In Memory of a Toxics Warrior
- Frances Beinecke
- President of NRDC, New York City
- Blog | About
- Posted December 22, 2008 in Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
It is with great sadness that I write about the passing of our dear friend and colleague Al Meyerhoff.
A leader in NRDC's San Francisco office from 1981 to 1998, Al was a potent force for NRDC and the environment. He was an aggressive litigator, fighting against exposure to toxic chemicals and for improved health -- for all of us, but with particular focus on those working on farms and in factories, people living in poverty, all who needed the public interest bar to represent them against the pesticide and chemical industry. Al was a great champion of California's Prop 65, using it relentlessly to go after chemical industry abuses.
Al was not only a great litigator, he was an immensely effective communicator and writer, penning off op-eds a mile a minute. He championed our outreach beyond the environmental community to labor and health organizations, to Hollywood, to those involved in progressive politics. While at NRDC, he testified before Congress more than 50 times.
He was more than hugely accomplished, he was also great fun. He was irreverent, funny and always ready to have a good time. He regaled us with stories, challenged us with new strategies, identified people we should get to know and work with. At a dinner he hosted last winter in Los Angeles, Al spoke with such passion and pride about all that NRDC does.
Al represented the very best of NRDC. I will really miss him. We all will.
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Comments
Rita Barol, NRDC — Dec 22 2008 06:44 PM
As Frances writes, Al was an effective and a prolific communicator. Here are links to some of his commentaries.
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-meyerhoff
L.A. Times
http://articles.latimes.com/writers/al-meyerhoff
And to the LAT's obituary
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-meyerhoff23-2008dec23,0,3878204.story
Cye Gossett — Dec 23 2008 03:14 AM
It is always sad to lose one of the "good ones." Hard act to follow. Losing our friends and colleagues leaves us empty, but eveytime this happens to me, I just start a project or more with their name in my head and I try to right some of the horrors done to the environment, health and human rights. I did not know him personally, but I am sorry for everyone's lose, most of all the animals, the eco-systems and his friends.
Erik Olson — Dec 23 2008 10:47 AM
Al isn't gone. He is bigger than life. His horrific jokes, bluster, and hilarious antics, as well as his steel trap mind, poison pen against evil deeds by evildoers, and his constant barrage of brilliant (and sometimes not so much) ideas and schemes live on in my mind, and I am confident, in the minds of most everyone who knew him. He was a force of nature (a tornado comes to mind), friend, and always had that rough diamond quality--though sometimes the polish came through (Al in a tux?). He immediately recognized how to tackle a problem, how to talk about it in a way normal human beings can understand, and never lost his sense of righteous outrage. Ouch. This hurts.
David B. Goldstein — Dec 23 2008 06:31 PM
Al was a magnetic personality, fun to be around. He was always coming up with bright ideas and clever stories to tell. Perhaps one of the reasons he was so effective was his engaging style of writing, even for legal filings. The first I saw of Al was when we were seeking to hire a new attorney, and I read the resumes and writing samples of the leading candidates. Al’s writing was so engaging and so effective that I knew he was the right choice before I even met him. His life will continue to inspire us to work hard for justice. And maybe to also enjoy ourselves at the task.
Bob Mulholland — Dec 24 2008 04:31 PM
I really liked Al and enjoyed working with him. Al played a major role in the 1990 initiative called The California Environmental Protection Act of 1990 ( otherwise called Big Green). I just looked at one of my memos from 1990 where I had listed the official sponsors of Proposition 128 and Al Meyerhoff of NRDC was listed first with Tom Hayden and Attorney General John Van de Kamp below him. I don't remember why I listed Al first but he was certaintly first in advocating for the helpless when it came to the environment. While we lost Proposition 128 at the Ballot Box ( we knew right after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, that summer, the environment was no longer at the top of concerns for voters), Al spent the next 2 decades fighting for people and the environment and we ended up winning much of Proposition 128 in the Courts and regulations from President Bill Clinton so thanks Al. We'll miss him as we still have many struggles to win. Bob Mulholland, Campaign Manager, Proposition 128