(Washington, D.C.): Fifty years ago this week, lawyers, practitioners, and academics from across the country interested in the emerging field of environmental law gathered at Airlie House in Warrenton, Virginia, to attend the Conference on Law and the Environment. The conference had a significant impact on the legal profession by initiating fertile exchange among many lawyers who were breaking new ground. Importantly, the gathering endorsed the creation of the Environmental Law Institute, incorporated a few months later on December 22, 1969, the very same day NEPA was passed. The nonpartisan, nonprofit has since grown to become a major research, education, and publication center, providing a safe space for environmental professionals around the world to share new ideas and approaches to environmental law, policy, and regulation.
Of course, the world is very different than it was 50 years ago, with climate change being the new legal unknown and technology growing at an exponential rate. Yet, ELI continues to press forward tackling the biggest challenges facing people, places, and the planet.
On October 1-3, 2019, the Environmental Law Institute and collaborators will host GreenTech 2019: Innovating Environmental Protection for the Future in Seattle, Washington, to think about how we can harness technology in ways that protect or, better yet, improve our environment. What can technologists and policymakers learn from one another to help protect our environment? Are legal systems helping or thwarting environmentally friendly innovations? How can legal frameworks promote technological advancements that protect our environment? Can our legal systems even keep pace?
Policymakers, lawmakers, technologists, NGOs, and anyone interested in shaping the intersection between technology and our environment are strongly encouraged to attend this unique conference co-designed and sponsored by innovators from the tech sector, including Amazon, Apple, BNSF, Exelon, First Solar, Google, Intel, and Microsoft.
For more details, visit: https://www.greentechconference.org/.
Press registration: https://www.greentechconference.org/press-media-requests.