Latest News

ELAW Bulletin ELAW partner Norma Alvares of the Goa Foundation has won a tremendous victory in India. The Bombay High Court ruled that the Grand Hyatt Hotel was illegally constructed in the protected Coastal Regulation Zone, which prohibits development within 200 meters of the sea coast and 100 meters of tidal rivers.

ELAW Bulletin We were surprised and thrilled Saturday night to learn that we were receiving the 2014 David Brower Lifetime Achievement Award. The students of Land Air Water, the organizers of the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC), awarded us this high honor.

ELAW eBulletin ELAW Fellows and visitors from five continents have come together in Eugene to work with the ELAW team. Read about the inspiring work of partners from Uganda, Panama, Turkey, and Mongolia in the current Eugene Weekly.

ELAW Press ELAW Fellows and visitors from five continents have come together in Eugene to work with the ELAW team. Read about the inspiring work of partners from Uganda, Panama, Turkey, and Mongolia in the current Eugene Weekly.

Marine Protected Areas for Haiti

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ELAW's newest Fellow, Harriet Bibangambah from Kampala, Uganda, arrived on Monday. Over the next two weeks she will work with the ELAW team to strengthen her organization, Greenwatch. She will also attend the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) and meet ELAW partners from around the world.

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We are pleased to announce 10 years of collaboration with Defensa Ambiental del Noroeste (DAN) -- an inspiring organization of dedicated environmental leaders working to protect Mexico's Baja California. DAN attorney Maria Llano stopped by our office last week to celebrate our partnership and discuss the threat of an enormous open pit gold mine proposed for Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve.

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When tourists visit Panama, they enjoy the beaches, islands, and mountain forests. ELAW Staff Scientist Heidi Weiskel was in Panama this month with a different agenda. Heidi used her marine ecologist's eye to take in what's threatening Panama's natural environment. She joined ELAW partners to tour a new highway project that has cut through Panama Bay, the site of a proposed mega-port near Colon, and the site of a gold and copper mine that threatens the Tonosi and Quema Rivers on the Azuero Peninsula.

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In Africa, corporations seeking oil, gas, gold, and timber threaten agricultural lands, waterways, and national parks. ELAW is working with local advocates to level the playing field for threatened communities.

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Attorney Baigalimaa Nyamdavaa from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, will be with us for 10 weeks. This is her first time in the United States.

ELAW Press ELAW partner Diana McCaulay at the Jamaica Environment Trust says, "The lack of transparency that has attended this important matter from the outset is nothing short of disgraceful."

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ELAW partners are speaking out for clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet. Enjoy some recent press clips featuring our partners in Tanzania, India, and Israel.

ELAW Press Tanzania's anti-poaching "Operation Tokomeza" was suspended following reports of rampant human rights abuses. ELAW partner Rugemeleza Nshala says the operation targeted "small fish." Rugemeleza says "we need to identify and stop the heavyweights behind the illicit trade."

ELAW eBulletin After four hard fought years, the National Green Tribunal has shelved a coal-fired power plant proposed for Komarada Village in Andhra Pradesh. Ritwick filed the case on behalf of Samata, a social justice organization that defends the rights of the Adivasi people in Andhra Pradesh.

ELAW Press ELAW partner Ritwick Dutta fought his first case at the age of 28 against Vedanta, representing the Dongria Kondh tribals of Niyamgiri, who wanted to stop the London-listed giant from mining bauxite.

ELAW Press The Justice Ministry unveiled a draft bill that will restructure the laws governing Israel's coastal waters. While praising the Justice Ministry's decision to issue a bill, Adam Teva V'Din (Israel Union for Environmental Defense) cited several flaws within its text that could allow for an "environmental disaster" to occur in waters that the organization describes as the "Wild West."

ELAW eBulletin The people of Ukraine are demanding democracy, and ELAW co-founder John Bonine is there to witness. John arrived in Lviv earlier this week and is now in Kyiv with ELAW partners at Environment-People-Law (EPL).

ELAW Press The people of Ukraine are demanding democracy, and ELAW co-founder John Bonine was there to witness. Read his observations in the Kyiv Post.

ELAW eBulletin Lead in paint is a potent neurological toxin. Most industrialized countries have recognized the harm caused by childhood exposure to lead and enacted strict regulations to prohibit the use of lead in consumer products, especially paints. In Tanzania, there are regulations in place but they are not enforced, and children continue being exposed to lead.

ELAW eBulletin ELAW is thrilled to be releasing a new publication, "Natural Resource Contracts: A Practical Guide," which will help grassroots advocates around the world understand these agreements and advocate for stronger environmental, social, and fiscal provisions.

ELAW eBulletin Minerva Rosette is an environmental engineer with the Southeast office of Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA, Mexican Center for Environmental Law). We are collaborating with Minerva to protect communities and coastlines on the Yucatán Peninsula.

ELAW Press ELAW partner and Goldman Prize winner Rizwana Hasan at the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association has worked tirelessly to protect the human rights of ship breakers and safeguard fragile beaches.

ELAW Press An op-ed in The Hindu by ELAW partner Ritwick Dutta talks about the impact the National Green Tribunal is having on environmental decision-making in India. According to Ritwick, “the [National Green Tribunal] NGT has emerged as a new hope for the environmental movement in [India].” The National Green Tribunal is responsible for reviewing evidence on environmental disputes and affaires within the Indian Parliament.

ELAW eBulletin ELAW partner and Goldman Prize winner Rizwana Hasan at the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association has worked tirelessly to protect the human rights of ship breakers and safeguard fragile beaches.

Building Strong Organizations

ELAW eBulletin An op-ed by ELAW partner Ritwick Dutta was recently published in The Hindu. Ritwick describes how the National Green Tribunal is transforming the way environmental decisions are being made in India.

ELAW eBulletin Waterways in south central Siberia's Altai-Sayan Ecoregion are threatened by abandoned and proposed mining operations, and hydropower projects. This remote area, rich in biodiversity, sits at the junction of the mountains of Russia's Siberian taiga, the steppes of Kazakhstan, and the semi-deserts of Mongolia.

ELAW eBulletin The Peruvian Amazon is threatened by oil and gas operations, palm oil plantations, and artisanal gold mining. ELAW Staff Scientist Meche Lu was in Iquitos last week, the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest.

ELAW eBulletin The City of Cape Town is running out of places to put trash, so it proposed building a massive landfill in nearby Atlantis. Concerned about the potential impact of the massive landfill, local residents called on ELAW partners at the Legal Resources Centre for help.

ELAW eBulletin Kenyan attorney Benedette Mutuku and Tanzanian attorney Adolf Runyoro arrived in Eugene on Monday. These ELAW Fellows will work closely with the ELAW team to strengthen their organizations and tap legal and scientific resources.

ELAW eBulletin We look forward to welcoming ELAW Fellow Laura Palmese on Sunday. Laura is a public interest environmental attorney at Instituto de Derecho Ambiental de Honduras (IDAMHO, Environmental Law Institute). ELAW has worked with IDAMHO for many years to protect the Mesoamerican Reef and challenge short-sighted tourism development.

ELAW eBulletin Cancun is a poster child for coastal development gone awry, but nearby ecosystems can still be saved. ELAW Staff Scientist Heidi Weiskel was in Quintana Roo last week, collaborating with ELAW partners at the Southeast office of Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Mexican Environmental Law Center). CEMDA is working hard to protect marine and coastal ecosystems from short-sighted development schemes.