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2011 PIELC Keynote: Bruce Nilles & Lori Caramanian

160 views · Published 20 July 2012 · 1:52:50 · Indexed 21 October 2026

Channel: University of Oregon · 2012 · Education

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Bruce Nilles joined the Sierra Club in 2002 and currently directs its Beyond Coal Campaign, the largest component of Sierra Club's new Climate Recovery Partnerships. The beyond coal campaign is working to reduce America's over reliance on coal, slash coal's contribution to global warming and other pollution woes, end destructive mining, and secure massive investments in clean energy alternatives.

Bruce previously worked as a staff attorney for Earthjustice's San Francisco office, and during the Clinton Administration as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division in Washington D.C. He received his J.D. and B.S. degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

Lori Caramanian is currently Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. She has a particular interest in environmentally sustainable hydropower development, and she is working with the Department of Energy and the Corps of Engineers on hydropower projects that increase generation while improving ecosystem function using environmentally sustainable low impact or small hydropower projects. Additionally, Caramanian represents the Interior on the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. The Task Force is a partnership of federal and state agencies working to address the problem of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Caramanian is also involved in Interior's effort to develop sustainable water strategies through WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow).

Previously, Caramanian served as an attorney for the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division. While there she received multiple awards for her service to the government. She began her legal career as a staff attorney at Riverkeeper in Garrison, New York. Caramanian earned her law degree and L.L.M. in environmental law from Pace University School of Law.

About PIELC:

The Public Interest Environmental Law Conference is the premier annual gathering for environmentalists worldwide, and is distinguished as the oldest and largest of its kind. The Conference historically unites more than 3,000 activists, attorneys, students, scientists, and concerned citizens from over 50 countries around the globe to share their experience and expertise. The Conference is organized solely by the volunteers of Land Air Water (LAW), a student environmental law society, and is sponsored by Friends of Land Air Water (FLAW), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

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