Wednesday, September 20th at 7 pm in MSC 2406

A panel discussion, moderated by Timothy M. Mulvaney from the School of Law and featuring panelist Dr. Wendy Jepson from the Department of Geography both at Texas A&M, covering the role of the US Constitution on climate change policy.

​Description: The Constitution of the United States notes in the preamble a concern for promoting the general welfare of ourselves and our posterity. In a world where the health of the environment threatens not only our welfare, but the welfare of generations to come, environmental protection is of vital importance. The Commerce Clause also affirms the right of the government to pass environmental regulation, as it gives Congress the authority “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes.” This clause was used to pass many federal statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. However, the question remains as to what kind of action is appropriate for both the environment and the economy. Do some statutes to protect the environment cause undue harm to the economy? Does the harm done to our environment have a greater economic impact than the statutes passed to protect it? How far can our government go, and how far should they go, to regulate industries’ impact on the environment? The event is free and open to the public.