Using the legal system to fight factory farms | Michele Merkel | TEDxManhattan

Michele Merkel is co-director of Food & Water Justice, the legal arm of Food & Water Watch. Food & Water Justice uses the court system to advocate for positive change and provides legal support for Food & Water Watch’s mission to ensure that the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced. Michele Merkel is co-director of Food & Water Justice, the legal arm of Food & Water Watch. Michele was formerly the Chesapeake Regional Coordinator for Waterkeeper Alliance. At Waterkeeper, Michele helped to develop and implement campaigns that protect the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays. Prior to joining the Waterkeeper, Michele was co-founder and Senior Counsel of the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). At EIP, she was responsible for developing and implementing legal campaigns under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, focusing on industrial livestock production and municipal sewage issues. Michele previously served as an attorney in the Enforcement Division of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, where she worked closely with the Department of Justice to develop and bring actions for violations of federal environmental laws. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx