The University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and UCLA School of Law said earlier this year that they've launched a blog called Legal Planet that provides insight and analysis on climate change, energy, and environmental law and policy. The collaborative blog draws upon the research strengths and expertise of the law schools' think tanks and legal scholars.

"Legal Planet focuses on significant developments in law and policy for a general audience," says Dan Farber, director of Berkeley Law's environmental law program and faculty co-director of the school's Center on Law, Energy, and the Environment. "We highlight the latest legal and policy initiatives, and examine the impact they might have on our planet. Do they protect our natural resources, or impair our legacy for future generations? Do they reduce our carbon footprint, or worsen climate change? Are they real steps forward, or merely political posturing?"

Ann Carlson, faculty director of the Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law, says the academic environment at the two law schools makes the cross-campus collaboration a good fit. "Each law school's environmental law program is steeped in public policy and analysis and reflects the broad interdisciplinary nature of this field," Carlson says.

Legal Planet co-creators Farber and Carlson claim the site fills a unique space on the blogosphere by bridging the worlds of law and policy and by translating the latest developments in a way that's understandable to a mass audience.

Contributors write about Supreme Court decisions, policy developments, regulatory actions, and state and national legislation that affect areas such as water resource management, toxic waste disposal, renewable energy, air quality, and land use. The blog is located at legalplanet.wordpress.com.