State of the Environment
University of Oregon
I recently attended the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) annual meeting & Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) at the University of Oregon Law School.
As I generally work with tech startups and tech companies, I figured that this trip would provide the opportunity to work with and interact with a different group of people.
Little did I know.
Lessons learned:
There’s a real need to share information. ELAW started by Professor John Bonine and early on, adopted email to build their network to connect public interest environmental lawyers with resources to help them with their work. Now, they’re looking to leverge social media tools to share information more effectively.
Many human rights/environmental rights issues are addressed in languages other than English. I really wish my Spanish were better. Regardless, I’ve learned quite a bit about the challenges faced by the rainforests, villages in Asia and South America, the effects of mining and mineral extraction.
One of the most inspiring stories I’ve heard came from Pablo Fajardo. He’s from an Ecuadorian Amazon village and is involved in litigation against Chevron/Texaco - four years after getting his law degree. He’s faced with threats from his work, such that his family has to live in separate villages, for their protection. He’s a simple man, from a humble background who is fighting because he loves his land, his people and he does this for his children and his children’s children.
Who knew that the question “So what project are you working on?” could be both powerful and humbling?
blogged in Eugene, OR at the University of Oregon Law School