Author: mjeal-online

U of M’s Progress on Sustainability Initiatives Josh Messe The University of Michigan hails its Campus Plan 2050 as “a blueprint for our future.”1 The plan was first announced in late 2023, with detailed plans released in late 2024. The 25-year plan focuses on long-term investments to modernize academic facilities and transportation options on campus… Continue reading Messe – Winter 2025

More Carrots, Less Sticks – Increasing Tax Compliance Through Greater Taxpayer Discretion Jessica Baer As the calendar approaches April 15th, millions of Americans prepare to file income tax returns; and each year, Americans short the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over half a trillion dollars.1 Most proposals aimed at increasing compliance seek to leverage punishments or… Continue reading Baer – Winter 2025

Executive Order 14154 and the Uncertain Future of NEPA Ben Foster Introduction Since it was signed into law on New Year’s Day 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has been a key tool leveraged by the federal government, the states, and environmental advocates to hold agencies and private actors accountable for the potential environmental… Continue reading Foster – Winter 2025

Shaping Industrial Geography: The Environmentalist Third Rail Michael Whelan Transportation shapes not only the housing and commuting patterns of people, but also the production and storage patterns of industries. In the early 20th century, railroads encouraged concentration of industry. This concentration changed with the transition to a trucking economy, which fostered industrial sprawl.[1] Yet contrary… Continue reading Whelan – Winter 2025

Citizen Suits in China: How a U.S. Legal Tool Functions in Chinese Environmental Law Finley F.R. Meng* Introduction China’s environmental pollution and ecological destruction have become major concerns since it chose the “Open Door” policy[1] in 1978 and rapidly developed into a major industrialized country. Over the past twelve years of President Xi Jinping’s rule,… Continue reading Meng – Winter 2025

Trusting Courts to Protect the Environment: The Aftermath of Loper Bright. Anna Nguyen “Chevron is overruled.”[1] On June 28th, 2024, the Supreme Court dismantled a 40-year-old precedent that deferred courts to the reasonable interpretation of agencies.[2] Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council was a landmark case.[3] The Supreme Court recognized the specialized expertise… Continue reading Nguyen – Winter 2025

Trump’s Manufactured National Energy Emergency: the Legal Basis and Cause for Alarm Kevin Tahara Since taking office in 2025, President Trump has issued a total of sixty-eight executive orders as of late February on a wide range of topics, such as immigration, healthcare, and foreign affairs.[1] One of these recent orders titled “Declaring A National… Continue reading Tahara – Winter 2025

What’s Next for Line 5? James Hill Line 5 is an oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline operated by Canadian energy company Enbridge; a key segment was built on the lakebed between the southern and upper peninsulas of Michigan in the straits of Mackinac in 1953.[1] The pipeline was meant to last for only… Continue reading Hill – Winter 2025

America’s Nuclear Comeback: Pros, Cons, and Prescriptions Stuart Carson In March 2011, a tsunami overwhelmed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant’s seawall, flooding its facilities and cutting electrical power.[1] Without power for cooling, the fuel rods in reactors 1,2, and 3 overheated and melted down, releasing radiation.[2] Nuclear regulators eventually elevated the severity level of the… Continue reading Carson – Winter 2025