Hellooooo February!

Alright now we’re a good couple of weeks into classes. This semester is MUCH busier than last fall was. At least in terms of scheduled requirements. My four classes and internship are being managed fairly well at this point. I would love to be able to have more time to commit to my internship than I do. However, since I’m not doing it for credit I am restricted to the 10 to 12 hours I already dedicate (time commuting included). The balancing act will only get more interesting from here as the writing assignments for class pile on top of the reading, and my internship wants me to meet with planning commission officials from across the state.

As busy as I am. And for as little sleep as I am getting, I really couldn’t be happier with my schedule. Last fall I attempted to have involvement in a few different clubs but nothing really grabbed my attention. As a result I was overwhelmed with school work and trying to figure out how the whole law school thing works but, my schedule wasn’t regimented enough. At this point I feel like I am able to get more done with the time I have because I have to. There is no way around it. I suppose I work better under pressure and time constraints. It definitely isn’t for everyone.

Moving away from that for a minute… law prom was last weekend in Burlington. When I got the e-mail last November I was pretty critical of it. Prom? Really? Well, it does have a more sophisticated title of Barrister’s Ball. Everyone calls it law prom though. I really was not planning on going. It took a little bit of arm twisting and conversations with other people to decide it was worth the $25 ticket. One of my roommates, who isn’t much of a joiner, was going. How could I stay back in SoRo when the majority of the student body would be all dressed up for a decent night away from town together? I couldn’t. As a MELP I knew I wouldn’t have a second chance really. It was a good time. I’m glad I went and I was even happier to share the occasion with the other MELPs who decided to go too. Its surprising how much camaraderie we build with one another. Its very cool and definitely unique.

Alright, now back to school work… post Saints Super Bowl win!

Kangaroos, Koalas and Blackberries

Nine kangaroos. Four koalas. Heaps of blackberries.

Yesterday, we had a lovely time picking blueberries and enjoying a barbie at one of my advisor’s homes. We rode our bikes over for the barbie, and went through Belair National Park. Belair would perhaps be equivalent to one of the smaller properties the National Park Service owns in the US—one you wouldn’t have to pay to get into. Perhaps Marsh-Billings/Mt. Tom is a good comparison. Anyways, it’s not a huge wilderness area. But, if you are in the park in the earlier morning or later afternoon, you’ll almost certainly see kangaroos. We in fact saw nine on our ride home. It was so exciting. I can’t really believe these creatures survived through evolution pressures. The way they move is so unlike any other animal I have ever seen. It looks a little painful because they’re so hunched over. And, it really seems like they should put their hands down to help themselves along. But they don’t need to because their legs are so powerful and bouncy. And, they have this huge tail which keeps them from falling forward. They’re really something. I guess kangaroos (and perhaps koalas, too) are good examples of geographic isolation (or some concept of evolution that you bio people probably know by name.)

Kangaroos are like deer. They taste like deer. They are hazardous for cars like deer. They are hunted like deer except that not just anyone can shoot a kangaroo. You have to be a commercial kangaroo hunter. Also, if you happen to run into one with your car and kill it, you are not allowed to take it home with you for dinner. If you do hit a kangaroo with your car, you’re supposed to look around for joeys and take them to a rescue center if you find them. You are not supposed to take the kangaroo home and eat it.

Although it seems a little strange, many scientists here are encouraging people to eat kangaroos, and for farmers to switch from cows to kangaroos because they do not release methane, and are much better in terms of greenhouse gas production. We’ve decided that kangaroo is the main meat that we’ll eat here. There’s a store in the Central Market called Wild Oz. It sells all sorts of wild animal meat, including camel, crocodile, wild goat and kangaroo. I think we’re going to have to branch out and try some camel next. And, we might start substituting crocodile for our chicken dishes because it, well, tastes like chicken. Here’s an interesting article on kangaroos, camels and cows, and the methane they produce.

But, back to the blackberries. They are a weed here. I am having a hard time understanding how blackberries are a weed in a place that receives so little rain. Ryan explained that they have very deep roots and so can get down to the water. But still. I’m used to picking blackberries in Vermont, where there’s heaps of water, and it still seems odd to me that there are amazingly tasty blackberries growing here. There’s actually some sort of discussion about whether they should try to eradicate them or not. They’re invasive, but they grow well, hold the soil in place, provide habitat for lots of birds, like fairy wrens, and other smaller mammals, and they produce some very tasty berries. Of course, the thorns here are sharper than in Vermont. That’s par for the course in Australia, though. We’ve been told that every (living) thing here is just a little bit nastier than what we’re used to back home.

The whole point of picking blackberries was so we could make a cobbler. We brought our favorite cobbler recipe over (thanks, Aunt Judy!), and wowed everyone with a delicious cobbler. We did in fact eat kangaroo steaks and sausages for dinner. FYI: The trick to cooking kangaroo is hot and fast. It almost felt like we were back in Vermont with hot berry picking, delicious cobbler, and venison-like meat—but I was quickly reminded of our new locale when we saw a koala in a tree. We actually heard it—they sort of make a purring/grunting sound. They’re exciting to see, but not quite as exciting to watch as kangaroos because they mostly eat, sleep and poop. Hopefully I’ll see one in action at some point, but so far, they’ve really just been lumps up in the trees.

Williams Lecture

This evening, Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board came to VLS to speak on “Sustainable Communities for a Sustainable State: California’s Efforts to Curb Sprawl and Cut Emissions.” The lecture lasted nearly an hour, and Ms. Nichols updated the students on California’s current efforts to cut emissions and move towards a more sustainable state. To me, the lecture was highly significant, being a Southern California native, and thus much of what she referenced probably meant more to me than students who’ve never visited CA. I thought it was a great speaker to invite, since California has many obstacles to overcome in the race to address and halt climate change.

I asked about the high-speed rail plans in California, and was delighted to hear that since my time as an undergrad when petitions were being passed around, funding has been secured, and plans made. It’s an exciting step for Californians who commute from South to North, since the alternative is either a long car ride, or a short commuter flight – neither are doing wonders for our carbon footprint.

A good speaker for me personally, but I hoped that many VLSers felt the same, in Vermont we can get quite wrapped up in local legislation – Vermonters are very proud of their state – but states like California are big-hitters in the push toward a greener America, and being kept abreast of their activities can only prove beneficial for us all.

Different Countries, Different Laws

I’m only one week into my research here in Australia, and I can say with certainty that I’m glad to have taken Water Resources Law last semester. Water law and policy is definitely different here in Australia, but understanding US water law is definitely helping me to navigate through the terms, policies, and laws here.

I don’t want to go too far into the weeds, but one major difference is takings law. We spent a fair chunk of the semester learning about this, and it doesn’t even really apply in the Australian situation. If the Government wants to, it can just take back water rights without compensating the owners of those rights. That’s definitely not the case in the US.

Another major difference is the minimal presence of NGOs. NGOs play a major role in the US, influencing policy, increasing environmental flows, and working for a healthier environment. Here, the Government fills that role, and people are really OK with that.

Also, there is no Endangered Species Act here, which is a major cornerstone of environmental law in the US. Most of the push for improving environmental health comes from public discontent with the current poor health of the Murray Darling Basin.

Although there are some major differences between laws in the US and Australia, I’m definitely looking forward to learn about what policies here might be helpful in managing water resources back in the US, and vice versa. Should be an interesting journey… stay tuned!

Barrister’s Ball

This weekend VLS held it’s Barrister’s Ball. It’s basically prom for law school, which many law schools across the nation hold. It was up in Burlington at the Hilton. The dance was fun, and it was so nice to spend a weekend with friends up in Burlington, going shopping, eating out, and people-watching over drinks. Such a nice change of pace from quiet, isolated SoRo. Everyone looked pretty snazzy in their formal wear, and though the DJ looked like Ned Flanders and apparently had no current music, everyone had a blast dancing the night away.

About 15 of us enjoyed breakfast and bloody marys or mimosas at Magnolia, an awesome place to get breakfast in Burlington, a few blocks from the hotel. I was just happy to make it to breakfast, after the ordeal of trying to get my car out of the parking garage. Apparently I missed the “No Vehicles with Roof Racks” sign posted at the entrance, and was not able to make it out of the structure without removing it. Luckily, I had some fellow VLSers who saw me in distress and came to my rescue and were able to get the rack off my car so I could exit the lot! Sheesh, who ever heard of a structure in Vermont of all places not accommodating roof racks?!

Is it Spring?

The weather has been playing tricks on South Royalton. People all throughout town cannot figure out if it is Spring or Winter. I know it is January, so it should be snowing, but we just had a whole day of heavy rain, which got rid of most of the snow that was left. Then it iced over night and now it is Winter again??? What is going on?? If you look at the weather forecasts, there is a very small percentage for snow for today until Sunday? Mud season seems to have arrived early… Should I break out the sandals or winter coat?

A Tour Down Under

Greetings from Australia! For this semester (actually for the next year), I’ll be living in Adelaide, South Australia. At the same time I applied for the MELP program, I also applied for a Fulbright to study water policy down in Australia. When I learned that I had been accepted to both programs, I asked if VLS would be willing to let me start the MELP, leave for a year to come to Australia, and then finish the program the following year.

Though I have nothing to compare it to, VLS was very accommodating and happy to be flexible in allowing me to do both the MELP and the water research in Australia. Definitely a plus if you think you might like to have an alternative schedule for your master’s.

Anyway, I thought today was an appropriate day to post my first blog since it is Australia Day. It’s not quite the same as the 4th of July, but it’s moving in that direction. There were many people wearing Australian flags and bathing suits with the flag pattern on the beach today, though apparently that’s a newer phenomenon.

But, it was great to have a holiday, especially since we didn’t celebrate MLK day here last week. I haven’t been working too hard on the research yet, as the first couple of weeks have been dedicated to finding housing, settling in, getting to know the city, and also watching the Tour Down Under.

But, it looks like there will be some great opportunities for excellent research here. I’ll get more into details in the future, but my project will be related to figuring out how to have more water left in rivers so that the rivers can provide important environmental functions. Should be very exciting…

Here Comes a Full Week

This coming week will be the first full week of the term. I have 3 back-to-back classes on Mondays and Wednesdays which make for a hectic day in general. My classes are over by 2pm at least so its quite a releif once that is all behind me. Although I have only one class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I’ve taken on an internship in Montpelier with the Toxics Action Center in the afternoons. My first official day will be this Tuesday with TAC. This also contributes to the excitement and increased reliance on my time management skills. Its go-time for sure.

Of course this also has to be the week when other fun school activities are happening too. Wynterfest (like Oktoberfest) competitions go through the entire week and end with the Barrister’s Ball (aka Law Prom) on Friday night in Burlington. I’m signed up to compete with my Oktoberfest team again which is now called Swam Flu… On Ice. We’ll see how much I am able to help win points considering all of the other time commitments I have going on this week. I’ll definitely be happy to hit next Saturday when things calm back down to some degree. Its definitely too early in the semester to only be sleeping 4-5 hours a night. But, in talking to some 2Ls I also know I’m not the only one.

Week 2

Well the second week of school was another short week, since we had Martin Luther King Day on Monday. Classes are still pretty exciting, I think this semester is going to be far more interesting for me. Many of us MELPs got our first taste of the Socratic Method in Environmental Law, professor Latham goes down the list alphabetically and stays with a student for 3-5 questions – scary!

The Barrister’s Ball is next week, it’s our law school’s version of prom. From what I hear its a stag dance, so no dates needed unless you have a significant other, or want one I suppose. It’s held up in Burlington this year, so there will be buses taking students who choose not to book a room up and back.

I’ve got my test for the Presidential Management Fellowship coming up next week. Luckily it was on a Tuesday, which is a day I have no class, so I won’t miss a thing when I drive into Mass to take the exam. *Fingers crossed that it goes well*

Round Two

The spring semester has arrived quickly after 3 and a half weeks of break. Those were restful weeks but definitely only provided enough time to recover and not a whole lot more. At least on my end, that was the feeling. It took a while to get out of the nocturnal habits that dictated the last week of finals, and catch up on all of that lost sleep as well.

We have already had our first few days of classes for the spring term. It has been really nice to see the familiar faces of the MELPs again. I think it is the best part about coming back to South Royalton in some ways. Its hard not to be inspired by the interests of the other students around you. I know that it has helped me maintain enthusiasm for the program through some of the drudgery.

An interesting thing about starting classes up again so early in January is that we don’t have all of our grades back yet. The professors were not required to have their grading into the registrar until the third day of classes. Most of the other students have all of their grades back at this point but the MELPs are still waiting on their Natural Resources grade. It makes it difficult to find the energy to start up another 15 weeks of hard work without knowing how the first round fared. (I’ll try to remember to write more on my thoughts about the grading in the next entry.) Apart from grades, the spring classes look to be very interesting.

All of the MELPs are in Environmental Law and Environmental Writing and Advocacy together this spring. There is much more diversity in how the MELPs are using the rest of their time this spring. Last fall it felt as though there were a lot more masters students in the elective classes I chose than there are now. I think some students are trying to take care of their distributional requirements so they have more freedom for the summer course options. Others are focusing on other specialized topics that are different from those that I chose. And then there are a handful that are doing an internship. It was really nice to have that camaraderie in the elective classes last fall. I am sure that feeling is shared by many of the others as well.

Instead of finishing my distributional requirements this term I decided to take some of the specialized electives. My main interests are in contamination and toxic cleanup issues. For that reason, I chose to take CERCLA (the Superfund Law), and another class on Risk Assessment. CERCLA is taught by Professor Judy who also was the professor for the Natural Resources Law class last fall. In addition to those four classes I am working to set up some volunteering with the Toxic Action Center out of Montpelier. It will probably look like more of an internship with the work I am hoping to do with them but, I am trying to save my credits for the summer and fall so I wont be registering it.

There is going to be another extremely full semester ahead. It will surely fly by just as the fall has. At the moment I should sign off so I can dig in to that CERCLA reading for my next class.