Commentaries by Kanika Jamwal and Armin Rosencranz

Royal Dutch Shell Ordered to Reduce Its Carbon Emissions

marcinjozwiak / Pixabay

Royal Dutch Shell Ordered to Reduce Its Carbon Emissions

Kanika Jamwal and Armin Rosencranz

June 15, 2021 09:00:09 am

In a historic decision on May 26, 2021, the Hague District Court ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut its carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. The ruling came in a petition filed by seven Dutch environmental organizations, of which Milieudefensie represented 17,379 individual claimants. The applicants argued that Shell should [...]

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse. However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.