Nick Collins
Appears in 48 Episodes
ELI Intern Minisode: The 30x30 Initiative in California and Environmental Justice in the Farm Bill
At the Environmental Law Institute, interns have the opportunity to develop independent research projects based off their interests. In this episode of the People Plac...
Here's To New Adventures: Farewell to Our 2022 Research Associates
In this week’s episode of People Places Planet Podcast, three of ELI's four outgoing Research Associates (Sarah Backer, Ella Stack, and Tori Rickman) sit down with hos...
Planted! How Local Governments are Increasing the Availability of Plant-Based Proteins to Reduce Emissions from Food
Many municipal buildings, schools, hospitals, restaurants, and workplace cafeterias do not offer plant-based entrees. Making plant-based meals the default or even simp...
Planted! How Local Governments are Engaging the Public on the Benefits of Plant-Based Proteins
There are myriad ways to engage the public on the climate, health, and other benefits of plant-based proteins—from launching awareness campaigns to providing food samp...
Planted! How Local Governments Can Measure and Tackle Food-Related Emissions
Very few municipal sustainability initiatives to date have focused on food-related emissions and specifically the relatively low carbon footprint of plant-based protei...
State of the Environment: How States Are Leading the Charge on Environmental Protection (feat. Elizabeth Biser and Ben Grumbles)
Over 90% of US primary environmental laws are implemented and enforced at the state level. The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) plays a critical role in empo...
The Clean Air Act, Explained
Have you seen the images of urban smog from the 1960s? Although there is still progress to be made, U.S. air quality has dramatically improved over the past 50 years. ...
Law of the Land: Towards a More Sustainable Food System
From producing food deserts and food swamps to negatively impacting biodiversity and ecosystem health, land use laws have shaped America’s food system for decades. Unf...
Chevron Deference in the Dock: SCOTUS and the Future of Environmental Protection
Good environmental governance has long relied on sound, science-based agency decisionmaking. That fundamental premise may be eroding as a landscape that was stable for...
Enchanted and Endangered: Wetlands Restoration in New Mexico
While often overlooked, wetlands in New Mexico are integral to ecological balance, water filtration, and the local flora and fauna. Maryann McGraw, Wetlands Program Co...
Science to the People: Engaging Communities in Wetlands Restoration
What role can communities play in wetlands restoration? Jess Hua, Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of the Hua Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison ...
Shoreline Solutions: Public-Private Partnerships for Florida's Wetlands
Wetlands don't distinguish between public and private land. What does that mean for restoration practitioners? Tom Ries, founder of Ecosphere Restoration Institute, is...
No Wetlands, No Seafood: How Wilmington, NC is Balancing Conservation and Development
With ecosystems ranging from lush wetlands to rolling forests, North Carolina hosts an incredible array of habitats. Incredibly, biologically diverse wetlands make up ...
The Enforcement Angle: New Generation of Nuclear - Advanced Reactors
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC” or the “Agency”) licenses and regulates the civilian and commercial use of nuclear power and radioactive materials, inclu...
Reflecting on a Half Century of Environmental Law, Policy, and Governance
Each April, we celebrate the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. This movement resulted in the creation of many of the United States' foundational envi...
Honoring Mud Lake This Earth Day
Mud Lake, written and illustrated by 2020 National Wetlands Award winner Sam Lovall, is a collection of short adventure stories set in the 1960s and 70s about children...
NEPA, Explained
When airports, buildings, highways, dams, power plants, and other federal activities are proposed, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements are invoke...
ELR Spotlight: A Primer on Climate Justice Litigation in the United States
Over the last three decades, numerous studies have concluded that African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and working-class White ...
Diplomacy Required: Women, Water, and Peace
The theme of this year’s World Water Day is “Water for Peace”. With over 2 billion people around the world lacking clean water access, tensions can arise within commu...
Unleash the Green: Legal and Policy Solutions for Green Startups
Green startups are imagining solutions to the climate crisis and leading the transition to a sustainable economy. Yet sustainable entrepreneurship remains incredibly d...
How Can Business Help Solve the Freshwater Crisis?
Billions of people around the globe lack adequate access to clean water. This freshwater crisis will be exacerbated by climate change. Liquid Asset: How Business and G...
Cumulative Impact Analysis: Massachusetts, EPA, and Beyond
Communities are exposed to pollution through the air, water, and land. Multiple sources of pollution and other environmental stressors can add up over time to cause ad...
Confidence in Climate Science: How Consensus Emerges in the Scientific Community
Building scientific agreement is a meticulous process. In climate science, this process has faced a lot of outside scrutiny. In this episode, ELI’s Staff Scientist Dr....
Swamps, Science, and Sackett: ELI's Approach to Wetland Preservation
What do Wetlands have to do with wellbeing? As vibrant and critical ecosystems, wetlands provide economic, cultural, and climate benefits to communities worldwide. Yet...
From Dubai with Dedication: Navigating COP28 Climate Commitments
A lot has been said about COP28. It has been described as a success, failure, and everything in between, but what actually happened? This week, host Sarah Backer is jo...
Every Drop Counts: At the Confluence of Water and Law
It’s undeniable that we take water access for granted – until we don’t have it or until water quality degrades, anyways. With at least forty states anticipating water ...
Can Fashion Ever Be Sustainable? Maybe.
Consumers are seeking out ethically made and climate-friendly apparel to gift this holiday season. But how do they know whether their purchases are truly sustainable o...
Governing for Sustainability: A Conversation with Scott Schang and John Dernbach
The United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 integrated goals that address global challenges, including those related to poverty, inequality, cli...
COP28 Special: The Global Stocktake and Climate Equity
Today is the first day of COP28, where participants will discuss the first-ever global stocktake, an assessment of global action on climate change to date. The global ...
Eat Your T(of)urkey: How to Reduce Food Waste This Thanksgiving
An estimated 312 million pounds of food will be wasted this Thanksgiving. In this week’s episode, host Sarah Backer is joined by ELI Senior Attorney Linda Breggin and ...