Commentary

Senior Counsel

Peter has been an environmental, land use, and consumer attorney and advocate since 1983. He has held various roles in Washington, DC including Of Counsel at the Center for Food Safety; Vice President for U.S. Government Policy at Conservation International; Director of International Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife; and Staff Attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Additionally, he worked as a contracted consultant on endangered species recovery efforts with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Turner Endangered Species Fund in New Mexico. Prior to that, he served as an Attorney and Policy Analyst for the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, and was also in private law practice. His career has centered on bringing the best science to bear in environmental protection efforts; he has specialized in working with scientists so their findings can inform good policy, as well as in federal litigation. Most of his work has been in aid of wildlife conservation in the fields of pesticides, genetically modified organisms, invasive species, wildlife disease prevention, international trade, land use conflicts, and other areas. Peter received his law degree from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law and also has a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, with a focus on conservation biology.

Op-Ed | Why KC Becker holds the key to Front Range air quality

by Chandra Rosenthal | February 8, 2022
Colorado has been badly out of compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for a decade now. It's getting worse, not better ...

COMMENTARY | Climate Integrity Project Targets False Solutions

PEER is launching a Climate Integrity Project to address bogus offsets, keeping clean energy clean and strengthening transparency in climate programs ...

COMMENTARY | Startling New EPA Data on PFAS Waste Disposal

by Tim Whitehouse | January 26, 2022
Recently obtained data from EPA documents what is likely only a small fraction of the generation and disposal of PFAS waste across the country ...

COMMENTARY | Being Bold on National Park Staffing

by Hudson Kingston | January 20, 2022
The National Park Service is suffering from a staffing crisis, bold action is needed to address climate, conservation and maintenance goals ...

COMMENTARY | Conservation and Climate Action Require a Better Bureau of Land Management

by Hudson Kingston | December 23, 2021
Without changing its own culture, Bureau of Land Management will be unable to achieve the Biden Administration's conservation and climate goals ...

Op-Ed | Biden’s Leadership Vacancies at Interior Recall Trump’s Track Record

by Peter Jenkins | December 16, 2021
The department plays a pivotal role in fulfilling many of the administration’s goals. It deserves more than temporary minders ...
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