The Public Interest Environmental Law Conference kicks off Thursday, Feb. 27, at 4 pm with the first round of panels. At 6:15 pm Wen Tiejun and Zhihe Wang of China keynote, followed by the controversial Lierre Keith of Deep Green Resistance. This event, while free, requires advance tickets.

Friday morning’s panels begin at 8:15 am, and the 11:45 am keynoters are Jane Lubchenco, former administrator of NOAA, and Patrick Parenteau of the Vermont Law School. Afternoon panels are followed by talks by Stephen Corry of Survival International and tribal law and policy expert Mary J. Pavel at 5 pm. The evening’s activities include the Indigenous People’s reception and the PIELC celebration.

Saturday, March 1, follows the panel/keynote pattern with Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center and Richard Monje, Vice President of Workers United/SEIU as well as Papuan tribal representatives at 12:15 pm. At 7 pm James Hansen, former director of the NASA Goddard Space Institute, speaks along with Mary Wood of the UO law school.

The conference wraps up Sunday with still more panels and 12:15 pm keynotes by Heather Milton-Lightening, founding member of the Native Youth Movement, and former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

All keynote addresses are in the UO’s EMU unless otherwise noted, and the conference is at the EMU and the School of Law. PIELC is free to the public, though donations can be made to support the conference. For a program and registration (which is encouraged but not required) go to pielc.org.