Green Amendments For Climate and Clean Energy Forum

What: Learn from the experts how constitutional Green Amendment protections for environmental rights help advance good quality clean energy projects, contrary to the false narratives of industry opposition.

When: 9 am pacific / 10 am mountain / 11 am central / 12 pm eastern

Where: This will be an online forum.  We will be holding this forum on the Green Amendments Action Platform.  So be sure you are signed up to be fully connected with the Green Amendment movement and for your opportunity to be part of this clean energy forum.  If you are not yet signed up on the platform you can do so here.

Not yet on the platform but want to be kept apprised of how to join the forum?  Sign up here:  bit.ly/GreenAmendmentsForCleanEnergyForum

Agenda

Note: This forum is expected to run 1.5 to 2 hours

Welcome, the Definition of a Green Amendment, Why Are We Here
Maya K. van Rossum, Founder, Green Amendments For The Generations, & Delaware Riverkeeper leading Delaware Riverkeeper Network

A Legislator’s Perspective
New Mexico Senator Harold Pope Jr.

How Green Amendments Support Government Action for a Safe Climate & Clean Energy
Maya K. van Rossum, Founder, Green Amendments For The Generations, & Delaware Riverkeeper leading Delaware Riverkeeper Network

How a Green Amendments makes clean energy projects better when needed
Kacy Manahan, Senior Attorney, Delaware Riverkeeper Network & Green Amendments For the Generations

What does local govt & clean energy developers have to say – the real world with PA’s Green Amendment
John Smith, Smith Butz Attorneys at Law, legal counsel for communities, local government and clean energy companies

Video of solar voice

How POWER Interfaith Advocates for Clean Energy by Using PA’s Green Amendment.
Pamela Darville & Wendy Greenspan, Power Interfaith Advocates

Video of youth voices 

Who’s Behind the False Narratives?
Anneke van Rossum, Advocate, Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Why Green Amendments are so important, from a legislator’s perspective
New Mexico Representative Joanne Ferrary

Q&A with discussion among the panelists
Moderated by Shaelyn Parker, Educator/Advocate, Green Amendments For The Generations

Speaker Biographies:

Senator Harold Pope Jr.
Senator Harold Pope Jr. has served as State Senator for New Mexico’s 23rd district since 2020, when he became the first African American ever elected to the New Mexico Senate. Since assuming office, he has served as the Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee, a member of the Senate Conservation Committee, and Co-Chair of the Interim Military & Veterans Affairs Committee. Senator Pope has been a vocal advocate for legislation focused on education, civil rights, and environmental conservation, including being a legislative champion for the proposed New Mexico Green Amendment. Senator Pope served in the Air Force and earned a B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of New Mexico, an MS in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Florida, and most recently, an Executive MBA from UNM.

Maya van Rossum
Maya is the Founder of Green Amendments For the Generations, a grassroots non-profit inspiring the national movement to secure constitutional recognition and protection of environmental rights in every state and ultimately at the federal level. Maya, a licensed attorney, is the author of numerous publications, including her book The Green Amendment, The People’s Fight For a Clean, Safe & Healthy Environment, now in its second edition. Maya coined and defined the term “Green Amendment”.  Maya is also the Delaware Riverkeeper, leading the 4 state, watershed-based advocacy organization, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, for 30 years. In her role as the Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya was the lead and only environmental plaintiff in the landmark case Robinson Township, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, et. al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that breathed new life into Pennsylvania’s long ignored environmental rights amendment and became the foundation for the founding of the national Green Amendment movement and organization. Maya also co-hosts Green Genes, an environmental podcast with her daughter. Since launching her Green Amendment movement, New York passed an amendment in 2021, proposals are advancing in 19 additional states, with half a dozen more on the way, and there is increasing use (including with Maya’s assistance) of the Green Amendments that now exist in Pennsylvania, New York and Montana (the only states that currently have Green Amendments)

Kacy Manahan
Kacy Manahan is a senior attorney with Delaware Riverkeeper Network and Green Amendments for the Generations. Her work focuses on challenges to natural gas infrastructure, federal permitting challenges, and state environmental law, particularly state constitutional Green Amendments. Prior to joining the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Manahan practiced environmental law in a private boutique firm in New Jersey. Manahan also served as a clerk in the Appellate Division. Manahan graduated magna cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, with a Certificate in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communications from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Manahan is licensed to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

John Smith
John is a partner and co-founder of the law firm of Smith Butz, LLC. He focuses his practice in the areas of Oil and Gas Law, Commercial Litigation, Zoning and Land Use Law, Corporate Law, and Municipal Law. John played a pivotal role in developing the legal challenge that helped to spark the Green Amendments For The Generations movement. John is at the forefront of Oil and Gas Lease issues, Local Zoning regulations on drilling activities, and the litigation of ownership of these valuable resources. John, along with other prominent Pennsylvania counsel, represented the Petitioner/Municipalities in the “Act 13” challenge before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Robinson vs. Commonwealth wherein the Court found recent amendments to the Pa Oil and Gas Act, “Act 13”, unconstitutional. John is admitted to the practice of law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

John serves as Solicitor for Cecil Township, Peters Township (Washington County), East Finley Township, and the Washington Business District Authority. He also serves as “Special Counsel” for Mt. Pleasant Township for oil and gas matters. As Solicitor of Cecil Township, John has worked to create one of the first comprehensive Oil and Gas Ordinances in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Attorney Smith recently authored an article for the Duquesne University Law School Law Review titled The Prodigal Son Returns: Drillers return to Pennsylvania with a Vengeance. Are Municipalities Prepared?, which was published in the Spring of 2011.

Wendy Greenspan
Wendy Greenspan is the co-chair of the POWER Interfaith Climate Justice and Jobs Team.  Her work centers on energy democracy – fighting for a community focused system that provides affordable, renewable energy for all Pennsylvanians.  Her involvement in climate justice advocacy follows a career in health care providing rehabilitation services for adults with communication disabilities.

Pamela Darville
Pamela Darville was born and raised in Miami, Florida.  She moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University Law School, remained in Philadelphia and has practiced as a Civil Rights lawyer.  She has raised two exceptional sons. Upon retiring from federal service as Assistant Chief Counsel with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, Ms. Darville volunteered with POWER Interfaith with the intent to help and support marginalized communities who have suffered the first and worst from climate change.  She is the Co-Chairperson of POWER’s Climate Justice and Jobs team and the Project Director for POWER’s Community Climate Shift Initiative.

Anneke van Rossum
Driven by her childhood love of the environment and exposure to environmentalism, Anneke chose to attend Ithaca College, where she earned her Bachelor of the Arts degree in Politics, with a minor in Environmental Studies.  Continuing to pursue her passion, she attended Vermont Law School graduating with her Juris Doctor and focusing on environmental law classes such as Water Resources Law, Water Quality Law, Native Americans & The Law, Natural Resources Law, and Climate Change Policy.

During her Law School career Anneke spent a semester in 2021 working specifically on the New Mexico Green Amendment effort by educating and working with legislators, working with grassroots groups, and educating the public. Anneke continues using her legal mind and activism passion to support the Green Amendment movement nationwide.

Representative Joanne Ferrary
Representative Joanne Ferrary has served as State Representative for District 37 since winning her election in 2016. She is currently Chair of the Consumer and Public Affairs Committee and a member of the Health & Human Services Committee. She remains dedicated to expanding healthcare in New Mexico, fighting for women’s rights, and investing in public education. Additionally, Representative Ferrary is another one of our legislative champions for the New Mexico Green Amendment and has been a primary sponsor for the proposed bills since 2022. She has lived in her district in Las Cruces for 32 years, and received her undergraduate and MBA degrees at New Mexico State University, while raising two kids as a single mom.

Shaelyn Parker
Shaelyn works as an Advocate and Educator for Green Amendments For The Generations. Her unique career path has given her experience across many fields, including science education & communication, policy research, community organizing, nonprofit growth & development, data analytics, and environmental advocacy. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Politics & Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.