quarter of the world’s population. These are the people who will be the decision makers of the future, shaping the way that our social, political, and economic structures tackle environmental issues. Yet too many of these youth still grapple […]
Holes in the Ontario Climate Change Regime
By Timon Sisic Ontario’s greenhouse gas cap and trade regime is not clear enough to be called an aggressive step in the right direction on addressing climate change. As it currently stands, the legislation and regulations are an empty shell that gives the appearance of strong leadership on carbon emission reduction without actually giving guidance to […]
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Dianne Saxe, to speak at York University
The Osgoode Environmental Justice and Sustainability Clinic is pleased to co-present a public lecture by Dianne Saxe, renowned environmental lawyer and Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO), on Monday, September 19, 3:30-4:30 pm, at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Room 2003. RSVP is required. Dianne will speak on "Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights: A Toolkit for Change." Dianne […]
Access to justice through public legal education
Creating an environmental law workshop to encourage public participation in environmental decision-making Access to justice is a recurring theme throughout law school. Through coursework, extracurricular activities, and Osgoode’s Public Interest Requirement, we are introduced to our role as lawyers both within and outside the courtroom and how it implicates access to justice for the clients […]
Lessons from the Past for a Sustainable Future
2015 marked the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, or the “Great Charter”, the foundational document that laid the groundwork for the rule of law and civil liberties in the English-speaking world. Next year, in 2017, the world will mark the 800th anniversary of yet another great charter, perhaps slightly less well-known: the Carta de Foresta, […]
EJS Clinic co-director David Estrin to co-host special climate change litigation events in Oslo
On June 21, 2016, EJS Clinic co-director and CIGI International Law Research Program Senior Research Fellow David Estrin will co-host two special side events on climate change litigation at the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law's annual Colloquium in Oslo, Norway. If you will be in Oslo, check out these important events! Access to Justice in […]
