ABA Section of Enviroment, Energy and Resources to Hold Environmental Law Conference in Colorado

CHICAGO, Feb. 2, 2005 – Key players in environmental law will gather in Keystone, Colo., to discuss major environmental issues and challenges, including U.S. efforts to address climate change, preserving a safe and reliable food supply and corporate trends toward sustainable development, at the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources’ 34th Annual Conference on Environmental Law, March 10 – 13 at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center. This year’s keynote speaker, John R. McNeill, is a history professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., as well as the author of Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth Century World. McNeill will discuss the ecological dangers of our current fossil fuel-based civilization, demonstrating how our demand for cheap energy and rapid economic growth has strained our air, water and soil while at the same time documenting the successes of environmental policy in reversing pollution. Programs will feature government officials, representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice, senior corporate executives and leading environmental lawyers. Conference highlights include:

• Hot & Bothered: Law, Policy & Management in an Uncertain Climate - Distinguished panelists including Andrew Hoffman of the University of Michigan and Ann R. Klee, general counsel for the EPA, will discuss how U.S. efforts to address climate change have moved to encompass state and local government, and the implications of this for business, after the federal government’s refusal to ratify the Kyoto Treaty.
• Environmental Law and the Journey Toward Sustainable Development: Insights from Corporate Counsel – Representatives from leading corporations will shed light on the status of the ongoing debate over the role of corporations in fostering sustainable development progress and describe how sustainable development is beginning to impact environmental policies within America’s major companies.
• CAFOs and More: Agricultural Policy Meets Environmental Law – Panel speakers representing the perspectives of government, agriculture and the environmental community will explore the policy considerations at work in preserving a safe and reliable food supply and strong agricultural economy while at the same time protecting our natural resources.
• Book Talk — Richard Lazarus, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. – Lazarus will discuss his new book, The Making of Environmental Law, an innovative look at the interaction of law, politics, science and economics in the development of today’s regulatory structures.

The ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources is the premier forum for strategies and information for environmental, energy and resource lawyers. Representing more than 10,000 members with a wide range of professional interests, the section keeps its members abreast of development trends, current court decisions, legislative initiatives and statutes concerning environmental, natural resources and energy law. With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law in a democratic society. Editor’s note: Reporters are welcome to attend the conference for free. For credential guidelines visit www.abanow.org/reporter-resources/media-credentials/.