On Monday, October 20, faculty, staff, and graduate students attended an Inklings gathering featuring Dr. Chris Brown, a member of the legal studies and public administration faculties. His topic was “Corporate Lysenkoism: Trump’s EPA, the Endangerment Finding, and the Future of Climate Change Policy.”
During his presentation, Dr. Brown explored key legal and policy developments shaping federal climate regulation. He discussed Massachusetts v. EPA and its foundational test for standing, the EPA’s statutory duty under the Clean Air Act, the 2009 EPA Endangerment Finding issued under 42 U.S.C. § 7521(a)(1). He shared the finding of the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its reports, emphasizing the growing manifestations of climate change—such as sea level rise, droughts, flooding, and extreme weather events.
Dr. Christopher Brown received his J.D from the University of Texas at Austin. Before arriving at Texas State University, he served as a judicial clerk to the Texas Court of Appeals for the Eighth Judicial District, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas; litigated on behalf of the Texas Attorney General’s Office; and served as an air and water quality attorney for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. His works have been published in the Journal of Public Affairs Education, Texas Environmental Law Journal, and Ethics, Environmental Justice.
The original Inklings consisted of a small group of intellectuals (whose ranks included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) who met weekly at Oxford University to read aloud and discuss their works in a spirit of fellowship and civil conversation. In the spirit of these Inklings, the Department of Political Science at Texas State University has held similar gatherings for more than two decades. Meeting monthly, TXST Inklings participants discuss research, exchange ideas, and address a wide variety of issues reflecting diverse interests.
For more information on the series, please contact Dr. Arnold Leder at al04@txstate.edu.
