by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
The essence of the Environmental Law Community Action Team may be found in the last word.
“The word ‘Team’ gets to the point,” said Jeremy Simons, president of ELCAT, at a recent meeting to recruit new members. “There are different facets to ELCAT. We have different groups that do different functions. They come and go as each function sparks their interest.
“Hopefully, some projects here will spark your interest enough to get involved.”
Those who decide to get involved will have plenty to do, Simons said.
In addition to gathering teams to work on three research projects, ELCAT members will schedule speakers for the Environmental Summit 2004, raise funds and awareness for environmental issues and try to involve the community in events.
Those with extra time on their hands were invited to work on the organization’s newsletter, which recently published its first edition.
For students who plan to work in an environmental field after graduation, said Simons, “This is the number one way to start networking with a whole slew of . . . attorneys, government agencies, nonprofits — with anybody and everybody who’s interested in the environment.”
Working on extra research projects while going to law school can chew up the hours in a day, acknowledged Simons, a first-year student who works a 40-hour week with the Fish and Wildlife Service.
“We don’t want it to interfere with your school work, but what you can do helps us, and it helps you,” he said. “Our goal is to make our students competitive in the environmental law community.”
One group of students will compile comments on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report that was recently released for public review.
Another group will address thermal discharge issues and other factors that affect manatees’ dependence on artificial warm-water sources, such as power plants.
“When the water drops below something like 67 degrees,” said Simons, “manatees essentially go into a coma. They start slowing down, they can’t get the food they need, and they die. They’re very specific on the water temperature.”
A team will examine “ordinance-type” issues, such as driving vehicles on beaches. Students will probably research the “highly contested” debate in Volusia County, “although that hits home to a lot of people in Jacksonville, too,” Simons said.
It’s not all sweat and research papers, he said. The group will relax Saturday with a birding trip to Merritt Island. Members will go to SeaWorld on March 13 to talk to those who work in manatee rescue and rehabilitation. They will also help students at the University of Central Florida, who are conducting a turtle research program at Melbourne.
Not every student who comes to law school plans to become a lawyer but intends “to go into government work and do policy or legislative affairs issues,” he pointed out. To help meet those needs, ELCAT is developing an internship with the Department of Environmental Protection for some 1L’s to do field work and research.
The organization is also in the “very, very beginning” of discussions with a prominent local environmental law firm to take on some 2L’s for paid internships, he said.
“If you want to work for an environmental law firm, we’re working on that,” Simons said. “If you want to work for the state or a city, to do research projects that are going to be publishable, we do that, too.”
Organizing the annual Environmental Summits is the prime focus of ELCAT, which is part of the Center for Strategic Governance and International Initiatives.
“What we’re looking for are students who’ll start making the contacts with the community and build a panel, develop and create relationships so the speakers will be excited to come back,” said Simons.
In an attempt to attract more members of the community, ELCAT for the first time is planning an accompanying art show.
The winning piece — which may be any form of artwork — will be the showcase of the summit. The winner will also get “some type of scholarship or an award,” said Simons.
About nine or 10 of the top pieces will be auctioned, with proceeds to benefit ELCAT projects.
“Jacksonville is a huge environmental issue-based community,” said Simons. “But the community doesn’t necessarily know there are student-based organizations latching onto this.
“We certainly hope this is going to spark the interest of the community to get them involved.”