Online Articles

Horseshoe Bend on a sunny day.

Drought in the American West and Equitable Water Use

April 10, 2023 by Benjamin Wilken Water

The American West is dry. Despite extreme weather events like the series of atmospheric rivers that doused the West Coast (from late 2022 until the time of this piece’s composition), capable of dumping up to half an inch of rain an hour,[1] the overall…

The effects of climate change, including sea level rise and intense heat, threaten to make places like the island nation of Tuvalu uninhabitable within the next several decades.

The United States Needs a Plan for Climate-Driven Migration

January 29, 2021 by Alec Williams Climate change International Oceans Water

By Eleanor Hildebrandt, Staff Contributor

The effects of climate change will make swaths of the planet uninhabitable, displacing millions of people. How can the United States’ legal system facilitate an equitable, humanitarian response to those seeking safe resettlement within its borders?

Hand-made sign stating "Lead Keep Out." Photo by Steven Depolo, licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The Flint Water Settlement and Implications of the Michigan Supreme Court’s Reaffirmation of State Constitutional Tort Claims

December 1, 2020 by Scott Fletcher State and Local Water

By: Alexander Collingsworth, Staff Contributor

Residents of Flint, Michigan will likely receive some compensation soon for the poisoning of their drinking water. In August, the state of Michigan settled claims against it and Michigan officials, including former Governor Rick Snyder, for $600 million. What are the implications of the Michigan Supreme Court decision that opened the way for this settlement? And how much money are individual residents likely to see?

A National Problem with No National Solution

February 26, 2020 by Sara Douki Energy Fossil Fuels Natural Resources Oil and Gas Renewable Energy State and Local Water

Gabriel Dowdell, Staff Contributor
Should the EPA regulate fracking more heavily? Currently, states that benefit financially from fracking regulate the industry.

Polluted Lagoon

Too Big on the Pig: America’s Taste for Pork Comes with Costs

March 18, 2019 by Alexander Pappas State and Local Water

By Catherine Schluter, Staff Contributor

Pork is a big part of the American diet, but pig farming has serious environmental and human health consequences. North Carolina is one of the biggest pork producers in the country, but its state legislature, like many other states, is putting pork profits over sufficient protections.

An image of the coast

(Sea) Walling Off the Beach: The Future of California’s Coastal Commons Remains Contested

November 15, 2018 by De Vann Sago Climate change Public Lands State and Local Water

By Ryan Levandowski, Staff Contributor. As rising sea levels threaten California’s coast, the state’s characteristic beaches have become a battleground for homeowners, cities, and state regulatory agencies. Because coastal adaptation policies often pit preservation of public beaches against private property rights, recent litigation over the issue has posed a difficult question for courts: Who should (literally) give ground?