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APRIL 2020
Legally Brief With Kevin Patrick Automobile accidents | Daycare injuries | wrongful death
Running Full Speed Toward Earth Day
HOW MY HOBBY INSPIRED ME TO PROTECT THE PLANET
Last month after one of my depositions wrapped up, I changed into running clothes, hopped in my car, and took a drive down to the Chattahoochee River. It’s not unusual for me to make that pilgrimage to the water for a quick jog around our local loop trail. There’s something about stepping out of the office and into nature for a bit that always helps me clear my head, and that night was particularly special. While I was making the loop around 4:30 or 5:00 p.m., I rounded a corner and saw two deer up ahead enjoying the evening, just like I was. Seeing those deer grazing on the banks of the river was a nice way to finish up my week, but it also reminded me that I’m part of something bigger: the whole Georgia ecosystem. Living in a bustling city like Atlanta, sometimes it can be easy to forget how important nature is. But those deer reminded me how important it is to be appreciative of the natural beauty and resources we have here in our state. Thanks to that nudge and some advice from a friend, I decided
to step out of my comfort zone and actually do something to help the planet.
away, I knew this would be a great cause for me and my firm to join, and we made plans to volunteer with Park Pride, including during Earth Day! I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for my staff and me to press pause on our busy lives for a few hours, get to know one another even better, and get back to nature. I was so excited about my plan that I even started our new give-back mission early. On Feb. 17, we headed out of the office to help clean up Anderson Park. It was an amazing experience to see the impact we had in just a few hours, and it made me even more excited to work with Park Pride going forward! Are you planning to volunteer for Earth Day this year, or do you already give back to nature year-round? If you do, I’d love to hear about it next time you call or stop by the office for help with a personal injury case. I’m still on the lookout for more ideas!
I’ve always been a nature lover at heart, but in the past, I focused more on reading about nature (I was a big fan of Henry Thoreau’s book "Walden" when I was younger) and experiencing it than taking action to protect it. One of my favorite things to do is visit our national parks just to hike or jog while I take in the beauty of nature. So I was inspired to start looking around for ways to actually give back to the planet in the spirit of Earth Day (which is coming up this month on Wednesday, April 22). Luckily, I ended up finding a great local organization called Park Pride pretty early in my search. Park Pride is based right here in Atlanta, and its mission is keeping our parks clean, beautiful, and well-maintained. The group organizes regular volunteer activities like litter cleanups, mulching and planting days, and invasive plant pulls. The organization is well-run and looking for long-term community partners. Right
This publication is for informational purposes only, and no legal advice is intended.
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A Lighthearted Approach to Decreasing Stress LAUGH WITH ME!
This Earth Day, Get Involved!
Join These Atlanta Organizations in Protecting the Planet
Earth Day has been a rallying cry for nature lovers, environmentalists, hikers, hunters, and climate crisis activists since it was first established in 1970. Celebrations of the Wednesday, April 22, holiday vary, but they have one thing in common: They all aim to honor and protect the planet we call home. As you read on Page 1, our team here at Kevin Patrick Law will celebrate Earth Day by volunteering with Park Pride. If you’re ready to double down on your own environmental commitment this month, plenty of other excellent local organizations would love to give you a platform. One such group is Chattahoochee Riverkeeper , which has watched over the Chattahoochee since 1994. It organizes river cleanups, monitors water quality, works with the legislature to protect and restore the river basin, and even has “floating classrooms” kids can board to learn about the river. If you’re passionate about the Chattahoochee, you can pitch in at a cleanup, work a booth at a festival, or help out in the Riverkeeper office. Just visit Chattahoochee.org/volunteer to get started! Georgia Appalachian Trail Club has a similar mission, but instead of protecting a river, it protects the famous Appalachian Trail. Volunteers can meet up at Georgia-ATClub.org/Join-GATC and sign up for local events like trail maintenance runs, group hikes, and backpacking trips. Another great option is EarthShare Georgia , an umbrella organization for environmental nonprofits. It will host Earth Day events to plant gardens, remove litter and invasive plants, and plant trees throughout April, culminating in an Earth Day Leadership Breakfast. Visit EarthShareGA.org to learn more! Taking direct action by volunteering is fantastic, but there are other ways to give back to the planet if you can’t spare the time for a trash pickup. One of the fastest ways to make a difference is by contacting your local representatives to support environmental legislation and comment on pending initiatives that pose environmental risks. Organizations like Environment Georgia (EnvironmentGeorgia.org) and Protect Georgia (ProtectGeorgia. org) make it easy to do that by providing links to comment pages and petitions and even offering prewritten comments you can send with a click. However you choose to give back, remember this: You don’t have to limit your environmental action to April. The planet could use your help year-round!
We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medicine, and it turns out that human physiology supports this claim. When we laugh, our body releases a flood of feel-good chemicals and neurotransmitters. Our blood flow increases, and our production of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, decreases. Oh, and laughing also burns calories! The feel-good, endorphin-inducing benefits of laughter are exactly what prompted Dr. Madan Kataria to develop laughter yoga in 1995. Laughter yoga incorporates breathing, stretching, clapping, and of course, laughing. Kataria developed the initial idea after coming across research into the benefits of laughter on overall health and well-being. He began to put the research into practice by telling jokes to his patients, and after seeing the positive effects, he took his material to a local park. Parkgoers, who were initially skeptical, joined in on the practice, and the first laughter yoga club was born. The laughter meetup had everyone in high spirits — until the group ran out of jokes. Unsure of what to do next, Kataria found another medical book suggesting the group didn’t need jokes to laugh. Fake laughter is just as beneficial as the real thing because the body can’t tell the difference between the two. Collaborating with this wife, Madhuri, Kataria combined common yoga warmups and breathing techniques with facilitated laughter to create the form of laughter yoga that is practiced worldwide today. If you’re interested in trying laughter yoga for yourself, then you’re in luck. Laughter yoga clubs exist across the United States and the world. Videos on YouTube can teach the basics, but laughter yoga tends to be most beneficial in a group setting. Just think about the last time you found yourself in a fit of giggles with a group of friends or during a comedy show. Didn’t it feel great? Rather than wait for a silly situation to trigger laughter, use laughter yoga to promote laughter and alleviate stress on any day at any time.
You can always reach Kevin directly at 404-566-8964 or Kevin@PatrickTrialLaw.com. (If you ever need it, his cell phone is 404-409-3160.)
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Lawyers Go to Bat for the Planet A Landmark Case That Helped Protect the Environment
Did you know that an entire subset of lawyers work exclusively in environmental law, fighting to protect our planet? It’s thanks in large part to these lawyers that our air, water, and forests are protected! With Earth Day coming up, we think it’s only fitting to applaud some of their best work. According to a survey of environmental law professors conducted by Duke Law, one case stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to environmental victories: Mass. v. EPA. MASS. V. EPA: A FIGHT TO REGULATE EMISSIONS This disagreement between the state of Massachusetts and its allies (including 11 other states and three cities) and the Environmental Protection Agency made it all the way to the Supreme Court in 2007! The case arose when environmental organizations petitioned the EPA to issue rules regulating greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA refused, saying it didn't have the authority to do so and even if it did, it wouldn't set emissions standards for vehicles. It was a bitter fight, pitting environmental groups against representatives of the auto industry. In the end, the Supreme Court sided with Massachusetts and its green allies, forcing the EPA to recognize greenhouse gas emissions as pollutants and regulate auto emissions. This led to a great recognition of the climate crisis and renewed efforts to reverse it under the umbrella of the Clean Air Act. As a Duke Law report puts it, “The majority’s no-nonsense
acknowledgment of the science of climate change has put climate change on the legal map in no uncertain terms.” THE CONTINUED BATTLE FOR MOTHER EARTH Mass. v. EPA was far from the first environmental law case, and it certainly hasn’t been the last. Environmental organizations, eco-friendly companies, the EPA, and all of their lawyers are constantly going to bat for our environment. They fight to protect landmark legislation like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and more, as well as smaller but equally important things like the breeding grounds of sage grouse and the size of our national parks and forests. To learn more about the policies in place to help our environment and those who have fought to protect them, visit EPA.gov/Laws- Regulations.
Easy Deviled Eggs
WORD SEARCH
While the kids hunt for Easter eggs in the yard, whip up this easy deviled egg recipe for a hearty snack that’s sure to satisfy any craving.
Ingredients • 1/2 cup mayonnaise • 2 tbsp milk • 1 tsp dried parsley flakes • 1/2 tsp dill weed • 1/2 tsp fresh chives, minced • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• Salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper, to taste • 12 large eggs, hard-boiled • Fresh parsley, minced, and paprika for garnish
Directions 1. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, parsley flakes, dill, chives, mustard, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well and set aside. 2. Cut eggs lengthwise and remove yolks carefully to preserve egg whites. 3. In a small bowl, mash yolks. 4. Mix mashed yolks with mayonnaise mixture. 5. Spoon or pipe the mixture back into the egg whites. 6. Garnish with fresh parsley and paprika. Refrigerate before serving.
BUNNY DAISY EARTH EASTER
EGGS FOOL GARDEN PASSOVER
POLLEN PRANK RAMADAN TAXES
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com.
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Save the Planet With Your Plate The Top 3 Ways to Eat Eco-Friendly Inside This Issue 1 Running Full Speed Toward Earth Day 2 Laughter Yoga’s Rise as a Global Health Movement 5 Atlanta Organizations That Give Back to the Planet 3 Lawyers Go to Bat for the Planet Easy Deviled Eggs 4 Eco-Friendly Diets
Follow Us @KPatricklaw
It can be difficult to see the connection between your plate and the planet, but scientists say that eating less red meat and processed foods can greatly reduce your environmental impact. About 25% of climate change today is fueled by agriculture and factory farming, particularly the large quantities of greenhouse gas methane that cows produce. This means that the fewer animal products you consume, the more sustainable your diet will be. Producing and packaging beef is 100 times more emissions-intensive than producing legumes. While a lack of protein is a common concern about plant-based diets, many dietary experts say that plant-based diets can meet nutritional needs. Also, proteins aren’t the only nutrient your body needs, and dozens of vegetables and starches can offer a combination of proteins that are as complete and healthy as beef or chicken. With April being “Keep America Beautiful” month, here are some eco- friendly diet adjustments anyone can make to help preserve the planet. EAT PLANT-BASED DIETS The main goal of a plant-based diet is to replace animal products as the centerpiece of the meal. At least three-fourths of your meal should be vegetarian, but you don’t necessarily need to cut meat out altogether.
For example, eating a Mediterranean diet can be very sustainable. Red meat is rare, and there’s a strong focus on legumes and vegetables. ADOPT MEATLESS MONDAYS OR MORNINGS If you’re not ready to commit to a plant-based diet, going vegetarian one day a week can be a great option. Adopting a plant-based diet one day a week or eliminating meat from one meal a day is a great way to reduce meat consumption. GO FLEXITARIAN If you want to eat more vegetarian meals but find animal products are too hard to give up, going flexitarian is a good compromise. A flexitarian eats mainly plant-based dishes but also includes a modest amount of poultry, fish, milk, and eggs with a limited amount of red meat. If you’re able to dedicate even just one week to trying a plant-based diet, it can help you get a feel for if you’re capable of making the switch. You may even realize that it’s not hard to change your diet, and you might find it fun to try a whole different range of flavors through vegetarian food as you “reinvent” your favorite meaty dishes.
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