CPR Member Scholar Op-Eds

CPR Member Scholars’ Opinion Articles

• "'Magic' not policy," by William Andreen, in the July 18, 2010 Montgomery Advertiser, on the risk of offshore oil drilling spills.
• "What if drilling goes really wrong?" by Victor Flatt, in the July 5, 2010 Raleigh News & Observer.
• "Time for a Regulatory Revival," by Rena Steinzor, in the June 18, 2010 Baltimore Sun.
• "Gulf oil spill: Obama's regulatory response falls short," by Holly Doremus and Eric Biber, May 20, 2010, in the Los Angeles Times.
• "Did a single week reverse energy fortunes forever?,"  by Victor Flatt, May 10, 2010, in the Houston Chronicle, on the confluence of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the approval of the Cape Wind project by the federal government.
• "Texas water will suffer under plan to lower standards," by Thomas McGarity, March 18, 2010 in the Austin American Statesman on a proposal by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to downgrade the state's water standards.

• "Cap and trade is preferable to hodgepodge regulation," by Kirsten Engel and David Driesen, October 10, 2009 in the Arizona Daily Star.
• "Mercury and the DEQ: trading our health for economic gain," by Daniel J. Rohlf, September 4, 2009 in the Portland Oregonian.
• "The Cost-Benefit Dodge," by Amy Sinden and Catherine O'Neill, in the May 12, 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer.
• "Climate bill good first step in long and arduous trip," by CPR Member Scholars Victor Flatt and William Buzbee, in the April 25, 2009 Houston Chronicle, on improving the Waxman-Markey climate change bill.  Also in the May 5, 2009 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Tough caps would likely curb pollution and cool warming."
• "Rescuing Science from Politics," by CPR Member Scholars Wendy Wagner and Rena Steinzor, in the March 23, 2009 Cleveland Plain Dealer, discussing steps the Obama Administration should take to protect science in the policymaking and regulatory realms from politicization and undue corporate influence.  Also published in the Austin American-Statesman, March 23, 2009, "How to Save Science from Politics."  Also in the March 30, 2009 Baltimore Sun, "Purifying Science."
• "A Rare Win for Consumers," by CPR Member Scholar Thomas McGarity, on the Supreme Court's decision in Wyeth vs. Levine, published March 6, 2009 in the Dallas Morning News.  Also published in the Houston Chronicle, March 7, 2009, "A Victory for Consumers in Pre-emption War," and in the March 9, 2009 Austin American-Statesman, "Wyeth vs. Levine is a Rare Win for Consumers."

• "Court Takes Up Preemption Doctrine," by CPR Member Scholar Thomas McGarity, published in the November 28, 2008 Austin American-Statesman.
• "Free-Willy-Nilly," by CPR Member Scholar Holly Doremus, published in Slate Magazine, November 14, 2008, on the Supreme Court's decision in a case challenging the U.S. Navy's use of underwater sonar in anti-submarine testing because of its dangerous impact on whales.
• "Reviving Regulation," by CPR Member Scholar Rena Steinzor, published in the September 28, 2008 Baltimore Sun.
• "Adam Smith Meets Climate Change," a proposal for allotting international carbon credits, by CPR Member Scholar Doug Kysar and Ian Ayres, published in Slate Magazine, September 25, 2008.
• "Where Did Our Water Go?  Give the Law a Chance," by CPR Member Scholar Mary Jane Angelo and Richard C. Hamann, in the September 23, 2008 Orlando Sentinel.
• "A New Set of Negotiations Needed for the Colorado River Compact," by Robert W. Adler, in the August 30, 2008 Salt Lake Tribune.
• "NHTSA Roof-Crush Standard Could Deny Justice for Crash Victims," by CPR Member Scholars Sidney Shapiro, Nina Mendelson, and William Funk in the September 7, 2008 Ann Arbor News, on the dangers of agency preemption, in the context of the NHTSA's "roof crush" rule.
• "Beware Dangers of Roof Crush Rule," by CPR Member Scholars Sidney Shapiro, Nina Mendelson, and William Funk in the August 4, 2008 Winston-Salem Journal, on the dangers of agency preemption.
• "Conservatives Flip-Flopped on Cap and Trade," by CPR Member Scholar Robert L. Glicksman, in the June 28, 2008 Wichita Eagle.
• "Polar Bears in Limbo: How a legal morass could save the environment," by Holly Doremus, published in Slate Magazine, May 20, 2008.  (A follow-up to her January January 18, 2008 article.)
• “Safeguard lawsuits that potentially save lives,” by Thomas McGarity, published in the Dallas Morning News, May 9, 2008.
• "Exxon should just pay its penance: It wants to wriggle out of punitive damages, but those are the ones that make a difference," by Alexandra Klass and Sandra Zelmer, published in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune March 1, 2008.
• "Thrown back: Judges stand up for our health, the rule of law by rejecting Bush mercury stance," by Rena Steinzor, published February 21, 2008 in the Baltimore Sun.
• "Polar Bear Politics: Listing polar bears under the Endangered Species Act won't do much good, but we should do it anyway," by Holly Doremus, published January 18, 2008 in Slate Magazine.

2007

• "Let California Experiment," by William W. Buzbee, published in the December 28, 2007 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on the Bush EPA's denial of California's request for a Clean Air Act waiver that would allow it and 16 "piggybacking" states to fight global warming with stricter automobile emissions standards.
• "The danger in defective medical devices," by Thomas O. McGarity, published December 4, 2007 in the Austin American Statesman, on the choices facing the Supreme Court in the Riegel vs. Medtronic case about federal preemption and citizen access to the courts.
• "Tuna, with a side of mercury," by Catherine O'Neill, published October 13, 2007 in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
• "'Patriotism' is redefined by environmental conservation," by Christine Klein, published April 22, 2007 in the Gainesville Sun.
• "City's got right to enact law on air," on cleaning Houston's polluted air, by Victor Flatt, published February 4, 2007 in The Houston Chronicle.

2006

• "Court must conclude that global warming gases are a real danger," by Joseph Feller, published in the December 26, 2006 Arizona Daily Star, the December 28, 2006 Miami Herald, and the December 24, 2006 Kansas City Star.
• "Toxic Disclosure Should be Expanded, Not Scaled Back," by Clifford Rechtschaffen, published on the Center for American Progress website on December 18, 2006.
• "Bush White House blocks information to EPA libraries," by Joel Mintz and Rebecca Bratspies, published December 6, 2006 in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer; and "Closing Agency libraries deals serious blow," published in the December 11, 2006 South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
• "Houston: Just say 'yes' to clean air," by Victor Flatt, published December 2, 2006 in the Houston Chronicle.
• "Saving Science from Politicians," by Wendy Wagner and Rena Steinzor, published September 5, 2006 in the Baltimore Sun.
• "What's Next," published by the Birmingham News on August 27, 2006, "New Orleans is slowly recovering from storm's devastation," published by the Mobile Press Register on August 27, 2006, and "New Orleans still suffering from inaction," published August 28, 2006 by the Springfield (MO) News-Leader, by Robert R.M. Verchick.
• "Supreme Court drops the ball on wetlands protection," published July 10, 2006 in the Lincoln (NE) Journal-Star and "Turtles All the Way Down," published July 2, 2006 in the Durango Herald, by Sandra Zellmer.
• "Bullies Along the Potomac," on the federal government's efforts to preempt the power of states to establish environmental, health and safety standards more stringent than its own, by Nina Mendelson, published in the July 5, 2006 New York Times.
• "Bush administration remiss in toxic waste cleanup," published in the July 30, 2006 Buffalo News, "Hazardous Conditions: Oil and Chemical Industries Should Pay to Clean Up their Messes," published July 12, 2006 in the Austin American-Statesman, "Industry Tax Breaks Have Stalled Superfund Cleanup," published July 3, 2006 in the Allentown Morning Call and "Failure to Clean Up Toxic Dumps Leaves Residents at Risk," published July 3, 2006 in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, by CPR's Rena Steinzor and the Center for American Progress's Reece Rushing.
• "Warming to Houston as a Leader on the Environment," on Houston's role in global warming, by Victor Flatt, published April 22, 2006 in the Houston Chronicle.
• "A federal obligation," on the Bush Administration's approach to rebuilding New Orleans, by Robert R.M. Verchick, published February 7, 2006 in the Baltimore Sun.

2005

• "Endangered Species Act Gets Listed," by Holly Doremus, published in the Christian Science Monitor, September 29, 2005
• "Disquieting View on Environment," by Joel A. Mintz, published July 31, 2005 in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
• "Obscure Law a Powerful Weapon Against Environment," by Sidney Shapiro, published March 23, 2005 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "On the Environment, Hold Our Ground and Look to the Future," by Rena Steinzor, published on March 16, 2005 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "Clear Facts about Clear Skies," by Catherine A. O'Neill, published Wednesday, March 9, 2005 in the San Francisco Chronicle.
• "A New Progressive Agenda for Public Health and the Environment," Christopher H. Schroeder and Rena I. Steinzor, published February 2, 2005 on the Center for American Progress website.

2004

• "Maryland Water Standards a Quarter Century Late and Counting," by Rena Steinzor, published December 15, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "States Fail to Ensure Water Quality," by Clifford Rechtschaffen, published November 17, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "Tort Law, Texas Style," on the merits of regulation through litigation, by Douglas A. Kysar, published October 20, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "Responsible Regulation Sabotaged," by Sidney A. Shapiro and Thomas O. McGarity, published September 22, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "In Bush Grazing Decision, Politics, Secrecy Win Again," Joseph Feller on Administration suppression of a damning environmental impact statement assessing the harm from a Bureau of Land Management grazing policy, published August 18 on the websites of the Center for American Progress and AlterNet.
• "Responsible Regulation Sabotaged," by Thomas O. McGarity and Sidney Shapiro, published September 22, 2004 on the website of the Center for American Progress.
• "Mad Cow 'Firewalls' Just a Smokescreen," Thomas O. McGarity on the loopholes in the government's protections against mad cow disease, published July 22, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "Try Not to Breathe," Catherine A. O'Neill on the Administration's strategic shift on pollution, from forcing polluters to prevent, mitigate, or minimize the pollution they produce, to putting the burden on individuals to avoid the risks of pollution, published July 7, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website, reprinted by AlterNet.
• "Dangerous Illusions about Wetlands,” Alyson Flournoy, on the Bush Administration’s Earth Day announcement about "protecting" wetlands, published May 19, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "Political Intervention: The White House Doctors Mercury Conclusions," by then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling and Member Scholar Rena Steinzor on White House meddling with the science on mercury pollution. Published April 16, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "A Perfect Storm," by Member Scholar Rena Steinzor then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling, on mercury pollution. Published March 17, 2004 on the Center for American Progress website.
• "Bush's Cost-Benefit View Carries a High Price," by then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling and Member Scholar Frank Ackerman, on the Bush Administration's use of cost-benefit analysis to foil California environmental laws, published in the April 26, 2004 San Jose Mercury News.
• "A weighty matter? Not this one," by Douglas Kysar, on Congressional efforts to end obesity liability lawsuits before they start. Published in the March 17, 2004Orlando Sentinel.
• "Balancing Lives Against Lucre," by then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling and Member Scholar Frank Ackerman, on the failure of cost-benefit analysis. Published February 25, 2004 in the Los Angeles Times.
• "Talk till cows come home, but beef safety takes action," by Tom McGarity, criticizing the USDA's assurances that its failure to find further Mad Cow-infected cattle means the remaining threat is minimal, published February 12, 2004 in the Austin American-Statesman.
• "Only an Independent Agency Can Safeguard Beef," by Tom McGarity, on the USDA's response to mad cow disease and the need for a truly independent federal agency to oversee food safety enforcement, published January 6, 2004 in the Dallas Morning News.
• "Data Quality Or Scientific Censorship?" by John Applegate, Don Hornstein, Tom McGarity, Sid Shapiro, Rena Steinzor, and Wendy Wagner, on the failings of the Data Quality Act. Published in Risk Policy Report, October 14, 2003, and posted here by permission. (The article reflects the views of the authors. Neither Risk Policy Report nor Inside Washington Publishers condones any particular public policy viewpoint.)

2003

• "Politics and Precaution," by William H. Buzbee, on how Mike Leavitt will handle the tensions between protecting the environment and political pressure from the White House, October 2003.
• "Too Little, Too Late: The Bush Administration Discovers the Importance of Clean Air," by then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling, on OMB report finding that the benefits of clean air regulation far outweighs the costs, October 2003.
• "Environmental Lawlessness Will Hurt Industry Too,"by Victor Flatt, on the dangers for business in the Bush Administration's new source review cave-in. Published Octboer 28, 2003, Houston Chronicle.
• "Anti-Environment Record," by then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling, letter-to-the-editor sets the record straight on John Graham's contributions to environmental protection, published in the Tampa Tribune, September 8, 2003.
• "A Free Ride for the Big Dirties," by then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling, on the Bush Administration's New Source Review giveaway to the power industry, September 2003.
• "Sidestepping regulations on environment, Bush ignores federalism," by Clifford Rechtschaffen, on the Administration's disavowal of federalist principles where the environment is concerned. Published August 18, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle.
• "U.S. pitches EU a hard ball," by Thomas O. McGarity, on the Administration’s “faith-based” approach to the regulation of genetically modified food crops. Published in the June 24, 2003 Sacramento Bee.
• "When Johnny Can’t Breathe," by then-Member Scholar Lisa Heinzerling on disturbing asthma findings in New York, and EPA’s discounting of the health impacts of pollution, May 2003.
• "U.S. seeks free pass on rocket fuel pollution," by Rena Steinzor, on rocket fuel from the West Virginia's Allegany Ballistics facility polluting local drinking water supplies. Published in the Cumberland (MD) Times-Herald, May 10, 2003. Reprinted by permission.
• "Secrecy and Winning the Peace," by Rena Steinzor, on excessive secrecy in the contracting process for rebuilding Iraq. Published in the Baltimore Sun on April 21, 2003, posted by permission of the Baltimore Sun.
• "Exemptions from Environmental Laws for the Military Are Unwarranted," by Robert L. Glicksman and Thomas McGarity, March 2003, on the Administration's proposal to exempt the military from key environmental laws.
• "Trouble Down on the Biopharm," by Thomas McGarity, March 2003, on USDA secrecy as it effects the prospects of genetically modified crops accidentally corrupting food crops.
• "Reckless Riders," by Thomas McGarity, February 2003, on a appropriations rider undercutting federal labeling of "organic" meat.
• "A Legislative Fix for Texas Polluters," Thomas McGarity, January 2003, on enforcement of the Clean Air Act, published in the January 18, 2003, Houston Chronicle.

2002

• "Let Them Not Eat Tuna Fish," by Rena Steinzor, January 2002, on the likelihood that the Administration's pollution credit-trading scheme and "Clear Skies" initiative will create numerous mercury "hot spots" around the nation, published in the January 13, 2003 Daytona Beach News-Journal. By permission of the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
• "Democracy Dies Behind Closed Doors," by Rena Steinzor, November 2002, on secrecy provisions in the Homeland Security bill.
• "Coddling the Big Dirties," by Sidney Shapiro, November 2002, on OMB backtracking on enforcement of pollution regulations governing power plants.