MIC

Ishifted my car into neutral and drifted off I-80 in western Nebraska and into my hometown for a weekend visit. As he has done to thousands of travelers to enter North Platte, Neb., since 1963, a stern-faced Buffalo Bill glared down at me with a rifle in his hands from a 50-foot billboard. Behind him stands the famous Fort Cody, an imposing wooden building with plaster grizzly bears and mannequins guarding its doors. Inside is the story of the Wild West and its most famous celebrity, William F. Cody.

Earning the nickname “Buffalo Bill” after killing approximately 4,000 bison in eight months, the hunter became an instrumental tool in the U.S. government’s mission to starve the area’s Native American tribes, who depended on the vast herds that once roamed the Great Plains. In his later years, he began the famous “Wild West Show” at his ranch on the outskirts of town, garnering worldwide, A-list celebrity status. European royalty and famous Westerners like Annie Oakley came here to dine with the world’s most famous man and hunt the now critically-endangered North American Bison.

I went to his ranch, now a state park, later that night and admired the small herd of bison kept fenced up for events and tourist appeal. I looked out at the open fields behind them, scattered with grazing cattle, and couldn’t help but feel pity for the magnificent animals, lying in the mud in front of me in their small enclosure. Every North American Bison can trace its lineage back to the final 300 that escaped extinction — the last of 60 million that once roamed the Great Plains. Their tragic story is often recited as another regrettable American mistake of our past, but its lessons about extinction, and narrow escape from it, are more relevant today than ever.

Fifteen thousand University of Michigan students and faculty marched through the streets on April 22, 1970, in the first celebration of a new holiday called Earth Day. Following in the footsteps of pioneers like Rachel Carson and Jane Goodall, the new environmental movement immediately had to confront a neverending and exponentially growing

Design courtesy of Shannon Stocking NOAH ENTE | COLUMN and diplomatic relations between two countries, a very rare occurrence. In a part of the world marked by an extensive history of bloodshed, two agreements brokered by the U.S. and President Donald Trump were reached, with both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain establishing official ties with Israel.

The deals have made quite a splash on the world stage, and have even led Trump to receive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. These accords, signed by leaders of the three countries at a much-anticipated White House event, are sure to shift the regional dynamics and strategic reality in the Middle East for the benefit of all the signatory nations as well as the U.S.

Unlike other notable agreements over the last 50 years, it appears that the accords signed in September could lead to full and harmonious relationships between Israel, the U.A.E. and Bahrain. Past deals between Israel and Middle Eastern nations, namely Egypt and Jordan, established what has mainly been “cold peace,” where the states list of long-existing issues. While the success of these battles is difficult to measure, it’s safe to say that the movement has been a general failure.

Major issues like ocean acidification, deforestation, the collapse of biodiversity and over-use of resources have not yet been solved while newer threats like climate change, overfishing and politicization of environmental issues have been met with less than sufficient resistance. The result is the apocalyptic United States we now live in, where national disasters have forced Americans in California or Iowa or the Gulf Coast from their homes as climate refugees.

Since the pandemic began, my newsfeed has been filled with an increasing number of terrifying studies and headlines that show just how bad things have truly become. Back in June, The New York Times released a report stating that over 500 species will likely go extinct in the next 20 years, a number of extinctions that would naturally occur over 16,000 years if not for the environmental issues impacting Earth. Since the 1970s alone, over 70% of the world’s animal populations have been wiped out, leaving more than a million species confronting extinction.

These levels of biodiversity loss haven’t been seen since a meteor wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and are a sign that humanity’s efforts to grow sustainably have failed disastrously. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is itself the hypothesized result of poaching and wildlife trafficking, is perhaps the greatest example of what complications will continue to arise as we delete nature from existence.

Since March, this disaster has killed over 200,000 Americans and made the world an increasingly dangerous and stressful place to live. One, often over-exaggerated, silverlining throughout all of this has been the worldwide drop in emissions and pollution due to national lockdowns. It was the first time in nearly a century, and the only time since the environmental movement began, that the world experienced a decrease in human activity and greenhouse gas emissions. Humanity received a rare opportunity to watch nature have a brief moment to breathe.

Now, as the world has been set primarily communicate about security issues and resource sharing but do not fully normalize relations.

The nature of these ties has almost certainly been influenced by the history of war between Israel and its neighbors to the east and southwest. Yet though Bahrain and the U.A.E have been hostile to Israel for much of its statehood, neither state has ever actually gone to war against Israel. The warm peace officialized through the U.S.-brokered accords will allow the nations to develop public and private economic ties, defense cooperation and coordinated research and development in efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering these factors, it is clear that each of the three nations will benefit tremendously from full normalization. Reports have indicated that other countries in the region may be looking to follow in the footsteps of Abu Dhabi and Manama and establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. One such state which has increasingly been involved in rumors of Arab-Israeli cooperation is Saudi Arabia. At one point, it appeared that the Saudis would be the first Gulf state to foster ties with Israel, with its neighboring allies back into motion, these benefits can seem like a distant memory, but they shouldn’t be treated as flukes of the pandemic. The changes needed to stop and reverse our current mass extinction will require a lot more than those COVID-19 forced upon us. Banning the sale of gasoline-powered cars, drastically altering our diets and subsistence farming are some of the few things that must be encouraged if we want to spare a million species from extinction and save millions of people who would otherwise be killed by the effects of a crumbling environment. The evidence is clear that we have built a flawed society that must be massively overhauled to deal with the realities of our world.

With the largest nations in the world simultaneously deciding and legislating on how to recover, grow and develop to stimulate their economies, the pandemic could be the catalyst for this restructuring. Pioneering environmentalists must regroup, re-strategize and re-learn how to achieve environmental stability in a post-pandemic world. If we learn how to sufficiently influence policy, economics and psychology to encourage sustainable practices, then we might be able to avoid the various crises that currently await us. With many scientists warning that major changes must occur within the next 20 years, this may be our last chance. With more motivated, educated and talented people fighting for our environment than ever before, I am hopeful and terrified in equal measure.

While Buffalo Bill went to great heights to inflict great environmental damage, almost every moment of our modern-day lives comes at the expense of another living thing. This lifestyle is one that has copied practices like his and emulated them on a mass scale, with an environmental footprint higher than any imaginable a century ago. Environmental ruin is not inescapable, but only if society uses this current moment of reckoning and inflection to confront it. Now, with the world at a crossroads, the environmental movement has the potential to solve these problems once and for all.

Riley Dehr can be reached at rdehr@

LAURA MILLER | COLUMN Design courtesy of Samuel Turner

In the decision to revive fall football, Big

Ten fails to acknowledge Title IX

Within the Big Ten An argument could be made that To fully comply with Title IX, conference, including women aren’t being excluded from one would expect an equivalent at the University of equal participation because they opportunity for female athletes. This Michigan, women do not have an might get a chance to compete in the has not happened. With statistics like equal opportunity to participate in spring semester. This logic does not these, every single woman or genderand benefit from college sports this hold up well to Title IX statute text non-binary varsity athlete could have fall when compared to men. Because or case precedent. The “scheduling a potential Title IX claim. of this, there is a compelling case to be of games and practice time” is listed A counter argument might be made that the Big Ten is operating in in the 34 C.F.R. § 106.41(c) as a way of that football is a special case and thus violation of Title IX, which prohibits measuring equal opportunity. should be looked at differently under gender discrimination. Women and The NCAA’s own handbook on Title IX. Football is a large source gender non-binary students who play Title IX compliance cites an example of revenue for universities, and so fall women’s sports could potentially eerily similar to the current situation, perhaps it is justified to treat this have strong Title IX claims against which states that “institutions need sport differently when considering universities within the Big Ten. to look at all sports.” The handbook COVID-19 reopenings given budget

In making the unanimous continues with, “... if football is the woes. However, this argument has decision to reopen football this only program brought back early, implications beyond Title IX. The fall, and football alone, the Big Ten the fact that there is no like program NCAA and member universities have doesn’t seem to be following the will not excuse the school’s decision vigorously defended lawsuits from general wording of the Title IX of the to bring back members of one sex male football and basketball players Education Amendments Act of 1972, and not the other.” Several past cases requesting adequate compensation 20 U.S.C.§§1681 which states: such as Parker v. Franklin County for the use of their labor and likenesses

“No person in the United States and McCormick v. School Dist. of by citing participation in an amateur shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded Mamaroneck have established that sport. If the Big Ten defends Title from participation in, be denied scheduling disparities between male IX claims with a “football is special” the benefits of or be subjected to and female athletic competitions defense, this could undermine the discrimination under any education do in fact qualify as a denial of equal avoidance of paying football players in program or activity receiving Federal opportunity. other ways. financial assistance.” One of the ways Title IX The litigation regarding Title IX

Right now, some male athletes compliance is measured is by whether violations and COVID-19 has already can practice and play, but no female a disparity exists between men and begun, foreshadowing more to come. athletes have been given a comparable women in varsity sports participation The seminal case Cohen v. Brown opportunity this fall. Players for the and making sure that this ratio is was recently reopened due to new University of Iowa Hawkeyes football approximately proportional to the allegations of Brown’s violation of team rejoice in knowing that they will gender ratio of the student body at the decades-old settlement due to return to play Oct. 24, while teams large; this was clarified in the case COVID-19 budget cuts. On Sept. 25, like the Minnesota Golden Gophers Cohen v. Brown. For example, the 2020, a class action complaint was women’s volleyball team fervently University of Michigan has a precise filed against the University of Iowa hope for the chance to do the same. ratio of 50% male to 50% female for providing inequitable access to There is uncertainty regarding undergraduate students, so athletic athletic opportunities for women, a the reinstatement and timeline of opportunities should match. shortcoming further aggravated by women’s fall sports following the Adding to the disparity, the eliminating the women’s swimming NCAA announcement of spring men participating in football this and diving program. championship dates. This has created fall receive more benefits than in a We as students, alumni, an assumption that these sports will regular season. The same Title IX community members and sports be played in spring — but with no clear statute, as listed above, specifically fans deserve answers. In responding plan from the Big Ten. lists the provision of medical services to a crisis, which values are lost in

Why wasn’t Title IX or equal as a way by which to measure equal rushed decision-making and why? opportunity considered by the Big opportunity in intercollegiate Why did university presidents not Ten Return to Competition Task athletics. Football players this fall act in accordance with their pledge Force? The very same 14 university not only will be able to receive daily to provide equal opportunities presidents in the Big Ten who voted antigen tests to help detect infection for women when they voted to unanimously to open conference of COVID-19, but extensive cardiac reopen football? At the University of football signed the National College support care in case of a positive test Michigan, will women and gender Athletic Association Presidential — including giving positive players non-binary varsity athletes in fall Pledge: The Pledge and Commitment easy access to cardiac MRI machines, sports file a class-action suit like their to Promoting Diversity and Gender even when none is available in colleagues at the University of Iowa? Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics. the local area. The Big Ten press Is the benefit of one partial season This is remarkable because only 81.2% release regarding medical protocols of football with a high risk of injury of Division I university presidents amid football’s return did state that to players, including possible death, signed on to a pledge which largely “eventually all Big Ten sports will worth the consequences? promises to uphold existing civil require testing protocols before they rights laws. Setting law aside, the can resume competition,” but it is Laura Miller is a first-year student Big Ten presidents should be held unclear when those practices will at the University of Michigan Law accountable for failing to uphold this be instituted across the board for School and can be reached at agreement. athletes. llll@umich.edu.

In the Middle East, the month of September was marked by the signing of deals for peace

umich.edu.

The next step for peace

following suit. Instead, the Saudi government curiously stands pat, with rumors of an impending SaudiIsraeli peace agreement continuing to surface.

Among the reasons why officials in Riyadh may be holding out on establishing relations with Israel, perhaps the primary factor thus far has been the opinion of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz. Over the years, the king has avidly promoted the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, and has reiterated that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be a precondition for full relations with Israel, as outlined in the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. Salman has remained consistent in this position even recently, and all statements from him have indicated that Riyadh will hold out for the creation of a Palestinian state for official relations with Israel to get started.

Salman’s vision has appeared at times to be quite different from that of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported friction within the House of Saud about whether to follow the U.A.E. and Bahrain’s lead and strike an agreement with Israel. In his considerations, the crown prince appears to place high value in a possible relationship and sees Jerusalem as a key future ally in Saudi Arabia’s longstanding conflict with Iran. The Iranian regime considers both countries — as well as other Sunni Muslim states in the region — as bitter enemies and threats to its goal of a new Middle East, with Tehran as the center of power.

Both Israel and Saudi Arabia have long dealt with Iranian proxies on their doorsteps that have overturned or destabilized local governments and significantly hurt populations in the area. Further, both nations are recipients of significant military aid from the U.S. With their common challenges and regional perspectives, a collaborative diplomatic relationship could be significantly beneficial for both states. To his credit, Mohammed has realized that if Saudi Arabia wishes to maintain and improve its standing in the region, it must look to any possible friends for support against the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially one with such substantial economic, technological and military prowess.

It is also possible that after diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel are established, the prospects for a two-state solution could be even greater. Palestinian officials may be more inclined to seriously come to the negotiating table once they realize that their cause is no longer a barrier towards growing Arab reconciliation with Israel.

Additionally, Israel’s leaders may feel more secure in reaching an arrangement if they feel that their Arab allies will assure that the Palestinians honor their commitments and fully abide by the terms of a future peace accord. The strife between Israel and the Palestinians has its roots in a conflict that has spanned over a century. With no immediate end in sight, Riyadh should not wait for a resolution to strengthen its position in an everturbulent region.

With these potential outcomes in mind, Salman should become the next in what will hopefully be a long list of leaders to take advantage of the opportunity to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. With full normalization, Saudi Arabia will be able to secure the economic and strategic benefits that come with having Israel in one’s corner, while taking a step to promote the Israeli-Palestinian peace for which he has advocated for years.

In international affairs, that certainly qualifies as a win-win situation, and Salman should not be afraid to make the move. Though normalization with Israel might not appear to be popular domestically, Saudi citizens will surely benefit from a strong, often like-minded partner, as well as the influx of foreign investment and financial opportunities. If such a deal also brings Israelis and Palestinians closer to a solution, few Saudis will be able to argue against it.

In a region where violence often begets more violence, perhaps some peace will lead to even more peace. As states in and out of the Mideast continue to discover the advantages of making Israel into a friend, the House of Saud should waste no time in doing so itself. With threats mounting and a crisis developing around the globe, ties with the Jewish state will only increase Riyadh’s well-being and stability at home and abroad.