New and events of the Philadelphia Bar Asso.
Issue link: https://thephiladelphialawyer.epubxp.com/i/434516
facts. But Congress needs to be urged to act. That's where we all come in. We need many more voices: fathers, mothers, teachers, nurses, athletes, fire fighters, astrophysicists, yoga instructors, CEOs and yes, lawyers. People ask, why lawyers? Because the solution to climate change must be expressed in law. In fact, the problem in one sense can be said to have occurred because of a lack of legal restriction. But more, the problem is so important and urgent that it deserves the attention of our profession. We've done it before on other issues of great importance to us and our families, issues like independence, abolition of slavery and civil rights. Lawyers and the legal community played leading roles in all of those causes. With the support of Chancellor William P. Fedullo, the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association recently passed a resolution on climate change. The resolution calls on the U.S. Congress, the Pennsylvania General Assembly and local governments to promote policies, such as carbon pricing, to reduce the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. The full resolution can be found here: www.philadelphiabar.org/ page/ResJune14_3. The Philadelphia Bar Association is only the second bar association to speak out on climate change. In 2008, the American Bar Association passed a similar resolution. Many people recognize climate change as the great moral and ethical issue of our time. As lawyers, it is right that we make our voices heard. The hope is that we can generate publicity about the resolution passed by our bar association, the nation's oldest, so that other bar associations and other groups will join in the call for action. We can also look for ways each one of us can work on this issue. With the help of people in the Philadelphia legal community, a new website has been launched: www.calltothebar.org. It's a place where lawyers can show their support by signing an online petition, learning more about the issues, and getting involved. Finally, we can and should encourage other bar associations and organizations of every kind to make it a first order of business to take a stance on climate change. That's also part of the Philadelphia Bar Association resolution and the mission of calltothebar.org. It's hard to overstate the seriousness of the issues if we can believe Richard Alley and the reports from the science community. Do we believe them? As lawyers, particularly in Philadelphia, the birthplace of science in America, we know how to evaluate scientific evidence. Many of us have science backgrounds and many more have developed expertise in evaluating scientific claims and evidence. The answer to the question is clear, as is our obligation to call for Congress to take action now to protect society from the devastating consequences of climate change if CO2 levels don't come down. Steve Harvey (steve@steveharveylaw.com) is principal in Steve Harvey Law LLC. the philadelphia lawyer Winter 2015 23