Jenny Rushlow returns to CLF as a senior attorney for CLF in Vermont. Photo: Courtesy Jennifer Rushlow
After working at CLF for seven years in our Massachusetts office as a staff and senior attorney, as well as director of our Farm and Food program, you left to become the environmental dean at Vermont Law and Graduate School. What brings you back to CLF?
Being in academia was a great way to see the big picture of the environmental struggle and how we got here. I enjoyed supporting the next generation of advocates on their journey to becoming law and policy experts. It was very satisfying to feel like we were sending a large cohort of fresh and passionate advocates off into the field to make a difference each year. But I enjoy being in the fray myself, and I craved being close to the action again.
What was the biggest revelation for you in your time away? Is there anything you learned that you’re bringing back to your work at CLF the second time around?
Having a bird’s eye view of environmental advocacy from the “ivory tower” gave me an even greater appreciation of the role that CLF plays in the movement. Few organizations are as strategic and bold as CLF. I was a proud CLF alum while I was away, and it feels good to be back.
Why did you want to focus your work on the Clean Energy & Climate Change program this time around?
I’ve been an environmental lawyer for 17 years, and in that time, I have seen climate change rise dramatically on the priority list of environmental issues. In my time away, I became increasingly focused on clean energy and climate law, and I knew that when I went back into practice, that was where I would focus. I attribute a lot of that shift to having children and, frankly, fearing for what the world will look like for them as adults. We do so many things to provide for our kids and ensure they have what they need now and in the future. Fighting climate change right now, not later, should absolutely be on the short list of ways that we provide for our kids today.
We’re facing some unique challenges in the current political environment, which will make our work more difficult, especially when it comes to clean energy. What is your strategy for dealing with them?
It’s hard to overstate the abyss of climate inaction we are seeing at the federal level – and actually, it’s not just inaction. It’s actively backtracking. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking. That said, for me, keeping my head down and fighting each day in my state is the best way to deal with that overwhelming challenge. I focus on concrete actions, one step at a time, like state-level climate mitigation advocacy as a pathway forward. That is a real way that I can contribute to this global issue. Having worked on the CLF lawsuit in Massachusetts that enforced their Global Warming Solutions Act and succeeded in the courts, I feel strongly that this type of advocacy can make a difference and move us forward.
What do you do to relax in these stressful times? Where do you find your joy?
My two little kids are both my joy and my motivation in this work. I try to remember to deliberately set the stress aside to play with them, soak up their joy, experience the world with fresh eyes, and be present. Being outside with them – in the snow, the garden, and everything in between – always helps. (Also, hot chocolate.)
