April 2009

President's Message

If it seems like only last month that you read a missive from me (assuming you read them!!), it was!  Our last mailing was a little late as we awaited the new edition of the NELR.  But having now got back up to schedule on the journal side, I find myself writing another President's message.....

Next week I will be heading to North America to catch up with the leaders of the environment sections of the American and Canadian Bar Associations who I met last year in Ottawa.  I am looking forward to the opportunity to talk again with some of the leading environmental practitioners in that part of the world - especially to see how the new US President has "changed the mood" of environmental professionals with his stated commitments to climate change, green jobs and so on.  I'll be particularly interested to see if Barack Obama's credentials play out in the more 'mundane' environmental issues of Arctic wildlife preservation and oil exploration, sulphur dioxide emissions and water management.  I also hope to initiate some more formal 'information exchange' in the form of articles for the NELR.

On matters closer to home, a small multi-jurisdictional working group of NELA members contributed to the drafting of a submission to the Department of Climate Change on the exposure draft legislation for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.  My thanks to Anna Wylie, Julia Pitts, Melanie Palmer, Michael Voros and Pepe Clarke for contributing their time and ideas to the submission.  If you would like a copy, please contact the National Secretariat. 

Robyn Glindemann