Peter Lehner

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Nydia Gutiérrez
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Based in New York, Peter Lehner directs Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food & Farming Program, developing litigation, administrative, and legislative strategies to promote a more just and environmentally sound agricultural system and to reduce health, environmental, and climate harms from production of our food. Peter is one of the leading experts on the impact of agriculture on climate change and is the author of Farming for Our Future; the Science, Law, and Policy of Climate-Neutral Agriculture.

From 2007–2015, Peter was the executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the NRDC Action Fund. Among other new initiatives, Peter shaped a clean food program with food waste, antibiotic-free meat, regional food, and climate mitigation projects.

From 1999–2006, Peter served as chief of the Environmental Protection Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s office. He supervised all environmental litigation by and against the state. He developed innovative multi-state strategies targeting global warming and air pollution emissions from the nation’s largest electric utilities, spearheaded novel watershed enforcement programs, and led cases addressing invasive species, wildlife protection, and public health.

Peter previously served at NRDC for five years directing the clean water program where he brought important attention to stormwater pollution. Before that, he created and led the environmental prosecution unit for New York City. He clerked for Chief Judge James Browning of the Ninth Circuit.

Peter holds an AB in philosophy and mathematics from Harvard College and is an honors graduate of Columbia University Law School.

Peter is on the boards of the Rainforest Alliance and Environmental Advocates of New York and a member of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. He helps manage two mid-sized farms and teaches a course on agriculture and environmental law at Columbia Law School. Peter has been honored with numerous awards by EPA and environmental groups.

The Latest from Peter Lehner

May 22, 2024

In the News: Undark

Can Beef Be ‘Low Carbon’? The USDA Thinks So.

“It would be difficult to achieve if not impossible. You can’t claim to be climate friendly or net zero because beef production ineluctably uses an enormous amount of land and emits an enormous amount of methane and nitrous oxide. You can reduce that, but you’re still not close to a climate friendly food.”
May 3, 2024

In the News: Land & Climate Review

How does U.S. agriculture affect climate change?

Peter Lehner, Managing Attorney for Earthjustice's Sustainable Food & Farming Program, speaks about the U.S. farm bill and agricultural emissions
April 5, 2024

In the News: The Guardian

New York is suing the world’s biggest meat company. It might be a tipping point for greenwashing

“Consumers are beginning to be aware of the fact that meat, and particularly beef, has a very, very high climate impact. JBS is fully aware of this, and trying to get ahead of that by telling consumers, ‘Oh, don’t worry, we’ve got it under control.’ But these emissions are so big and so hard to abate that JBS’s actions don’t show that it’s plausible that they’ll get to their claim.”
March 8, 2024

In the News: Vox

Why New York is suing the world’s biggest meat company

“A big potential indirect impact is a bit of education of policymakers. Congress gives special exemptions to animal ag in part because they don’t know, or don’t want to believe, the real climate and pollution impact. So I hope this will get a few more policymakers to understand that industrial ag is just that — another highly polluting industry.”
November 29, 2023

Feds Can Fight Climate Change by Buying the Right Food

President Biden’s new directive is an exciting opportunity to leverage the federal government’s tremendous purchasing power to help curb dangerous climate change. It is imperative that food procurement be included.
June 27, 2023

Agriculture, Climate, and 2023 Farm Bill (A 3-Part Blog Series)

About the 3-blog series on helping American agriculture become more resilient and climate-friendly:
June 9, 2023

Agriculture, Climate, and 2023 Farm Bill (A 3-Part Blog Series)

About the 3-blog series on helping American agriculture become more resilient and climate-friendly:
Aerial view of green mechanical combine harvesting in a brown field, with a dust cloud trailing behind the machine.
May 31, 2023

Agriculture, Climate, and 2023 Farm Bill (A 3-Part Blog Series)

About the 3-blog series on helping American agriculture become more resilient and climate-friendly:
Cows at a factory farm.
December 22, 2022

It’s Time to Put an End to Industrial Agriculture’s Relentless Pursuit of Secrecy

Big agriculture is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and yet several bills have been introduced to hide the industry's pollution.

February 1, 2022

In the News: The New York Times

Meet the People Getting Paid to Kill Our Planet

An opinion video commentary on agriculture
January 4, 2022

Farming for Our Future: Opportunities Abound

Policymakers must take advantage of the many opportunities to reform agriculture to help curb climate change.

February 5, 2021

In the News: The Capitol Press Room

DEC moves toward complete ban of long-used pesticide

An interview
January 8, 2019

Climate Action Is a Secret Winner in the 2018 Farm Bill

The 2018 Farm Bill is surprisingly climate-conscious.
One profit-lovers pizza, please, hold the calorie count.
March 7, 2018

‘Big Pizza’ is Lobbying Congress to Put Profit Ahead of Public Health

Major pizza chains and convenience stores are fighting the federal menu labeling law in a bid to hide calorie counts.
Menu at movies
February 6, 2018

Counting Calories? New Lawsuit Will Make Restaurants Show You the Stats

Earthjustice goes to court over Trump’s illegal delay on nutrition labels.
In New York, home to these Autumn trees, a novel state tax reform proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo taps into a little-known but powerful climate opportunity — the carbon-soaking power of agricultural and forest land.
January 29, 2018

How One Tweak to New York’s Tax Code Could Save Forests, Cut Emissions and Help Rural Communities

New York State has an opportunity to show how climate change can be fought through agriculture by incentivizing farmers and forest owners to sustainably manage trees that sequester CO2.
Chris Teachout, a fifth-generation farmer, examines the quality of his soil, which he keeps healthy by planting cover crops on his farm in southwest Iowa.
November 1, 2017

A New Crop of Ideas for Fighting Climate Change

Agriculture can be a force for environmental health. Here's how.
corn field
June 6, 2017

The Major Food Waste Problem You Haven't Heard About

America wastes millions of acres of land through inefficient food production.
Earthjustice has filed a lawsuit challenging a rule that allows thousands of novel, untested chemicals to be used as food additives without FDA review.
June 1, 2017

FDA Allows Secret, Untested Chemicals into Our Food

Earthjustice has filed a lawsuit challenging a rule that allows thousands of novel, untested chemicals to be used as food additives without FDA review.
A new vision for agriculture would eliminate wasteful land use and make carbon sequestration an agricultural product.
April 18, 2017

Food 2.0: Working Toward Greater Efficiency in Agriculture

A new vision for agriculture would eliminate wasteful land use and make carbon sequestration an agricultural product.
water pollution
April 13, 2017

Water 'Too Thick to Drink, Too Thin to Plow'

Without strong environmental safeguards, the interests of polluters will trump public health every time.
Wild American buffalo graze in the grasslands of South Dakota.
March 31, 2017

Study Shows Wildlife Habitat Is Disappearing in Favor of Crops for Biofuel

A new study shows that the renewable fuel standard has had an unwanted side-effect: millions of acres of lost wildland.
A toxic herbicide just won EPA approval despite posing serious risks to human health and wildlife.
March 24, 2017

Enlist Duo Is Back Again, so We’re Back in Court

A toxic herbicide just won EPA approval despite posing serious risks to human health and wildlife.
The recent slew of administration attacks on protections for clean water, clean air and food and worker safety could send America back to a time of unchecked pollution.
March 8, 2017

Making America Polluted Again

The recent slew of administration attacks on protections for clean water, clean air and food and worker safety could send America back to a time of unchecked pollution.
Coffee ripening in the Aquiares Estate varietal garden
January 10, 2017

Can Climate Science Save Coffee?

We need robust climate research to give farmers the tools to adapt to a changing world.
Freshly caught seafood
December 14, 2016

Climate Change Is Bad News for Seafood Lovers

Is a seafood diet sustainable if the oceans keep getting warmer?
Yulia Grigoryeva/Shutterstock
November 28, 2016

Worried About Our Climate Future? Look to Your Plate

There’s one powerful climate solution that lies entirely in our hands: what we eat.
Cows on a farm
November 18, 2016

Can Your Diet Help Keep Climate Change at Bay?

What's on your dinner table? When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, not all foods are created equal.
October 3, 2016

Americans Speak Out Against Toxic Phthalates in Food

The FDA received an outpouring of comments from the public voicing concern about phthalates, harmful chemicals used in food packaging and processing equipment.
The Food and Drug Administration has failed to crack down on the abuse of life-saving medicines on factory farms.
September 21, 2016

Antibiotic Use in Livestock Is a Growing Threat

The Food and Drug Administration has failed to crack down on the abuse of life-saving medicines on factory farms.
Conservative estimates suggest that the real cost of our food could be roughly double the apparent cost.
August 15, 2016

The Hidden Costs of Food

Conservative estimates suggest that the real cost of our food could be roughly double the apparent cost.
A tall stack of American sliced cheese on a plate.
July 15, 2016

Cheesed: The Toxic Story Behind Food Packaging

One insidious threat to our health comes from phthalates, chemicals that can leach out of food packaging and into our diets.
wind farm
June 8, 2016

We Disrupted the Energy System—Let’s Tackle the Food System, Too

Our successes in cleaning up a dirty energy system can guide efforts to make our food system more sustainable.
GoodLifeStudio/iStock
May 27, 2016

Drones, Data and Insects: How Innovation Can Make the Food System More Sustainable

Ag tech is booming, and it has the potential to redefine how and where we farm.
May 23, 2016

Seis Maneras de Amar y Mejorar Nuestra Comida

Apenas hace cinco años, el poder politico de la agroindustria hacía que una reforma fuera impensable. Pero el panorama está cambiando. He aquí seis maneras en que ambientalistas, abogados, chefs y críticos de restaurants están uniendo fuerzas para establecer un cambio verdadero en nuestro sistema alimentario.
Yulia Grigoryeva/Shutterstock
May 23, 2016

Six Ways We’re Learning to Love Our Food

Just five years ago, agricultural reform seemed out of reach. Today, everyone from chefs to lawyers to farmworkers are helping build a healthier, more sustainable food system.

Tatyana Vyc/Shutterstock
May 6, 2016

Climate Change Is Messing with Our Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner might look (and taste) different in a warmer world.
April 19, 2016

Preocupaciones por Agua Potable Van Más Allá del Plomo

La contaminación del agua por parte de las grandes granjas industriales sigue estando fuera del alcance de la ley.
Alexander Wishkoski/iStock
April 19, 2016

Concerns About Drinking Water Go Beyond Lead

The biggest source of water pollution in the United States remains largely outside the law.
April 13, 2016

Se Elimina Un Pestida Tóxico, Y Aun Quedan Muchos Más

Para cultivar alimentos sin venenos es necesario contravenir el sistema.
MaxyM/Shutterstock
April 13, 2016

One Toxic Pesticide Is on the Way Out—With Many More to Go

To grow food without poisonous chemicals, you need to buck the system.
April 8, 2016

Rompiendo Ciclos: De Los Químicos A Los Cultivos de Cobertura

Earthjustice y otros defensores están luchando para sacar a docenas de agroquímicos del mercado por los riesgos tan evidentes que presentan a la salud humana, la vida silvestre y la calidad de nuestra agua y nuestros suelos. He aquí algunos de los ejemplos de los retos legales.
Walter Galloway/iStock
April 8, 2016

Breaking the Cycle: Moving from Chemicals to Cover Crops

Legal battles over pesticides are full of twists and turns, but we can make a better case for dropping them by ensuring farmers have better alternatives to harmful chemicals.
grazing cattle
April 1, 2016

The Clean Power Plan’s on Hold, but Clean Agriculture Can Move Forward

Cleaning up the electricity sector isn’t the only way to curb climate change; cleaning up our food and agriculture system can cut climate pollution, too.
Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock
March 30, 2016

To Eat Healthy, We Need to Farm Healthy

To improve the American diet, we need a sustainable food system that gets healthy, affordable food to all.
Steven Van Verre/Shutterstock
March 25, 2016

Fixing Our Broken Food System

Our inefficient, chemical-laden system of food production is costing us not only a healthy environment, but also healthy years of our lives.
Chlorpyrifos banned
December 7, 2015

After 15 Years, EPA Finally Moves to Ban Brain-Damaging Pesticide Chlorpyrifos

Nearly 15 years have passed since the EPA effectively banned the residential use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which causes brain damage in children, and the EPA has at last proposed to ban most agricultural uses of this toxic pesticide.