On March 1-2, 2007, VJEL held its seventh annual spring symposium on “China in Transition: Environmental Challenges in
the Far East.”
The topic of the environmental challenges in China, both timely and engaging,
has been rising in significance in a number of venues over the past
decade. As China grows in force both
economically and politically, it becomes increasingly important to examine the
pressing environmental questions that necessarily stem from rapid
development. By hosting a Symposium
aimed at igniting dialogue and solutions around this topic of global concern,
VJEL is excited to be a part of expanding Vermont Law
School's recognition as a
cutting-edge institution focused on environmental law. The Symposium brought advocates, government
officials, attorneys, and citizens from all across the United States and China
to the Vermont Law
School campus in South
Royalton.
The event was sponsored by the Vermont Journal
of Environmental Law, the Vermont
Law School,
the VLS Institute for Energy and the Environment, and the U.S. Agency for
International Development.
The symposium transcript is published in Volume 8, Issue Number 2 of the Journal (8 Vt. J. Envtl. L. 2)
and is available online in HTML and PDF. You may access audio files and transcripts of
the individual speeches and panel discussions below.
SCHEDULE
Opening Speech, Wang Canfa, Special Functions of Promoting Public
Participation in Environmental Protection in Aiding Pollution Victims (Mar.
1, 2006).
Length:
87 minutes [audio wav (220MB)] [audio mp3 (40MB)] [transcript pdf]
Professor
Wang Canfa is Professor at the China University of
Political Science and Law in Beijing
and Director of the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims.
Keynote Speech, Jerome Cohen, An Introduction to Law
in China
(Mar. 2, 2006).
Length:
63 minutes [audio mp3 (27MB)] [transcript pdf]
Professor
Jerome A. Cohen is Professor at New York University School of Law, Counsel in
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP,
and Senior Fellow for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Panel Discussion, Energy: China's
Current Status and Future Outlook (Mar. 2, 2006).
Length:
59 minutes [audio mp3 (24MB)] [transcript pdf]
Mark Levine, Director of the Environmental Energy
Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory.
Frederick
Weston, Director of the Regulatory Assistance Project. [presentation ppt (10MB)]
Mingde Cao, Professor,
Southwest University of Political Science and Law and Director of the
Environmental Law Center
of Western China.
Discussion, Environmental
Challenges Facing Rural Areas in the Process of Industrialization (Mar. 2,
2006).
Length:
46 minutes [audio mp3 (18MB)] [transcript pdf]
Professor Li Zhiping, Professor
of Law at Sun Yat-sen University and Director of the
Environmental Law Clinic at the Law School of Sun Yat-sen
University.
Panel Discussion, The International Silk Road:
Engaging Domestic Efforts to Protect China's Environment (Mar. 2,
2006).
Length:
111 minutes [audio mp3 (46MB)] [transcript pdf]
Wang Canfa, Professor at the China
University of Political Science and
Law in Beijing
and Director of the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims.
Margret
Kim, Public Adviser, California
Energy Commission.
Patti Goldman, Managing Attorney, Earthjustice.
Alex
Wang, Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Beijing
and Director of the China
Environmental Law Project.
Panel Discussion, Regulating China's
Water Resources: Discussing Government, Business, & Community Perspectives,
Concerns, & Responsibilities (Mar. 2, 2006).
Length:
63 minutes [audio mp3 (27MB)] [transcript pdf]
Marcia Mulkey, Director
of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency's National Enforcement Training Institute
Division. [presentation ppt
(1.2MB)]
Dr. Irene Klaver,
Associate Professor, University of North Texas, Department of Philosophy and
Religion Studies, and Director of the Philosophy of Water Issues Program.
