Earthjustice Agricultural Nitrous Oxide Fellow
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas (GHG) almost 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Agriculture contributes about 80% of US N2O emissions, which constitute about 5% of all US GHG emissions. Most of these emissions come from excess fertilizer use on cropland – nitrogen fertilizer not taken up by plants either runs off into water or is released into the air as N2O or other nitrogen oxides. This project seeks to develop policy levers to change how fertilizers are used and formulated. Studies indicate that better fertilizer management could cut N2O emissions by half, or 2% of all US GHG emissions – slightly less than all aviation GHG emissions. The fellow will research both mitigation technologies and several legal strategies to incentivize use of these technologies.
Qualifications
- Ability and desire to contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
- Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
- Excellent legal research, writing, analytical, and communication skills.
- Strong work ethic, good judgment, initiative, and creativity.
- Ability to work independently and as a collegial team member.
- Commitment to public interest work and a passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission.
- Attention to detail
- Strong analytical thinking
- Creative problem solver
- Good personal time management
Timeline
The first few weeks will be focused on gaining familiarity with existing literature on mitigation technologies, and legal strategies explored earlier. Depending in part on the fellow’s specific expertise, the next weeks will be focused on a deeper dive into those technologies with the greatest potential to mitigate emissions and legal strategies that present the greatest opportunity. In the final weeks, the intern will likely draft the action document (a petition, a legal complaint, or a media and industry focused report) and workshop that with the team and external advisors.
Background
Earthjustice is the nation’s leading environmental law organization. Wielding the power of law, Earthjustice partners with our clients to take on the most critical fights of our time—fights to protect the incredible biodiversity and wild places of the planet; to avert climate disaster by transitioning society away from fossil fuels toward clean energy; to safeguard the right of all people to a healthy environment. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.
