In this blog, 3L staffer Dylan Diedrich examines Kentucky's State Improvement Plan to address regional haze in class 1 areas covered by the Clean Air Act, specifically Mammoth Cave National Park. Diedrich takes the position that Kentucky's State Improvement Plan fails to adequately address the issue of haze. By failing to target appropriate pollution generators, the air haze around Mammoth Cave will fail to improve.

The way lawmakers define and regulate water ownership will determine the future of farming, cities, and ecosystems. In this blog, 2L staffer Keyera Jackson argues that if lawmakers fail to modernize Kentucky’s water laws, the next drought won’t just dry up streams; it could erode the fairness that water law was meant to protect.

Going through all the important changes likely to come from the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025, which intends to address harmful algal blooms, 2L staffer Nathan McCoy appraises whether it is effective in its goals. McCoy eventually concludes a finding that the amendment does indeed address the challenges of harmful algal blooms to the extent it could be considered to have fulfilled its purpose. 

In this blog, 3L Staffer Chasity Peters argues that the EPA’s proposal to eliminate greenhouse gas reporting requirements under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program will cost the American people far more than the agency suggests will be saved by ending the requirement due to the increasing costs of climate change.

In this blog, 3L staffer Lydia Deaton discusses the need for additional IP protections within the bourbon industry and the potential use of trade secrets to help protect Kentucky's bourbon distillers. This blog argues that trade secret law offers a practical avenue of protection for bourbon manufacturers, safeguarding mash bills, aging techniques, and blending practices so long as reasonable confidentiality measures are maintained.

Recently, the Federal Trade Commission stepped into a Texas-led antitrust litigation against some of the country’s largest institutional investors—BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street—by filing a statement of interest with the court. In this blog, 3L Jessica Kurtz unpacks the claims levied by the states against the backdrop of the sustainable investment strategies invoked by the companies. Kurtz discusses how asset managers can satisfy their fiduciary duty to insulate their clients from climate risk without running afoul of antitrust laws, particularly cautioning companies managing significant shares in energy companies from agreeing to reduce emissions.

In this blog, 3L staffer Hyeongchan Kim examines the current recycling challenges in the United States by comparing recycling policies across several countries, including Germany, Austria, South Korea, and the United States. He highlights that although each country has its own legal system and procedures, the adoption of standardized recycling laws in US is recommended, drawing on examples from countries with higher recycling rates.

In this blog, 3L staffer Chas Lundy discusses the Trump administration’s attempts to eliminate offshore wind farms in America. Lundy explains the background of renewables in America as well as ongoing litigation regarding a stop work order imposed on a wind farm. Lundy also provides the reactions of powerful figures in the traditional energy industries and takes the position that deviating from offshore wind farms is against the national interest.

In this blog, Executive Editor Peyton Mills argues that United States v. Stevens, which held that depictions of extreme animal cruelty are not categorically unprotected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, effectively rubber-stamps animal cruelty by hindering prosecutors and emboldening animal abusers. He asserts that Justice Samuel Alito's dissent should pave the way forward for animal rights. 

In this blog, 3L Staffer Samuel Larrabee argues that the H-2A visa program should be the solution to deported immigrant farm laborers but because of the program's shortcomings, it fails to fill the void. The Department of Labor's recent regulations could help prevent worker abuse that occurs under the program but because courts have stepped in and found that those provisions violate separate law, any meaningful reform of the program likely requires congressional action. 

In this blog, 3L Staffer Caidan Drenk argues for the increased protection of central Kentucky farmland from urban growth/sprawl. Drenk discusses the existing legal framework surrounding protections and privileges granted to land used for agriculture, the shortcomings of those protections, and the increases needed for appropriate protections in the future. Drenk highlights and acknowledges concerns about population growth, economic growth, and increased housing demands while emphasizing the long-term cultural and economic risks of unchecked development and encroachment. Drenk calls for a balanced approach that safeguards agricultural land while accommodating responsible urban and suburban expansion.

In this blog, 2L Staffer Madelyn Shelton discusses the interplay between the growing California wildfire crisis and the rising unavailability of homeowner’s insurance. She argues that the FAIR plan is only a partial solution, and more sustainable options are needed for the future.

In this blog, 2L Staffer Dylan Diedrich discusses the protections currently in place in Kentucky that are meant to protect pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Diedrich argues that the current protections, while admirable, are inadequate at protecting and restoring pollinator populations because they are voluntary. Since Kentucky primarily relies on voluntary educational programs to protect pollinators, there is no real deterrent to prevent individuals from harming pollinators. Diedrich proposes a system involving true sanctions to encourage proper administration of pesticides to protect pollinator populations.

Blog By: Ben Robinson

In this blog, 2L Staffer Ben Robinson discusses the environmental ideals explaining how other countries have come to give nature "natural rights". He further advocates for a possible solution that replicates the international concept of natural rights, while conforming to and working within the United States legal system.

Blog By: Phillip Burress

In the summer of 2024, the Supreme Court overturned a precedent relied upon for decades by federal agencies. In this blog, 3L Staffer Phillip Burress discusses that with the death of Chevron deference, federal agencies face new challenges and an increased risk of litigation for interpretations they make on ambiguous statutes. Burress points out that many agencies have been preparing for this change for the past decade, and the threat this change imposes may not be as severe as many people think.

In this blog, 3L Staffer Bailey Truitt discusses the current trend of selling horse farms and the push to divide the land into housing in Lexington and all across Kentucky. Truitt discusses that while housing is necessary for Lexington, dividing up agricultural land is detrimental to the historical equine industry as well as contributing to the urban sprawl problem found in Lexington. Truitt argues that maintaining horse farms and agricultural land in and around Lexington is the best choice for the economic development and protection of historical business, as well as the prevention of urban sprawl.

Blog By: Lydia Deaton

In this blog, 2L Staffer Lydia Deaton argues that the agricultural community should apply intellectual property doctrines to solve agriculture’s emerging data security issues. Deaton discusses that so far, neither Congress nor the agriculture industry has provided much guidance on potential solutions to data security issues. Deaton contends that creating legislation with agricultural-specific IP protections would provide the data protections that are needed.

Blog By: Erica Joan Radermacher

In this blog, 2L Staffer Erica Joan Radermacher argues that it is important to prioritize collaboration when considering environmental conservation efforts in Mobile Bay juxtaposed with efforts to spur trade and economic development. Radermacher analyzes arguments of both proponents and critics of dredging the channel of Mobile Bay and pushes for an attitude of partnership between environmental and economic actors.

Blog By: Ben Bertram

In this blog, 2L Staffer Ben Bertram reviews the Kentucky General Assembly's removal of the bourbon barrel tax, the only tax of its kind in the world. Bertram argues that the decision to phase out this tax eliminated an unnecessary economic barrier for an industry already facing an unreasonably high tax burden. The benefits, Bertram says, will be especially apparent to Kentucky farmers.

Blog By: Sarah Shepherd

With the threat of another farm bill expiration looming over D.C. and rural America, representatives are exploring ways to either expand or cut back on the omnibus legislation. In this blog, 2L Staffer Sarah Shepherd discusses the obstacles of passing a new farm bill, the consequences of cutting SNAP and conservation programs, and the desperate need for Congress to either pass a new, bipartisan farm bill or another extension.