Global warming catches on in legal field

[rusty charly]

The legal world has been jumping on the bandwagon of those convinced the issues of global warming and climate change are here to stay- and could even prove to be a lucrative new field. These days, it seems everyone wants to get in on the act, from big law firms starting specialty practice groups, to solo lawyers working on projects, to law schools adding classes devoted to the subject. Some in the legal world predict climate change work has the po tential to be the next big wave of litigation, akin to the huge tobacco and asbestos cases, as lawyers go after energy companies and coal mines that produce carbon dioxide.

http://www.nj.com/business/times/index.ssf?/base/business-2/118386778639280.xml&coll=5

While others don't go so far as that, everyone seems to agree at torneys are going to be plenty busy helping towns, companies and residents sort out the legal implica tions of global warming. "That's going to be one of the biggest legal practices in the next 20 years," said Howard Latin, a professor at Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, who includes discussion of global warming in his toxic torts and product liability classes. "It's growing into something very big. It's a whole new industry, so there's always a lot of legal work," said Edna Sussman, chairwoman of an American Bar Association committee on renewable energy resources.

[Berry Cool]

1. I was a little surprised this article focused so heavily on litigation, regulatory issues

and the legal aspects of helping businesses "go green," when there is so much more to it.

Another aspect in which the legal field has latched onto the global warming issue is in helping expand growth of renewable energy. And that means plenty of work for lawyers in helping investors structure and finance projects in the area, as well as helping them deal with the regulatory issues and with selling the energy they produce to power companies.

Renewable energy is becoming so much more than a panel of solar cells on the roof of someone's house or a wind turbine sitting on somebody's farm.