![]() ![]() She credits the group effort of others within and outside the non-profit to the successful enactment of HB 623 and other projects such as Blue Planet’s ‘Climate Crew’ initiative. Melissa describes Blue Planet as a mission-driven organization advocacy efforts, in addition to the enactment of HB 623, attest to the sincerity of this description. Melissa believes it is the small school atmosphere and constant access to fantastic faculty at the WSRSL that give law students the confidence and edge they need to succeed in the legal field. Melissa quickly became involved in the Environmental Law Program (ELP) and her favorite ELP memories include putting together colloquia on environmental law topics as an ELP Research Associate and participating in stream cleanups with the Environmental Law Society. Unlike most law students, she knew right away the direction she wanted to take in law school. I liked the science side of my work but was craving the advocacy component in contributing to the environmental field.”Īlthough she had no legal background and didn’t know any lawyers, Melissa took a leap of faith and applied to WSRSL after becoming interested in environmental compliance. “I had a fascinating job, but I was restless. Richardson School of Law (WSRSL) for forming her into the staunch advocate she is today.īefore law school, Melissa earned an Environmental Science Degree then took some time off from school and moved to Hawaii to work as an environmental scientist, thinking she would eventually pursue a PhD in Marine Biology. Melissa credits her time at the William S. After the enactment of HB 623, other states have followed suit by drafting and passing their own similar legislation.Īs it can take years for bills like HB 623 to pass, Melissa believes unyielding advocacy and persuasive writing skills are the key to maintaining the momentum required for important legislation to get past the finish line. Notably, in 2015, Melissa and Blue Planet advocated for HB 623, a landmark legislative bill signed by Governor Ige that committed Hawaiʻi to a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045. Next month, Melissa Miyashiro ‘10 will be keeping the same Zoom background at clean energy non-profit Blue Planet while changing her title from Managing Director of Strategy and Policy to ‘Executive Director.’ For the past seven years, Melissa has advocated for renewable energy at Blue Planet, and to that end, nothing has changed. ![]()
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