By Jamila Odeh* Harmful algal blooms, composed of cyanobacteria, can produce toxins that threaten human and ecological health.[1] Harmful algal blooms have long been an issue in Lake Erie where shallow waters, sunlight, and phosphorus runoff from agricultural lands fuel cyanobacterial growth.[2] Concern is warranted, given that nearly twelve million people drink Lake Erie water.[3] […]

By Anna Rasmussen* In August of 2015, a group of 21 youths, currently aged 9–20, filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against President Barack Obama (now President Donald Trump) and agencies including the Department of Energy, the EPA, and the Department of Defense.[1] The plaintiffs state that, “For over fifty years, the United […]

By Eric Ashby* I. Introduction The legal status of cannabis in the United States varies widely by state. In some states the substance is legal for recreational use, a number of states have laws providing for legal medicinal use, and in other states cannabis is completely illegal—as it is under federal law. With the passage […]

By Grant Snyder* Conservationists worry that the Trump Administration’s policies will lead to environmental disaster. These fears often focus on potential federal land transfers to the states. The anxiety about transfers stems from the thought that smaller states would be unable to manage transfer lands. The states would in turn sell the land to mining, […]

By Hallie Lipsey* In the midst of disputes regarding costs, immigration, and international standing, President Trump may be neglecting one of the greater obstacles to the completion of the wall he has proposed to build along the Mexican border: the jaguar. The jaguar, along with 110 other animal and plant species, is protected under the […]

By Irma Cruz* We live in a world where long-term consequences are ignored because they lack “immediate attention.” Millennials are known for their need of instant gratification, an attribute that is consistent with a short-term outlook. We tend to focus on occurrences that impact us here and now, that impact us personally, and that impact […]