Staff Profile: Staff Attorney Annie Fox
Staff Attorney Annie Fox started at the Council as a legal intern, before being hired as a staff attorney. Fox brings a unique perspective to the Council from her time living in Florida and working to protect the Florida Everglades.
Where are you from and what’s your background?
I’m from Miami, Florida, so I grew up enjoying the sun, afternoon lightning storms, being surrounded by ducks, and with little lizards darting across my path. Even close to a big city, I spent time in large trees and in the water, so I always felt connected to nature. As a child, I felt a sense of wrongness as wildlife was replaced by urban sprawl, and I suppose that is where my environmentalism took root. My first major environmental actions were working to protect and restore the Florida Everglades, and I think the idea of becoming an environmental lawyer first arose when, after college, I served on the Executive Board of Friends of the Everglades.
You waited to go to law school, though. Why?
I always loved science, particularly biology. So, I majored in biology at Swarthmore College, then traveled out west studying population ecology. I wanted to help figure out how to best restore ecosystems, but I soon realized that as much as doing so requires more scientific knowledge, there was a more immediate need for laws and policies to protect them. I was also surprised to learn how many of the beneficial laws we have simply aren’t enforced without the efforts of groups like the Council. So, I returned to law school as an older student with a family, and whenever that felt daunting, I thought about how Marjorie Stoneman Douglas began a new career as an environmental champion in her 70s when she founded Friends of the Everglades.
How long have you been with the Council?
I was an intern in the summer of 2018, and have been back for about 11 months.
What’s your expertise you bring to the Council? How do you use it to fight for a cleaner environment?
I think my science background is very helpful. One of the exciting features of environmental law is the need to continually become conversant in various technical matters, like understanding the engineering involved in power plant construction to evaluate permit conditions, or the biology of an area being impacted by a project. I am comfortable picking up scientific literature and diving into numbers, which is an asset in environmental advocacy.
Also, I grew up at the intersections of various cultures, which helps me understand the needs and motivations of various individuals and groups involved in environmental issues. I was raised below the poverty line, yet had the privilege of attending an elite private school. I was by far in the religious and ethnic minority in school, yet in many ways still benefited from white privilege in other areas of life. That background helps me appreciate where people are coming from when approaching environmental issues, has taught me both how easy it is to erroneously attribute motives to people, and the importance of active listening. I think it also makes me more sensitive to the environmental justice challenges that permeate environmental issues.
I also developed useful skills during the years I served on the Environmental Advisory Council for the Borough of Swarthmore, including time as Chair. That experience gives me valuable insight into the nuances of local politics, the sometimes unexpected ways in which communities are impacted by environmental issues, and the value of open space and a healthy environment to people’s daily lives.
Why did you want to return to working for the Council after being a legal intern? What’s your favorite aspect of working here?
I love that I get to do work that matters by helping both the environment and people. I also enjoy the variety of the work, getting to be involved in both regulatory matters and litigation. Most of all, though, I love the people at the Council. Everyone I have worked with is not only deeply committed to the issues, but is genuine, kind, and passionate, often with fascinating outside interests and hobbies. I am honored to be part of a community that cares deeply about the world.
What are you working on?
Right now I am primarily working on challenges to permits for potential new power plants. In granting the permits, the agencies skipped important steps like evaluating the true costs of the proposed projects to Pennsylvanians, and in some cases would allow illegally high levels of harmful air emissions.
What legal battles or challenges are you following closely in Pennsylvania?
The legal challenges to Pennsylvania joining RGGI, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, may have far-reaching consequences to our ability to fight climate change. Also, I am watching the courts’ evolving stance on the environmental rights of Pennsylvania’s residents which are protected by the Environmental Rights Amendment of the Pennsylvania Constitution. Those rights were ignored for a long time, and I am proud of the Council’s advocacy to ensure that the people, including future generations of Pennsylvanians, receive the full protections guaranteed by our Constitution.
