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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 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.

ELAW Press The Goat Islands and two fish sanctuaries in the Portland Bight Protected Area may be destroyed to make way for a mega trans-shipment port, proposed by the international contractor China Harbour Engineering Company. ELAW partners at the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) have been speaking out to challenge this short-sighted project.

ELAW eBulletin A tragedy is unfolding in Jamaica. The Goat Islands and two fish sanctuaries in the Portland Bight Protected Area may be destroyed to make way for a mega trans-shipment port.

ELAW eBulletin ELAW celebrates this next generation of grassroots advocates!

ELAW Advocate, Summer 2013 Communities and ecosystems in Africa are under siege. Kenyans face eviction to make way for coal and hydropower projects, Lake Victoria is polluted, oil prospectors are invading Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, and the government of Tanzania is weighing opening traditional Maasai lands to foreign big game hunting operations.

ELAW eBulletin The Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) is teaming up with longtime partner L'Association Haitienne de Droit de l'Environnement (AHDEN) to support creating a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Haiti's Caracol Bay and to promote a new, holistic approach to the sustainable use and conservation of marine biodiversity.

ELAW eBulletin ELAW partner Gonca Yilmaz from Turkey stopped by the office this morning. Gonca helped fight this summer to save Taksim Square and Gezi Park.

ELAW Press India's National Green Tribunal has banned sand mining in rivers without environment clearance. The order was a response to a petition filed by ELAW partner Ritwick Dutta, reacting to the suspension of a civil servant who was overseeing a drive against illegal sand mining in Uttar Pradesh.

ELAW Press ELAW Staff Scientist Mark Chernaik weighs in on the Environmental Impact Assessment and the response of the government's expert group to expansion plans for the Kudankulam nuclear plant.

ELAW eBulletin New York Times reporter Jim Yardley interviews Bangladesh attorney Rizwana Hasan. ELAW has worked with Rizwana for more than 15 years.

ELAW Press Rizwana Hasan speaks with Jim Yardley at The New York Times about and environmental problems in Bangladesh.

ELAW eBulletin A report on ELAW Fellow Rahul Choudhary in the Eugene Weekly. Rahul defends communities and ecosystems before the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court.

ELAW Press Rahul Choudhary and his work sound like the basis for a Bollywood meets Erin Brockovich film.

ELAW Press ELAW partner Rahul Choudhary is the focus of a commentary by Sriram Khe.

ELAW eBulletin We are pleased to welcome Rahul Choudhary who arrived this morning for a 10-day ELAW Fellowship.