March 23, 2011

2011 J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Environmental Law Conference:
Environmental Governance at the Leading Edge of Technology

Co-sponsored by the The George Washington University Law School,
the Environmental Law Institute,
GW Environmental Law Association, and
the Journal of Energy and Environmental Law.

The conference explored the need for and the possible structure of anticipatory governance systems that are capable of protecting the environment and public health in the context of emerging technologies such as geo-engineering to address climate change, hydro-fracturing and deep water drilling to recover energy resources, synthetic biology to produce new fuels and other innovative materials, and expanding use of nanotechnologies.

Panel topics included:

• The Governance Challenges Associated with Leading Edge Technology
• The Technology Context
• The Strengths and Limitations of Existing Governance Structure
• Environmental Impact Analysis in the Complex Technology Context
• Public Engagement, Stakeholder Dialogues and Information Availability
• Round Table Discussion of New Approaches to Government Oversight