Conversation matters: a dialogue between CLF advocates and President John Kassel.

• Position: Conservation Law Foundation

"In the past CLF has sometimes emphasized work in the energy area that focused on renewable energy and clean generation and at other times CLF has focused its energy work on efficiency. How do you see CLF striking that balance during your tenure as President ?"--Seth Kaplan, Vice President for Climate Advocacy end Clean Energy and Climate Change Director

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JK: Collectively, both renewable energy production and efficiency investments must be increased to create the energy future we need. And this must happen simultaneously in order to reap the benefits as soon as possible. CLF's role in this balance is to put our unique set of skills and perspective where they are most needed. Presently, our skills 'and savvy are needed to advance policy on renewable energy. We are also active in addressing energy use in the transportation sector. With passage of sweeping new federal energy policy we will have many new opportunities to address both sides of the balance. CLF can engage on all energy areas and we must remain nimble enough to tinker with the balance as we go along, in response to priorities and opportunities.

"Coming from Vermont, a state like Maine, that for many years has relied on its natural resources as a base for its economy--pulp and paper, commercial fishing, recreation and tourism--how do you see the challenge of climate change becoming an opportunity to engage public action and what role do you see CLF playing in seizing that opportunity?"--Sean Mahoney, Directorof CLF's Maine Advocacg Center

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JK: In my experience the biggest challenge in solving environmental problems is engaging the public about them. They must own a problem before they will act on it and create the political climate in which leaders will take action. This is easiest with small-scale, tangible problems and hardest with large-scale, hard-to-grasp problems. Climate change is the biggest of them all. However, the natural resources that the economies of all New England states depend on--some more than others--are going to be tangibly affected by climate change. That's a powerful motivator. Whether it's climate-related fishing declines, shrinking or loss of the ski and other snow-related industries, or decline in maple syrup production--the New England economy will suffer dramatic upheavals unless we do something about it fast. CLF is the environmental voice for New England and we can help people understand the threats facing...