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September 29, 2021 Message from the Chair

Message from the Chair Fall 2021: Come Along for the Journey

By Ericka Watson

Come Along for the Journey

I’m so honored to be the new Chair of this energetic, cutting-edge ABA Section. The SciTech Section watched me mature from a baby lawyer to an executive, and I have watched the SciTech Section morph into greatness over the last fourteen years that I have been an active member. Stepping into the large footprints that past Chairs have left for me, immediately following Eric Drogin and Julie Fleming, I will lead with certainty in these odd times. I’m certain that this Section will continue to represent thought leadership in the vast area of science and technology. I am certain that we will produce fresh and exciting content for our members. Finally, I am certain that we will overcome many unanticipated obstacles. We are unique, emerging, and at the intersection of law, science, and technology. Throughout this year we will show our strengths and Lead in Our Purpose. I’m excited to be a part of that, and I hope you all come along for the journey.

Throughout my career I have maintained a passion for data privacy. I have always gravitated to companies that put ethics first and are on the brink of discoveries in science with the use of new technology. Every day I wake up eager to see what the day will bring, whether it’s a new law or new idea that I must understand and navigate to provide clear guidance. I love challenges, so the timing of me becoming Chair must have been written in the stars. This Section has the most challenging topics in the legal world, from big data, AI and robotics, and precision medicine to nanotechnology, space law, cleantech, and climate change; this is the hallmark of our Section.

The SciTech Lawyer peeks into these complex worlds by providing a narrative of the issue at hand, while interweaving the law and a variety of viewpoints. This issue is about climate change. Although still a controversial topic, Earth’s climate is changing ever so rapidly. Whether caused by human activity or a natural cycle, Earth’s climate is at a turning point, and our choices can sustain, escalate, or reverse greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are contributing to global warming.

Companies and organizations are adopting sustainability programs aimed at pausing and reversing the effects of GHG emissions and climate change. There are companies making voluntary climate-related disclosures as a regular part of corporate governance practice, and their investors, stakeholders, and board members want to see continuous improvement in reducing their carbon footprint. For other companies, change is not as easy. This issue addresses the debate over mandatory climate-related disclosures and current and future corporate climate liability globally. It also provides some much-needed optimism by highlighting promising new cleantech and geoengineering solutions aimed at reversing the effects of GHG emissions.

We all have a duty to reduce our own carbon footprint by making better decisions about how we care for our home planet. We should all make conscious decisions about the products and companies we support and understand our choices for disposing of waste.

Please follow our journey this year at http://ambar.org/scitech and connect with us at http://www.facebook.com/ABASciTech, https://twitter.com/ABASciTech, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/abascitech, and https://www.instagram.com/abascitech.

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By Ericka Watson