5 March 2007: Flurries, brief but furious, burning off in the sun.

Those who braved the Friday weather to attend the VJEL Symposium were well rewarded with what will be remembered as, without a doubt, one of the finest symposiums ever hosted at VLS. Though the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law will be publishing its Symposium issue sometime in May, nothing can come close to reproducing the buzz of intellectual engagement that hummed through the crowd in the Chase Center last week.That VJEL was able to arrange for such an impressive slate of speakers is a telling indicator of not only the Journal’s professionalism, but the importance of addressing rapid environmental degradation in China and its effects on that country’s people and the world. Not a panel concluded without insightful and frequently passionate commentary from the audience, including other panelists, students, and our own distinguished faculty.

The Symposium was conceived, coordinated and carried into action entirely by the effort of the VJEL Staff, though not without the much appreciated assistance of the VLS faculty, staff and administration. Support also came in part from the USAID grant, recently awarded to the school, and from the Institute for Energy & the Environment. All came together to put on a riveting and engaging Symposium on a crucial environmental and human rights issue facing our planet, reminding me why I chose to pursue a legal education at VLS in the first place.

So, “thanks” to everyone who made last Friday possible. It was an event like no other.