Michael Gerrard
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michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard
@michaelgerrard.bsky.social
1.2K followers 790 following 73 posts

Professor of environmental and energy law, Columbia Law School. Founder and faculty director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. Practiced environmental law in NYC full-time, 1979-2008.

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Michael Burr Gerrard is an American legal scholar. He is the Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Law School.

Source: Wikipedia
Environmental science 26%
Law 23%
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michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20h
had been since 1953. New technologies have emerged that weren't envisioned in 1983 when we did our study, rendering the MetroCard obsolete, and it goes away when the ball drops at Times Square. But it served the city well for a generation.

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20h
to happen; the transit bureaucracy and unions had to be convinced, the computer systems needed to be created, all the subway turnstiles and bus fareboxes had to be converted, and much else needed to be done. But since 1994 the MetroCard has become as much a part of life in New York as the token ...

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20h
to students and seniors; and allow fare increases without needing replacement cards. They were harder to counterfeit than tokens and didn't require riders to carry metal in their pockets. So Steve and I recommended the adoption of fare cards with magnetic stripes. It took a decade for this ....

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20h
technologically sophisticated systems used magnetic stripes. This was a revolutionary advance over the token. It could store the value of multiple trips, and delete them as they were used; allow unlimited trips for a day or a month; vary the fare with distance or time of day; provide discounts ...

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20h
but there was no 15 cent piece.) So in 1983 my colleague Steve Polan and I separately visited the major cities in North and South America, Europe and Asia that had electronic fare collection systems, rode their subways, and interviewed their managers. We found that the most ...

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20h
of modern fare collection systems that could replace the subway token, which had been in use since 1953, when the fare went to 15 cents. (The fare was five cents from 1904 to 1948, and was paid with a nickel; then ten cents, and paid with a dime or two nickels; ....

Reposted by Rebecca M. Bratspies

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20h
The retirement of the MetroCard at midnight tonight is bittersweet for me. In 1983, as a young lawyer, I took a year's leave of absence from my law firm to serve as special counsel to Richard Ravitch, chairman of the NY MTA. He gave me the task of leading a study ...
mta.info Metropolitan Transportation Authority @mta.info · 1d
It's the final day of MetroCard sales—so as we say farewell to an icon, let's take a look at how it all started.

Thank you, MetroCard, for moving New York to the very last swipe.

Reposted by Michael Gerrard

mta.info
Metropolitan Transportation Authority @mta.info · 1d
It's the final day of MetroCard sales—so as we say farewell to an icon, let's take a look at how it all started.

Thank you, MetroCard, for moving New York to the very last swipe.

Reposted by Michael Gerrard

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Michael Gerrard, Joe R. Feagin

thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d
Endless lies 🤥

Reposted by Michael Gerrard, Christian E. Weller, Anne Norton , and 1 more

joncooper-us.bsky.social
Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 5d
👇👇

Reposted by Richard Blundell, Andrew Y. Ng, Stefan Auer , and 128 more

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20d
Thanks, Nate. I'm glad that you found my paper to be useful. It's still in draft, so any comments are welcome.

Reposted by Michael Gerrard

nateela.bsky.social
Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 21d
This from @michaelgerrard.bsky.social on legal scenarios for U.S. cities in a changing climate looks great. Excited to use it in my cities and climate change seminar next time around.
Five Urban Futures for a Hot Planet: U.S. Legal Scenarios
If current climate change trends continue, flooding, extreme heat and wildfires will make the homes of millions or tens of millions of people in the United Stat
papers.ssrn.com

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 22d
December issue of Sabin Center for Climate Change Law's litigation newsletter: bit.ly/4iK4eJ4. 11 new court decisions from the U.S.; 18 new lawsuits and filings in the U.S.; numerous cases in Brazil and Australia; and cases in Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, UK, European Court of Human Rights.
⚖️🌏Sabin Center Climate Litigation Newsletter (December 9, 2025)
bit.ly

Reposted by Michael Gerrard, Richard S.J. Tol, Alistair Munro

brooklynspoke.bsky.social
Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 23d
"The study found that, from January through June 2025, average daily maximum PM2.5 concentrations in Manhattan’s CRZ declined by 3.05 micrograms per cubic meter – a reduction of 22% compared to a projected average of 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter had congestion pricing not been implemented."
Congestion pricing improved air quality in NYC and suburbs | Cornell Chronicle
Cornell researchers tallied the environmental benefits of New York City’s congestion pricing program and found air pollution dropped by 22% in Manhattan, with additional declines across the city’s fiv...
news.cornell.edu

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 24d
Good news in court: U.S. District Court in Massachusetts rules that Trump's order issued on Inauguration Day blocking new offshore wind projects is arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law, and vacates it. bit.ly/48tCcy0
Order on Motion for Summary Judgment AND Order on Motion for Summary Judgment AND Order on Motion for Summary Judgment – #234 in State of New York v. Trump (D. Mass., 1:25-cv-11221) – CourtListener.co...
District Judge Patti B. Saris: MEMORANDUM and ORDER entered. Plaintiffs' motions for summary judgment (Dkts. 172, 175 ) are ALLOWED and the Agency Defendants' motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 179 ) i...
bit.ly

Reposted by Michael Gerrard, Joseph Schafer, Bessma Momani , and 1 more

janrosenow.bsky.social
Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 24d
EVs beat petrol cars on lifetime emissions — even on “dirty” grids.
Battery production is carbon-intensive, but EVs quickly repay that debt and end up 21–71% cleaner over 250,000 km.

We can’t wait for perfect grids: electrify transport and clean the grid now.

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · Dec 1
It's very important that prospective home buyers and tenants have information about the climate risks of where they are considering moving. It's a real setback to climate adaptation that this information is being removed from Zillow. FEMA flood maps cannot be relied upon. bit.ly/4op4Vsw
sammyroth.bsky.social Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · Dec 1
Zillow bowed to pressure from real estate agents and removed climate risk scores from home listings: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Michael Gerrard

sammyroth.bsky.social
Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · Dec 1
Zillow bowed to pressure from real estate agents and removed climate risk scores from home listings: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/c...
Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Michael Gerrard

sabincenter.bsky.social
Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · Nov 25
‼️ 📆 On May 21-22, 2026, we will host our 14th Annual Sabin Colloquium on Innovative Environmental Law Scholarship, which will allow junior environmental law scholars to present early-stage work and receive constructive feedback from a panel of senior scholars. More info ➡️ buff.ly/xubshqy