Trail Volume 22 Issue 2

The

TRAIL The TRAIL

Vol 22 Issue 1 Spring 2026

Photo by: Aleen Mirza Table of Contents

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Table of Contents Meet our Staff

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Letter from the Editor

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New Jersey Urban Heat Islands Maia Dragowski

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Industrial agriculture's impacts on our knowledge of how food is grown Orli Ashenkas

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Sofia Little

The Impact of Federal Funding and 15 Job Cuts on Environmental Research Lindsey Wiessner Why Enjoying the Great Outdoors Costs a Great Expense Marshall McCullough A New Era of Alternative Lawns Logan Bruno

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High Seas Treaty Daliah Dann

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The Endangerment Finding: A Look 25 Into the Future of Climate Change Policy Anna McHugh EPA Year in Review: Lee Zeldin’s Damage Will Clark

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Phoenix Fires Wreaking Havoc in Argentina and Chile Nader Rawshani

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Student Photos

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References

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Interested in joining The Trail? Email us at epibtrail@gmail.com or reach out on Instagram insta@epibtrail

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Staff

Orli Askenas

Logan Bruno

Writer & Graphic Designer

Writer & Graphic Designer

Will Clark Writer & Editor

Daliah Dann Writer & Graphic Designer Table of Contents Table of Contents

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Staff

Maia Dragowski

Bella Fowler

Writer & Editor

Director of Communications

Sofia Little

Marshall McCullough

Editor-in-Chief

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Writer, Editor, & Technical Advisor

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Staff

Anna McHugh

Aleen Mirza

Annika Noel

Nader Rawshani

Graphic Designer

Writer & Editor

Editor

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Writer & Editor

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Staff

Lexi Tassone

Lindsey Wiessner Writer & Editor; Head of Publishing

Graphic Designer

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, This issue was bittersweet for me, as I’m sure it was for many of The Trail’s writers, editors, and designers. So many of us, including myself, are graduating! Our degrees and this issue are a labor of love I am proud to have taken part in.

The theme of this issue is broad: long-form writing. It was inspired by an assignment for a class I took last semester, Storytelling in Science. One of the many things I love about The Trail is that it provides students with the opportunity to do just that: take a concept from their classes and apply it to collaborative projects. It invites them to conduct independent research on topics they are passionate about and to tell meaningful stories, while connecting their work to broader environmental topics. This issue is a strong example of storytelling, with students weaving together personal experiences and academic research. From camping to gardening to Twitter, a wide range of passions are brought to life in the pages of this issue.

I am deeply grateful for my time as Editor-in-Chief, and for all it has taught me about leading a team of creative and passionate individuals. I hope that my time at The Trail has inspired more students to write about environmental issues, explore solutions, and take the time to learn about the world around them.

Sincerely,

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New Jersey Urban Heat Islands The TRAIL

By: Maia Dragowski

Urban Heat Islands (also known as UHIs) are, according to the EPA, areas that contain structures such as buildings, roads, and other forms of infrastructure that absorb and re-emit the heat of the sun (EPA, 2025). These urban areas that contain manmade structures and limited greenery become “island” outliers with temperatures that are higher than the areas around them. The little urbanized pockets of heat are what later become known as a “heat island”.

Urban Heat Islands can become a major problem for cities, making daytime temperatures 1-10°F higher than the surrounding rural area, and nighttime temperatures 2- 5°F higher (EPA, 2025). This temperature difference can become something fatal, especially to particularly vulnerable parts of the population, like the elderly or young children. With the increase in temperatures, people are more likely to die of heat stroke, have a heart attack, or suffer from heat-related illnesses. Not only is the heat increase detrimental to the health of those living within the heat islands, but it also causes an unnecessary strain on the energy systems holding up the city, as there is much more cooling needed to control the indoor temperatures of buildings.

Multiple factors can cause an area to become a heat island. Urbanization is the central cause of these heat islands coming to be, which began following the industrialization of the country, and continues to occur even today. Urban areas, which are defined as “densely developed residential, commercial, and other nonresidential areas”, now account for 80.0% of the U.S. population (United States Census Bureau, 2022).

The urbanization of the majority of the population has led to many smaller issues, all of which become factors in making an area a heat island.

The most prominent effect seen from urbanization is the lack of natural landscapes and foliage within urban areas. Plants, trees, and bodies of water all provide a process called transpiration, when plants take water from their roots and release it as water vapor through little holes on the undersides of their leaves.

This process cools the surrounding environment.

Urbanized areas lack natural landscapes, meaning there is a lack of natural cooling going on, so they instead have more heat stored by stone, brick, concrete, and other materials that make up the city.

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The TRAIL Another effect of urbanization that causes heat islands is the layout of urban cities. Within cities, the dimensions and spacing of buildings will interrupt the natural air flow, causing it to become erratic turbulence. Since most buildings are not uniform with the ones around them, there is a great disruption to the wind flow in these areas, which messes up the natural cooling coming from the wind. The geometric pattern of cities also affects the urban materials’ ability to either absorb solar energy or release the energy they have stored. Structures that are spatially obstructed by buildings surrounding them become thermal masses that will not be able to rapidly release the thermal heat they have stored.

Finally, another important urbanization effect that comes into play is the heat generated by human activity. Urban areas are densely populated, and humans use vehicles, cooling/heating units, burn fuels, and use electricity daily in cities. This is called anthropogenic heat and is seen in excess amounts in cities (EPA, 2025). As people continue to develop their cities, it is important to recognize what may cause these heat islands and consider what can be done to prevent them.

Within New Jersey, “cities such as Newark, Trenton, Camden, and Jersey City are among the Northeast’s most intense urban heat islands, often registering temperatures 5 degrees to 20 degrees hotter than surrounding areas” (State of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, 2025). These cities are historically linked to redlining that occurred in the state starting back in 1930, and tend to house marginalized populations. It was found that Newark was ranked with the second-highest average Urban Heat Island (UHI) index among 44 other big cities in the US, and Camden and Trenton both tend to have a higher UHI effect (around 1-3°F) compared to other cities (Climate Central, 2023). Within Newark, a lot of the surrounding areas, such as Newark Airport and the Ironbound section, which is an industrial area, create a large deposit of heat into the environment.

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New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the US, and is considered highly urbanized, so it is not surprising to find out that New Brunswick itself is also suffering from heat risk. It has been found in a study looking at 7,827 properties conducted by First Street, that New Brunswick has a severe risk from heat. They found that 0 properties in New Brunswick were at a minimal-moderate heat risk, 150 were at a major risk, and 7,677 were at a severe risk. They also state that a “hot day in New Brunswick is considered to be any day above a “feels like” temperature of 101ºF… [and] New Brunswick will experience 14 days above 101ºF in 30 years” (First Street, n.d.).

So, why is New Brunswick at such a severe risk for heat-related health effects? New Brunswick, while being a smaller-scale city, still sees the usual effects of urbanization. The materials used to construct the buildings and housing in New Brunswick are typically made up of asphalt, concrete, brick, and glass, which can all trap or reflect solar heat. The heat that is trapped slowly radiates out of the buildings, even after the sun sets. The layout of the city also creates pockets of insulation and disturbs the wind flow patterns, increasing heat and reducing natural cooling. People within New Brunswick are also constantly using sources of energy, electricity, and driving, which all release heat as a by-product. Due to New Brunswick being a heat island, we also see a huge impact on our energy consumption. First Street also found that New Brunswick would be expected to have around 169 “cooling days” (which are days that people consume energy for the purpose of cooling) per year in the next 30 years. This increased need for cooling is also expected to raise the electricity usage in the city by around 17.60%. This study also predicts that in the next 30 years, we will see an increase in days that will be above 100°F, creating health risks such as fatigue, cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and death (First Street, n.d.).

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This information begs the question: Is there anything being done to help New Brunswick manage its heat? UHI mitigation efforts are often held on a state scale, but when looking at state action, they tend to focus on the bigger cities, such as Newark or Trenton. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has recently announced that they have opened an Urban Heat Island Mitigation Grant Program, designed specifically to help New Jersey cities combat extreme heat and the rising cost of energy. The project states that it will have the following: “Comprehensive UHI Interventions”: Up to $1 million each for two major neighborhood revitalization projects, including expanded tree canopy, green infrastructure, cool pavements, smartmisting systems, and other cooling infrastructure.

Urban Micro-climate Interventions: Up to $50,000 each for 20 community-led projects such as shaded bus stops, community gardens, and water stations. All projects must be located on public land or in publicly accessible spaces.

Cooling the Built Environment: Up to $500,000 each for four upgrades to public buildings and cooling centers, with features like cool roofs, green roofs, geothermal heat pumps, and battery storage to create resilience hubs — especially vital for communities with a high percentage of renters” (State of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, 2025).

This grant program is a huge step towards helping New Jersey cities affected by urban heat, however the cities have to take it into their own hands when deciding if they wish to apply for it. There is no record showing that the city of New Brunswick has applied for the grant, nor has it been mentioned by city officials. Other than the grant from the Board of Public Utilities, most of the work done on urban heat in New Brunswick is done by our own students here at Rutgers through research centers such as the New Jersey Climate Resource Center and the Rutgers Climate & Health Research Incubator.

It is possible to reduce the harmful effects of Urban Heat Islands over time; we are seeing steps taken to get it done within New Jersey and all around the United States. Though there is not much of a push to fight this issue in New Brunswick specifically, an important first step to address the problem is to be aware of urban heat and its effects. Hopefully, with more research being done, New Jersey can start to protect its residents and its ecosystem from heat risk.

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Industrial agriculture's impacts on our knowledge of how food is grown By: Orli Ashenkas Ever eat strawberries or tomatoes in the winter? How do you get avocados if NJ's climate does not produce them? When going to the dining hall, grocery shopping, or eating out at a restaurant, you can eat food items that, many years ago, one might not have always had access to. Due to the agricultural revolution, food systems have expanded, creating a complex food system. Due to technological innovations, the agricultural revolution began in the early 18th century, marked by new farming techniques and larger plots of land. The Industrial Revolution introduced new inventions, leading to the industrialization of agriculture, as higher yields could be achieved compared to older practices (Food System Primer, n.d.). Through the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and larger plots of land, fruit and vegetables were produced, and transportation improvements enabled a wider variety of produce to be transported.

The benefits and drawbacks of industrialized agriculture will be discussed, along with an assessment of whether environmental impacts outweigh the benefits of large-scale food production. A possible solution to bridge the gap between food sources and people's plates is to foster a connection between people and the places where their food is sourced through environmental and agricultural education.

Before the Industrial Revolution and Agricultural Industrialization, society ran on an entirely different food system, having a deeper connection to what was on their dinner plate. In these earlier times, humans were required to forage and hunt for food, often wild plants, insects, or animal remains (Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, n.d.). In later years, starting around the twentieth century, humans began moving away from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and shifting to small-scale farming and the domestication of animals. One reason for the industrialization of agriculture was the twentieth century’s global population growth (Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, n.d.). The Agricultural Revolution was also driven by new farming practices that produced food on a larger scale, creating food resources from different parts of the world rather than from near their homes. The disconnect between where people's food comes from leads to a lack of environmental and agricultural education, with environmental issues going unaddressed.

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Industrial agriculture can produce large amounts of food, offering people a variety of produce year-round, unlike traditional farming practices. With seemingly never-ending population growth, industrialized agriculture is a critical means of producing food (Mossy Oak, n.d.). To achieve the highest yields possible and generate the most profit, the use of fertilizers and pesticides is necessary. With pesticides and fertilizers, produce can last longer and be sent to communities around the world. Out-ofseason produce, such as strawberries during winter seasons, can be attributed to the efficiency of industrialized farming and transportation. Mexico is one of the top exporters of strawberries to the United States, driven by global trade and the industrialization of agriculture (Guan et al., 2025). Another possible benefit of industrialized farming is that produce and animal products are produced in large quantities and sold at lower prices, allowing people on low incomes to purchase food (Cherlinka, 2026). Compared to smallscale farming practices, industrialized agriculture produces large amounts of food more quickly.

Perhaps eating strawberries during the winter, as it is an out-of-season fruit, may be too good to be true.

Earth's resources are limited, such as clean water, land, and forests. Industrial agriculture strains the environment's capacity to produce resources, leading to poor farming practices, animal suffering, and environmental degradation.

Although food prices can be more affordable due to industrialized agriculture, the farming practices that make cheap produce possible come at the expense of the environment, which can ultimately drive up food prices.

The Green Revolution began around the mid-1900s and was seen as a solution to food shortages among growing populations worldwide. By integrating science and agriculture, crossbreeding crops created a super seed, enabling a surplus to combat hunger. Due to higher yields, countries were able to export crops such as wheat and rice, generating profits. A downside of the Green Revolution is that farmers became dependent on American companies supplying super seeds. Corporations began raising the prices of super seeds, but farmers in other countries had no choice but to purchase them. On top of that, corporations began selling synthetic fertilizers that worked only with their crops, forcing farmers to pay whatever market price the corporations chose (Heimler’s History, 2024). The efficiency of technological tools enables the mass production of products for the world's large population (Cherlinka, 2026). Although there may be some advantages to industrialized agriculture, it is arguable that it is unsustainable in the long term, and it is realistically impossible for the world to produce an unlimited supply of food with no implications.

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Industrialized farms emit greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, which pollute local waterways, forests, and air (10 Things You Should Know About Industrial Farming, n.d.). The use of synthetic fertilizers can contaminate natural waterways through farm wastewater runoff, polluting water resources. Deforestation is an environmental impact caused by the need to clear large plots of land for animal and vegetable farms, erasing natural habitats and ecosystems. Air pollution is also an environmental effect of industrialized machinery and of raising livestock in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) (City of Boston, n.d.). Food prices; they may be affordable, but they impose significant environmental and local community costs. Resources such as land and water are vital to industrialized farms, but they can lead to environmental degradation. An example of how industrialized agriculture impacts communities and the environment can be seen in the Amazon Rainforest. Deforestation is a step taken to clear land for concentrated animal feedlot facilities and farms. There has been an increase in pollutants in the air where fires have occurred, causing negative health impacts to locals and wildlife (United Nations Environment Programme, n.d.). Industrial agriculture can also act as a monopoly, aiming to produce the highest amount of crops at the lowest cost, pushing out small-scale farming businesses that cannot keep up. Industrial agriculture has another negative effect with deep implications for how society views agriculture. \

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Because the sources of our food are often far away, the environmental impacts can be hidden from us. For instance, if wildfires were set for agricultural purposes in New Jersey, resulting in residents and wildlife experiencing health effects from pollution or water contamination, there would be public outcry in the state. There is less advocacy and upset in New Jersey about wildfires in the Amazon because Industrial agriculture has created a disconnect between society and the environmental awareness of how their food is raised. Industrialized agriculture has led societies to passively purchase their food or eat out at restaurants, unaware of the hidden costs of what they consume.

For example, when eating at the dining hall, one may passively add pizza, salad, and a banana without considering where the ingredients came from.

Alternatively, when going to a grocery store, there are so many varieties of tomatoes, which would not have been possible in hunter-gatherer or small-scale farming times, as industrial agriculture continues to create a gap between society's environmental awareness. If food sources and farmers are located far from communities, communities become unaware of environmental consequences, such as air pollution, animal abuse, and wastewater runoff. It is important to navigate how to bridge the gap and provide resources that help people become more educated about how their food is produced and which solutions are viable for them.

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One can be more involved and aware of what goes into their plate in many different aspects. Community gardens are small plots of land where community members grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Through community gardens, one can become more knowledgeable about how long it takes to create produce and what goes into agriculture. Local farmer markets are also a great way to bridge the gap between farmers and communities, as they offer a space for farmers and communities to come together and foster a relationship with how their food is made. Not only can farmers' markets foster relationships between consumers and farmers, but small businesses can also generate income by supporting local businesses rather than large corporations that are detrimental to our environment.

Another way for people to become more aware of where their food comes from and how to access local produce is to research what their state is known for growing and whether it is available in their area. New Jersey farmers are known for producing tomatoes, peaches, blueberries, and so much more (New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, n.d.). Centering meals on what produce is seasonal and accessible in your area is a way to become more connected with the environment and agriculture. One can even make researching what produce is in season an activity, and try to make a meal with friends using seasonal produce. It may be challenging to access seasonal or local produce, emphasizing the complexities industrial agriculture has brought to society and the environment. Getting involved in the kitchen, for me, has led to a deep connection with where my food comes from. As a college student, it can be difficult to get fresh, healthy items. In my personal life, I chose to make bread rather than buy it from supermarkets.

Making bread has become a weekly ritual for me, and I enjoy giving bread to family and friends. The connection one feels when cooking food makes one proud and connected to what they cook, as it can resemble family recipes or cultural traditions.

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The Impact of Federal Funding and Job Cuts on Environmental Research

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By Lindsey Wieissner

In the world of academia, a researcher’s projects are often impacted by the funding that they are able to obtain, federal or otherwise. Throughout my time as an undergraduate, I have taken a personal interest in research and am considering pursuing a PhD. When looking through programs, I was taken aback by the number that were not currently accepting students.

After thinking it through, I determined that federal funding cuts may be part of the reason why these programs are struggling. Since the beginning of the second Trump Administration, research on topics including science, environmental sociology, and equity have been specifically targeted, losing large amounts of funding from federal agency grants. Additionally, federal agencies themselves have been experiencing mass firings and funding cuts, further limiting the research and information that they are able to produce. All of these factors have converged to make it quite difficult for studies and research to be conducted in fields or topics that are unsupported by the current administration.

There were many threats towards environmental programs and funding in Trump’s first term, but these threats did not actually come to fruition until his second. One of the first actions that Trump took in this second term was to mass-fire federal employees from agencies focused on projects opposing his ideals.

Science and research were directly targeted, and science agencies had their staff cut to about 80% of their original size in 2025 (Kozlov et al., 2026).

The National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other science-oriented agencies were among those that received heavy cuts (Kozlov et al., 2026). The EPA, in particular, was targeted most heavily, mostly due to a majority of its research centers being around climate change and the impacts that humans have on the environment (Kozlov et al., 2026). The number of EPA employees went from 16,839 in 2024 to 12,849 in 2026, meaning that about 23.7% of employees from this agency were terminated (OPM, 2026). While EPA cuts were most extreme in terms of sheer number, the NSF was also heavily impacted. The NSF lost about 32.8% of its federal employees over this same time period, going from 1,717 employees in 2024 to 1,153 in 2026 (OPM, 2026). These mass-firings are unprecedented, with total employee counts for these agencies falling significantly far below anything that has been seen over the past 10 years (OPM, 2026).

Across all federal agencies, more than 213,000 employees are no longer working with the federal government (Partnership for Public Service, 2026).

Some of these employees were terminated during massfiring events, as were seen in the EPA and NSF, while others quit on their own accord (Partnership for Public Service, 2026). With less people working in federal agencies to conduct research, along with funding cuts, it has become much more difficult for these agencies to learn about environmental topics, or any topic on the whole.

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Throughout the past two years of Trump’s second term, there were more than 7,800 federal grants that were either paused or terminated (Kozlov et al., 2026).

This included 1,996 grants from the NSF, and 5,844 grants from the NIH (Kozlov et al., 2026). These grants were meant to be administered by federal agencies to various researchers, universities, and municipalities. However, these grant cuts have led to the cancellation of a lot of projects and programs, both new and continuous. While this is concerning enough already, these cuts are even more alarming when considering the precedents around funding cuts.

Funding cuts have certainly been administered by other presidents before, though never at this rate (Kozlov et al., 2026). Additionally, movements have been made to eliminate grants that had already been given and were currently in progress (Kozlov et al., 2026). This is an action that has never before been taken by a presidential administration, as grants that were already given are generally honored (Kozlov et al., 2026). This is essential because grants are being taken away from researchers and municipalities who may have already spent considerable amounts on their research. This can lead these university departments and municipalities to become indebted, as they may not have the funds to cover what they have had to buy.

This becomes an even bigger problem when considering the fact that these researchers are losing out on a lot of their funding at once. Many research departments will now have to prioritize a few projects to continue, while having to delay or abandon others.

This is impacting university departments as a whole, leading many prospective PhD students to hear that they might have a harder time finding a program with the funding to accept them. Therefore, these cuts will impact both current and future research progress within the most impacted departments.

Diving deeper into the specific cuts that were made to grants, it is clear that political ideology had a strong impact on the types of programs and grants that were terminated. Looking specifically within the EPA, 671 grants were disrupted, with only 64 reinstated (Grant Witness, n.d.). These grants would equate to a total of about 28.45 billion dollars lost (Grant Witness, n.d.).

Environmental Justice programs for cities and municipalities were targeted at the highest rate, making up for a total of 386 of the disrupted grants (Grant Witness, n.d.). Of these disrupted grants, only 7 have been reinstated, leaving 379 currently on track to be terminated (Grant Witness, n.d.). STAR program grants had the next highest amount of termination, with 128 grants disrupted (Grant Witness, n.d.).

The acronym STAR refers to ‘science to achieve results,’ including research across various environmental topics from environmental behavior to soil science (Grant Witness, n.d.). Of these grants, 92 were fully terminated, 32 were reinstated, and 4 have the possibility to be reinstated (Grant Witness, n.d.).

There were 60 Solar for All grants that were disrupted, and of these grants, none were reinstated or seem likely to be (Grant Witness, n.d.). 5 Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA), and 3 National Clean Investment Fund grants have been disrupted (Grant Witness, n.d.). None of the grants within these two categories are on track to be reinstated (Grant Witness, n.d.).

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From this data, it is clear that environmental justice programs are being specifically targeted. These programs made up for more than half of the grants that were disrupted, and very few of these grants have been reinstated, especially compared with the STAR program. More than a third of the STAR grants were reinstated, compared to only 7 reinstated environmental justice grants. Another noticeable factor is that the majority of the terminated grants were meant for communities. The environmental justice grants specifically are offered to cities and municipalities that want to focus specifically on decreasing inequities within their communities (Grant Witness, n.d.). Many of these communities that seek grants may not be able to fund environmental justice initiatives on their own, meaning that the funding cuts to these programs will impact communities directly.

This shows that the impact of federal funding cuts goes beyond academic and university research alone, also affecting the initiatives that communities are able to implement. It is essential that more of these programs are reinstated, or that these communities are able to find funding from alternative sources, to ensure that the environment is made safe for all instead of only some. The focus on equity and community initiatives as a target also expresses that this move is political, rather than budgetary.

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The Trump administration has proposed to cut 35% of research budgets for non-defense projects, which could further impact communities and researchers (Kozlov et al., 2026). However, this mentality is generally not shared among the other branches of government. Both houses of Congress have been sure to prevent many of the extreme cuts from coming into fruition, providing some potential for a less drastic budget (Kozlov et al., 2026). While the situation is currently grim, there are always ways to keep research moving forward. When the United States government, for example, decided not to nominate any scientists to the most recent International Panel on Climate Change, a coalition of universities led by Professor Pamela McElwee at Rutgers took over this responsibility. They were able to get a significant number of scientists to this conference, ensuring that research is able to continue even with the constraints placed by this administration. There are also nongovernmental organizations and nonprofits that have the ability to help researchers and communities to continue funding some of these initiatives. Even though we are experiencing a hard time in terms of environmental research, I am certain that we will be able to move beyond these restrictions and continue learning and acquiring knowledge. There are also a lot of research initiatives internationally that will allow for progress to be made, even if the United States begins to fall behind in what it can contribute. It is, however, essential that funding is reinstated to all cut programs and that no more grants become disrupted by this administration.

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Why Enjoying the Great Outdoors Costs a Great Expense Taking time to escape into the wilderness has been a great American pastime for more than 150 years.

Starting in the mid 1800s, as industry and city living took over the lives of large numbers of Americans, many started to seek freedom and adventure through camping (Nye, 2017). During this time, due to the complications and expenses of long-distance travel, camping for leisure was out of reach for the average American household (Woeltje, 2019). Starting in the early 1900s, however, the affordability of long train rides and the establishment of public campgrounds through the National Park Service saw camping explode in popularity among middle-class America (Woeltje, 2019). Sadly, this era of camping affordability would not last forever, and many modern-day middle-class Americans are being priced out of many of America’s campgrounds.

Just getting a campsite post-pandemic can be incredibly expensive. Private campgrounds used to be family-run businesses, the kind of mom-and-pop enterprise that hallmark movies love to portray. But as time has gone on, more and more campgrounds have been bought by private corporations. “Legacy campgrounds,” that are passed down from owners to their children, are quickly becoming a thing of the past (Gast, 2022). Family campgrounds that were valued at under a million dollars just a decade ago are being snatched up by massive corporate entities for millions of dollars today (Gast, 2022). But why are corporations going after campsites so aggressively now? Like many recent changes in our economy, the pandemic is to blame. As COVID-19 forced people to stay in their homes for long periods of time, largely in isolation, more and more people started to seek nature as a coping mechanism (Arnold, 2020).

By Marshall McCullough A study from the University of Vermont found that during the first year of the pandemic alone, outdoor activities increased significantly. The number of people engaging in activities such as watching wildlife increased by 64%, nature photography and painting rose by 54%, relaxing alone outdoors increased by 58%, and hiking and outdoor walks increased by 70% (Arnold, 2020).

Corporations saw this increase in outdoor activity and immediately acted to profit from it. With corporations now competing with children hoping to buy their parents' campgrounds, many children left in defeat. One campground, for example, that had been purchased by the owners for 2 million dollars, was being bid on by corporations for 10 million, and eventually 15 million dollars (Gast, 2022). This means that parents who own campgrounds have to decide between giving their children the family business or having their entire retirement easily paid for. The only other option is to have the children buy it themselves, but how can their children, especially during the current cost-of-living crisis, be expected to compete with these large corporations? For many parents, their campground’s value is their retirement plan, and just handing it off to their children is unaffordable (Gast, 2022). Similarly, it’s incredibly unlikely for other wannabe mom and pop owners to be able to afford a $15 million entry fee into the campground industry.

This has made getting into the industry as a noncorporate entity virtually impossible.

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The TRAIL However corporations are not shelling out $15 million dollars on a $2 million dollar property for nothing. They expect to make that money back. This, in turn, means that corporate campground owners have to drastically raise the price of staying to make a profit. RV campgrounds, for example, were seeing seasonal site rates increase by $1,000 during a year (Gast, 2022). Similarly, campgrounds that used to cost $5 to $10 a night only a decade or two ago now regularly cost $50 to $100 per night, charging campers for amenities like electricity even though many tent campers do not use them (Garcia, 2026).

If private campgrounds are no longer affordable for Americans, then they can surely rely on campgrounds on public land, right? The answer is complicated, but in many cases, no. While there are many campgrounds that remain cheap, Wharton State Park in New Jersey comes to mind, many of the once cheap bucket list destinations have seen a significant price increase.

America’s National Parks, for example, have seen an increase in pricing. Daily reservations for Grand Canyon National Park increased by 65% since 2024, from $18 to $30 per night (Bondarenko, 2025). This is on top of the standard national park entrance fee of $35 per car and $100 per non-US resident (National Park Service, 2026). In a similar price increase, Zion National Park has increased its price by double, from $10 to $20 per night (Bondarenko, 2025).

On top of increasing campground fees, both private and public parks are including reservation fees. The typical reservation fee is about $10 per booking (Garcia, 2026). While this might not seem like a lot, these add up quickly. Many campgrounds have rules that limit the number of people who can stay at a single site. For large groups, visitors may need to book two or three sites to fit their groups. As someone who reserves campsites quite often, I have seen limits of as low as six people. Some parks even have booking fees that are per night (Garcia, 2026). While each of these factors on their own is not an insane increase in price,

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as these all combine, the hobby quickly becomes unaffordable for many.

Those who are willing to pay these prices may still find themselves out of luck. Popular campgrounds can have their reservations completely filled six months before the reservation date. This has led to a scalping problem, where people book sites far in advance and resell the reservation on social media for exorbitant prices (Garcia, 2026).

None of these factors even matters for many, as the price of gear has become too much to even consider making a reservation. Camping requires a lot of gear.

Stoves, sleeping bags, tents, all of these items now cost way more than they used to. A budget family tent that cost $150 five years ago can go for $250 or more in 2026 (Garcia, 2026). This trend has been seen in all other essential camping gear.

Does that mean camping for the middle and lower classes is over? Can we expect camping to become another elite-dominated hobby like golf or mainstream concerts? Not necessarily. There are many ways to still go camping without breaking your bank account. To start, look for cheap, primitive campgrounds in state parks and state forests. These are often the cheapest option. I have seen prices as low as $5 per night. Next, skip buying the gear for yourself and look for communities willing to share gear with you. Many areas still have outdoor clubs that you can join. People often own gear and are willing to let others borrow or come along with them to local campsites. If your area does not have a local outdoors club, I recommend looking for a fishing club instead.

While it may seem unrelated, most areas have a fishing club, and the overlap between people who fish a lot and people who camp a lot has been quite high in my experience. If finding someone to borrow gear from or go on a trip with is out of the question, look to see if any outdoor gear stores near you have rentals for tents and stoves. Many larger companies like REI, Outdoors Geek, and Gear to Go Outfitters offer rental gear programs.

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A New Era of Alternative Lawns The TRAIL

By: Logan Bruno

When you think about a lawn, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Most think of green lush grass with seamless strips rolling down round hills.

Although perfection is beautiful, it gets tiring to see hills that look identical and devoid of wildlife. We use these lawns as boundaries to separate ourselves from the wildlife around us. And more often than not, we conform to the idea that lawns are just a spectacle to see, not to observe. That is why we add things to our lawn to appeal to our neighbors during the holidays, using lights and décor. However, people on social media have been discussing clover lawns, creepingthyme lawns, wildflower meadow lawns, no-mow lawns, and many more. But why?

Historically, the first perfectly manicured lawns appeared in the estates of wealthy Europeans. They owned so much land that most of it did not need to be used for farming. The green fields of perfectly cut grass symbolized wealth and power, becoming a trend among those seeking to display their elite status and abundance. This trend made its way to the United States, where American elites like Thomas Jefferson then did the same to their own property. They even transported the non-native grass species the Europeans used, like Kentucky bluegrass, into the United States.

Eventually, the lawn zeitgeist caught the attention of Americans in the late 1940s Baby Boom era and was adopted in “nuclear family” homes in developing American suburbia (Kowinsky 2025). People became obsessed with monoculture lawns, creating a boom for the lawn care industry and the idea that all lawns must be manicured.

But that brings us back to today. People became aware of the manufactured conformity we bring to our yards, and in the modern era we live in, they wanted to settle for a more personalized, unique form of landscaping. Another reason people want to create special lawns is that current conventional lawns support a non-native species of grass, the aforementioned Kentucky bluegrass. Notably, this species is not even originally from Kentucky, and instead has spread invasively all over the United States, pushing native plant species out, increasing water run-off, and leaching nutrients from the land (Palit et al. 2021). Attach this along with the trend of families adopting the “perfect” manicured lawns, which metaphorically show the pursuit of status literally draining our aquifers and destroying our land. That is why lawn enthusiasts, scientists, trendsetters, and environmentalists decided it was time to change how we view our lawns and make them more environmentally friendly (University of Maryland, n.d.). Looking at our options, is there truly a green lawn?

Our first look at alternative lawns starts with the sensation of “walkable alternatives” to grass lawns.

In search of the best alternative option for lawn grass, people found clover or creeping thyme to be excellent replacements that look similar to a regular manicured lawn. Clover or a creeping thyme lawn are monocultures – meaning only having one species of plant in a specific area (Millstein 2025).

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The TRAIL They each have their own special characteristics of supporting the ground beneath them and the environment around them. They are both less water-intensive than a typical lawn and show vivid colors to make your lawn look pretty. However, monocultures come with a certain issue: there is only one variety. It goes against the idea of replicating nature’s beauty of being random and instead conforms to the idea of having lawns that have no diversity. That also means less diversity of plants and animals, which could have a negative impact on the environment surrounding your home. Another problem is how sensitive these plants are to being stepped on, so if your walkways have heavy traffic, you’ll be left with a brittle and patchy lawn. Another thing to add is that maintaining these lawns may be more intensive than maintaining a traditional lawn. Regular lawn maintenance requires just a lawn mower and a few hours outside, but with these antiquated lawns, you may find yourself taking more time outside, having to maintain the short-lived perennial clover reseeding process, or the first-year battle of having to hand-weed your creeping thyme lawn because of the gaps between the young plants.

So what if we look at the other alternative lawns, like the no-mow meadow style lawns? These lawns are rather beautiful, as they are typically achieved using blends or native sedges for people who want a more diverse natural look. One type of blend you could go for is Fine Fescue blends, which are often advertised as “no-mow” or “eco-lawn” mixes, and the cool thing about them is that they look and feel like a soft, wavy green carpet (Prairie Nursery 2025).

Another blend is the Native Sedge (Carex) blend, which is a type of blend that looks awfully close to the traditional grass. (Prairie Nursery 2026).

However, be careful with sedges as they have a chance of potentially becoming invasive and ruining your gardens.

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Overall, these blends contain a mix of slowgrowing grasses, wildflowers, native flowers, and much more.

People tend to have any of the aforementioned lawns, especially when they have little lawn space.

They also do not need that weekly lawn cut because they only need to be mowed 1-3 times a year. When these lawns are established, they require no maintenance such as fertilizers, pesticides, and less water consumption (Oregon State University 2009) (Holmes, n.d). They also serve as playgrounds for local pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and birds.

What is great about these lawns is that you could potentially save a lot of money that would have gone to lawn maintenance, like the water bills and expensive seasonal treatments. Another additional feature of these lawns is that it is also very climate resilient, supporting a drought-tolerant environment and encouraging a wide diversity of plants and animals. But unconventional lawns aren’t without their thorns: they attract ticks and snakes because of the tall vegetation, visual clutter in the early stages of establishing them, and your local HOA may potentially complain about the height of the grass. However, it remains a great, realistic option for an environmentally friendly lawn.

Breaking down the boundaries we built in the 1940s, we can finally see that alternative lawns are valid in serving to be environmentally friendly, and there are no environmental downsides to having these types of lawns. They instead prove to be great alternatives to our traditional lawn, providing nutrients for our soil, biodiversity for our ecosystems, less water consumption for our waterways, and (sometimes) less physical work for ourselves. Maybe there will be more alternatives to lawns that are yet to come, and hopefully, one day we can open our curtains to see a vibrant, living tapestry of beautiful plants in our backyards rather than a silent, green vacuum.

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HiGH SEAS TREATY

bY DALIAH DANN After a decades-long wait, the United Nations started 2026 with a massive victory for international oceans. The long-awaited Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement was finally enacted after nearly twenty years on January 17th 2026. (UN News, 2025). Following the passing of the agreement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a “historic achievement for the ocean and for multilateralism.”(UN News, 2025). But its real significance goes beyond policy.

The BBNJ has long aimed to establish a unified approach to not only protecting marine biodiversity in the region of the high seas but also to improve scientific understanding and create equitable sharing between countries' ocean resources. Despite being a goliath-sized undertaking, attempting to cover a region that spans two-thirds of the world's oceans, officials have believed in a promising change to high sea governance (UN News, 2025). Though the BBNJ is still in the early stages of implementation, its impact is already beginning to take shape in people's perception. Many are now looking to it as the turning point between conservation and international cooperation, shifting the global mindset of how people perceive open waters.

The high seas region where the BBNJ takes place exists in a space past standard borders where responsibility is shared by everyone, yet enforced by no one. (USDS, 2024). While often described as a global commons, in reality, this lack of true responsibility has meant open access for exploitation.

For decades, this lack of clear ownership has allowed unregulated fishing, shipping, and resource extraction to damage ecosystems with little accountability. Dealing crippling blows to biodiversity across the high seas.

Yet, these waters are important to more than marine life. Secretary-General Guterres puts the value of these waters into perspective as his statement on the BBNJ emphasized the need to protect this region as, “ocean health is humanity's health” (UN News, 2025). The high seas support numerous human businesses, such as global fisheries that sustain international food security. As well as their wide range of unique ecosystems, the high seas bring genetic values that contribute to pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Catering to scientific and medical needs that cannot be met in other areas of the world (Temple-West, 2022).

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Despite aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals in both biodiversity and humanitarian sections, it has been extremely difficult in the past to produce any type of positive outcome in the high seas. Currently, only 1% of the high seas are protected. Megafauna such as whales, sharks, and sea turtles depend on the open waters of the high seas just as much as corals and sponges that rely on the ocean floor of the region (Grorud-Colvert & Sullivan-Stack, 2026). Yet many of these species have faced increasing pressure from human interference, not because protection was impossible but because it was no one's direct responsibility.

The enactment of the agreement suggests that this pattern of neglect can change. More than anything, the BBNJ has started to change how people think about the high seas (Grorud-Colvert & Sullivan-Stack, 2026). This shift in perception is best seen with young people. In the U.S., young people continue to push for large-scale change despite facing an environmentally hostile administration. Initiatives like the High Seas Youth Ambassadors Program have gained momentum as a dedicated global network of young advocates/delegates to push respective country leaders in favor of stronger ocean protections and create a huge shift in the global mindset.

At the same time, momentum does not guarantee real change. Countries are still in the early stages of navigating the agreement. Ratified countries are only just starting to hold conferences on what implementations will look like in practice. This would include how marine protected areas will be established, how resources will be managed between ratified countries, and how enforcement will be carried out through a four pillar model.

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As of January 17th 2026, over 80 countries had ratified their support of the agreement. Making them not only legally bound to follow UN regulations but to officially validate and participate in the agreement. Ratification of the BBNJ is what defines a country's commitment to understanding that coordinated global action is necessary. But the absence of the United States complicates that idea.

It's not like the United States has not heard of the BBNJ. In September of 2023, the U.S. acknowledged the agreement in proposal stages, but in both an unsurprising and disappointing turn of events, the U.S. has not yet chosen to ratify as of 2026 (USDS, 2024). Allowing the U.S. to hold no true responsibilities in favor of the agreement.

This had begun to reflect a much bigger pattern within the U.S. in recent years, as a lack of participation in both international and environmental agreements has become concerning.

It was just this past year, January of 2025, that the US formally announced their withdrawal from the international Paris Agreement. A major step backwards in environmentalism, especially from such a major state within the UN. The U.S.'s lack of ratification of the BBNJ not only shows government indifference but can arguably be seen as a slight at the agreement's validity as a whole. With the high seas considered the global commons, their resources are shared across nations. But the lack of participation from the U.S. raises the question of how a global agreement will function smoothly without participation from major states in the future (Temple-West, 2022).

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The BBNJ Agreement represents a rare moment where global cooperation has managed to take a step forward despite the odds. For those in the United States it's become a bittersweet moment, as conversations surrounding the decision to join the BBNJ center on balancing the need for global cooperation with domestic interests. Supporters of U.S. ratification argue that joining the agreement would provide clear international rules for American companies seeking access to resources. It would ensure U.S. participation in decisions that determine how the agreement is implemented. Securing the U.S. a seat at the table, shaping how resources are governed in the high seas (USDS, 2024). However, much of the opposition is rooted in concerns over the extent to which international agreements may limit national sovereignty and economic gains.

Despite being in the works for nearly two decades, there are still many uncertainties about how effectively countries will cooperate with the UN surrounding enforcement, political tensions, and long-term commitments. The world is already seeing a rise in geopolitical tensions. To what extent they complicate the creation of protected ocean spaces is still unknown (Lam, 2026). Despite the ongoing discourse on how the agreement will function, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement represents one of the most significant movements to protect ocean biodiversity in modern history. Ratification of the agreement is just the first step, and the progression of this global agreement must be acted on as a shared responsibility, not unlike the high seas itself.

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The Endangerment Finding: A Look Into the Future of Climate Change Policy This past February, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has made a historic decision to repeal the Endangerment Finding. This decision will have significant and devastating effects on the state of the global climate and set the tone for the future of climate policy in the United States. The decision is the biggest step back our country has taken to fight climate change in recent times.

What is the Endangerment Finding?

Greenhouse gas emissions were not formally regulated by the EPA until the issuance of the 20089 Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act - more commonly known as the endangerment finding. Using an already existing statute that is famous for regulating air emissions to protect public health and welfare from hazardous air pollutants (US EPA, 2024), the endangerment finding expanded the kinds of pollutants that could be regulated under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Originally, this act was known for regulating six what are known as criteria pollutants - carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. The endangerment finding goes on to say that the EPA has the responsibility to regulate six greenhouse gases that have been deemed harmful for public health and welfare due to their impact on climate change: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride (Jordan, 2025). These pollutants are the drivers of climate change and increasing average temperatures, and it's imperative that they are regulated if we want to have a chance at mitigation.

By: Anna McHugh Massachusetts vs. Epa 2007 The Supreme Court case that preceded the endangerment finding was Massachusetts v.

Environmental Protection Agency in 2007. In this case, the state of Massachusetts, along with some other states, asked the EPA to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles (Oyez, 2019). The case questions were: “May the EPA decline to issue emission standards for motor vehicles based on policy considerations not enumerated in the Clean Air Act?” and “Does the Clean Air Act give the EPA authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases?” (Oyez, 2019).

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The TRAIL Why has the endangerment finding been repealed?

The EPA argued in this case that the Clean Air Act did not give them the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. However, despite greenhouse gases not being explicitly written into the Clean Air Act, the court ruled that because the act’s definition of an air pollutant was written to be “sweeping” and “capacious”. This means that the definition was written in a way so that it could be broad enough to apply to future air pollutants that were not at the time recognized.

The Supreme Court ruled in this case that the EPA is, in fact, allowed to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, since they are considered air pollutants (Justia, 2007). It also instructed the EPA to make a decision on whether greenhouse gases are a danger to health or human welfare (Earth Justice, 2026). As ordered by the court, on December 7, 2009, the EPA Administrator signed the endangerment finding, which stated that the aforementioned six greenhouse gases were a threat to public health and the welfare of current and future generations. It was also found that the emission of these gases from new motor vehicles “contribute to the greenhouse gas pollution that threatens public health and welfare” (US EPA, 2021).

EPA Administrator Zeldin, under the Trump Administration, has since repealed the 2009 Endangerment Finding on February 12, 2026 (Sayles & Sollfrank, 2026). The argument made by the EPA was not one of science but rather that the Clean Air Act does not provide statutory authority for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles. Basically, they claim that greenhouse gases do not count as air pollution.

This repeal affects the regulation of GHG standards for “light-, medium-, and heavy-duty onhighway vehicles and engines” (US EPA, 2025).

The Endangerment Finding was repealed as part of a bigger agenda under the Trump Administration. It is not uncommon knowledge that President Donald Trump does not believe in climate change, let alone support climate policy of any kind. His current agenda has been to abandon renewable energy infrastructure projects and research and move back towards relying on fossil fuels for energy - a move that will dramatically increase the US carbon footprint. The Trump Administration has been downright hostile towards the environmental movement and the fight against climate change.

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What does this mean for the future of climate change?

As an environmentalist and someone who is supportive of the Endangerment Finding, the repeal of this critical decision is infuriating. What I believe is most upsetting about this rescission is that it came from the agency that is meant to protect the environment and public health - the EPA. The job of this agency is to regulate industry and ensure that we have clean air, water, and protection from environmental hazards. The repeal of the Endangerment Finding goes against everything that the EPA should stand for, which is outrageous.

Beyond the detriment that this repeal has on the environment and human health, it also takes away some of the stability that investors and developers rely on when manufacturing their products. It impacts stakeholders in the energy industry, especially those who have adapted to create more ecofriendly products. State-level climate policies are expected to fragment, where certain states will choose to utilize more renewable energy sources, and others will continue to use fossil fuels. States that do not already have decarbonization goals will lose the incentive to transition to renewable energy sources without regulation (Sayles & Sollfrank, 2026).

A little hope The good news is that the battle has just begun.

Despite the repealment of the Endangerment Finding by the EPA, there is still hope that this landmark decision will return. As stated by…“On March 19, 2026, twenty-four states … and dozens of cities and counties filed a suit against the EPA’s repeal of the Endangerment Finding” (Sayles & Sollfrank, 2026). The case will be brought to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It has been presumed that the case is likely to eventually end up in front of the Supreme Court, in which a majority conservative court would decide to either uphold or overturn the repeal.

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EPA Year in Review: Lee Zeldin’s Damage By: Will Clark Where do we start?

From the beginning of the Trump Administration, it was known that environmental protection would be taking a backseat in regards to policy priorities. However, it has gone beyond that, with numerous policy reversals and environmental backsliding occurring throughout this administration’s first year.

As the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin has done little to prove himself to environmental organizations as the right person to uphold the EPA’s core mission. The National Resources Defense Council came out with a striking report on Zeldin’s work since his appointment, declaring that under him: “...the agency is systematically dismantling protections for the environment and human health: weakening safeguards around clean air and clean water; leaving rural and urban communities alike more exposed to pollution from toxic chemicals; and undermining our ability to fight climate change, the most existential threat we face today.”

(Bar, 2026)

\

During his tenure in Congress (2015-2023), Lee Zeldin was found by the League of Conservation Voters to have a decidedly failing environmental scorecard of only 14%, having voted and campaigned against numerous environmental regulations (clean water and air protections, EPA methane pollution regulations, etc.) (League of Conservation Voters, 2024; Igini, 2025).

This article serves as an extension of that claim, detailing some key actions taken by Zeldin’s EPA, how they are impacting Americans, and what it could mean for the future of the government’s role in environmental protection.

New Administration, New Narrative The Trump Admin’s declaration to bring back “American Energy Dominance” has become a major facet of both domestic and foreign policy since the beginning of this term. This can be seen in how differently Zeldin discussed environmental protections during his hearing versus as head of the Agency.

During his initial hearing in January of 2025, he faced questions about whether or not he thought climate change was ‘real’. He declared that it was with a statement affirming his duty of national environmental stewardship. However, actions and statements made by Zeldin and the EPA since that January hearing leave much to be desired.

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As detailed in an Earth.org article, Zeldin’s language is very particular and shockingly devoid of rhetorical fire, with Zeldin saying “In an ideal world, we would be able to pursue the cleanest, greenest energy possible…”, maneuvering around answering the question of whether or not Zeldin “believed it was the agency’s job to reduce US reliance on fossil fuels” (Igini, 2025). His answers were not reassuring to environmentalists who aimed to further government intervention in combating climate change.

As the EPA’s Administrator, he has kept the promises he made to the Trump Administration, working alongside numerous other executive agencies to simultaneously deregulate energy and expand our energy use, claiming it to be “US Energy Dominance”. But what does this look like for the EPA’s policies and rulemaking?

Rollbacks and Shutdowns In July of 2025, Zeldin floated the idea of eliminating the Endangerment Finding and was later successful in doing so in February of this year.

As one of the most recent rollbacks of environmental regulations and programs, the Obama-era Endangerment Finding established that greenhouse gases endangered human health, therefore requiring regulation. Established in 2009, this was the result of years of scientific study by the EPA’s own experts, declaring that greenhouse gas emissions from the burning and extraction of fossil fuels were impacting human health. This was connected to the Clean Air Act’s requirement to “regulate substances that ‘cause, or contribute to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare’” (Brown, 2026).

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In the process of arguing for this rollback, Zeldin’s EPA stood in opposition to the scientific consensus thus far, as well as standing against the Environmental Protection Agency’s own authority to restrict pollutants (Bar, 2026). It was also found that the EPA planned to shirk its environmental regulations in the making: delaying methane regulations for the fossil fuel industry and proposing the removal of carbon pollution standards from power plants (Bar, 2026).

It was also found that the EPA planned to shirk its environmental regulations in the making: delaying methane regulations for the fossil fuel industry and proposing the removal of carbon pollution standards from power plants (Bar, 2026).

Beyond acting as an advocate for fossil fuel giants rather than the environment, Zeldin’s EPA has gone under major ‘reorganization’. July last year marked the end of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD), shuttering its independent scientific research wing. The ORD was incredibly important, working to analyze health risks posed by numerous environmental hazards: smoke, toxic chemicals, wildfires, air and water pollutants, climate change, and much more (Stein, 2025). This ‘reduction in force’ is part of a larger cost-cutting plan that, according to the agency, will save ~$748.8m by cutting the EPA’s staff by 23% (Stein, 2025). One organization, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), fears this will cripple the Agency’s ability to conduct and apply research from within and outside the organization.

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The TRAIL 30 Alongside shutting down its own scientific In a reaction, the EPA’s Press Secretary was ‘brutally research, Zeldin’s EPA has gone forward with completely eliminating Environmental Justice from the EPA’s core mission, wiping out its EJ offices effective in March of 2025 (Brown, 2025). This decision came as a result of the larger policy agenda of the Trump Administration to eliminate ‘wasteful spending’, outlined in his Executive Order, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (Environmental and Energy Law Program, 2025). In effect, hundreds of employees were put out of work. Despite this, the impact goes beyond organizational shakeup. In tandem with the complete elimination of the Environmental Justice Office, the EPA has also cancelled more than 400 EJ grants, adding up to an estimated $1.7b (Hassanein, 2025). This was explained as being part of that larger policy program of eliminating DEI, but the impacts these cancellations have on communities is anything but what they are portrayed as by Zeldin and the larger Trump Admin.

One grant helped the city of St. Petersburg, Florida by funding an initiative to plant trees in a neighborhood, alleviating urban heat islands and improving local air quality (Hassanein, 2025). One major grant project’s cancellation led to disaster that was easily mitigated had it not been erased. The EPA’s Community Change Grant program provided a total $1.6b to low-income communities to address long-term environmental risks. One such recipient was Kipnuk, Alaska, which received a $20m meant for flood protection measures (Chemnick, 2025). Just months after the program’s cancellation, Typhoon Halong hit Alaska, destroying much of the village. Since then, numerous grantees have taken to battling the Trump Administration and EPA in federal court in an effort to challenge the mass-grant terminations.

candid’ in saying that it was a better decision to proactively cancel Kipnuk’s grant rather than have the money be “...swept into the Kuskokwim River” (Chemnick, 2025).

Silver Lining…

These examples show only a few of the numerous instances symbolic of the EPA’s managed decline courtesy of Zeldin and the larger Trump political project. Despite the overwhelming forces of deregulation and environmental neglect, there is some hope in the days to come. Although there is much being done to undo environmental protections, there are a plethora of NGOs and nonprofits working around the clock to fight for these rollbacks, reversals, and shutdowns to be undone.

Similarly, numerous state governments are also fighting back through the law, with the Attorney General of New Mexico joining a lawsuit (alongside 24 other states!) against the EPA over its refusal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions (Bowling, 2026).

The current administration has become infamous for the volume of legal battles it has embroiled itself in since the beginning of last year, and there is little doubt that pattern will continue. The Trump Administration's lawyers are equally infamous for their “prowess” in court. With 2025 in the rearview and this year ahead of us, it is even more important to hold our elected officials accountable and to push them on combatting the federal government’s wanton cuts and restructuring, as there is no telling what other harms may come out of Zeldin’s EPA.

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Phoenix Fires Wreaking Havoc in Argentina and Chile By: Nader Rashani

The desperate cries of Rodrigo Vera, a Chilean mayor in Penco, echoed out, "Come help us”, he pleaded. In his hometown of Penco, which is about 250 miles south of the country’s capital, Santiago, Vera documents how firefighters got trapped in the fire, and the anguished cries of those who had lost their loved ones. From fleeing their homes to losing their homes, and the devastation caused by the fires, Mr. Vera was in despair (Bubola & Bartlett, 2026). In neighboring Argentina, the fires continued to wreak havoc, decimating more than 45,000 hectares (174 miles) and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to abandon their homes (Debre, 2026). These fires are the worst in the history of Argentina and Chile, creating a sense of urgency not only to address climate change but also to take effective government action.

According to NASA satellite imagery, fires rapidly spread across Argentina’s Patagonia, destroying thousands of hectares of forest in Chubut Province (NASA, 2026). But why, especially in a country home to a UNESCO heritage site and a 2,600-year-old tree, did the fires, like a swarm of locusts, eat everything they touched?

Javier Milei, when elected as the new president of Argentina over Sergio Massa, promised sweeping cuts in what he called bureaucracy and red tape.

After gaining power in December 2023, Milei immediately cut the government's spending by 30%.

Milei acted as a chainsaw, slashing spending and reducing ministries from 18 to 8, mass dismissals of 37,000 employees, and the abolition of 100 secretariats and subsecretariats, including 200 lowerlevel bureaucratic departments. As this reduction quickened in his second year, the country saw a significant reduction in inflation (from 25% per month to 2.2% per month), a wage increase for Argentines, and a significant poverty reduction (Vasquez, 2025).

However, the ends did not justify the means, because when the fires devastated Argentina's Patagonia region, the extreme governmental cuts proved to be fatal. In the Chubat Province, where 110,000 acres of forestry were destroyed, many environmental groups vehemently criticized the Milei administration for targeting Environmental sectors of the government. For example, the National Fire Management Service department, which, as the name suggests, is responsible for managing fires, was cut by 71%. These cuts were so detrimental that the National Park Administration reported that of the recommended 700 firefighters needed, 391 are currently employed. If there aren’t enough people to hold the fires, the country is at the mercy of the Phoenix. Grimly, Milei has historically referred to climate change as a “socialist lie” and, much like the current president of the U.S., has considered withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement (Miller, 2026).

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The TRAIL 32 Climate change has worsened the crisis not only As mentioned earlier, rising temperatures (up to in Argentina but also in Chile, due to the increasing use of fossil fuels. The planet has warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit).

Furthermore, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Earth could warm by up to 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit). As a result, higher temperature waves cause longer-lasting droughts because more water is absorbed into the atmosphere, drying out and killing vegetation. In plants, water is drawn from the soil into the main plant and then moves through the leaves, where tiny openings called stomata regulate water loss. However, during drought-like conditions, plants must close their stomata to prevent losing too much water through transpiration. Since stomata are also mainly responsible for the exchange of O2 and CO2, closing them halts the process of photosynthesis.

Without the ability to produce carbohydrates, plants draw on their reserves, which eventually leads to their death (Schuch, 2021).

On a larger scale, water deprivation causes soil erosion, creating conditions similar to drought.

Additionally, as the climate becomes drier, regions become more vulnerable to wildfires because less energy is needed to ignite dry vegetation. Winds, which can move more freely due to the lack of vegetation containing them, accelerate the spread of fires at unprecedented rates (Lindwall, 2022).

In Chile, where the government declared a state of emergency, and in Argentina, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) reports that the conditions fueling the fires were three times more likely to be caused by global warming. Moreover, before the fires ignited, both countries experienced drier summers than usual, with rainfall decreasing by 25% in Chile and 20% in Argentina.

37 degrees Celsius) combined with strong winds facilitated the fires' spread, destroying 1,000 homes in Chile and forcing over 52,000 people to flee (Carrington, 2026). According to Reuters, the death toll from the fires has risen to 19, and many Chileans remain traumatized by these events. One such story is Ana Caamano, a 51-year-old resident of Lirquen, who was sifting through the remains of her old home and found the remains of one of her four dogs. Although the Chilean government efficiently evacuated residents from the Ñuble and Biobío regions and sent firefighters to suppress the 24 fires across the country, much damage had already been done, and the desperate cries of those affected went largely unheard (Astier, 2026).

From political debates to climate change, the devastation caused by these fires has severely impacted biodiversity in neighboring countries. In Argentina’s Patagonia region, thousands of hectares of forests were destroyed. Even more devastating is that Argentina is home to the Alerce trees, ancient species that can live for over 3,000 years and are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites; unfortunately, these irreplaceable trees have been affected. Beyond the loss of forests, which compromises biodiversity, the fires in Chile and Argentina only worsen the problems caused by climate change.

Reflecting on the quote at the start, “Come help us,” it feels more urgent now than it did before.

While there were some efforts to control the fires, the response was not as effective as it needed to be.

Milei’s “chainsaw” approach had some positive effects for Argentina; however, key institutions meant to target the fires were stripped of their funds, leading not only to inefficiency but also, in essence, affecting the country’s economy, prompting Argentina to receive a $20 billion credit from the United States.

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This reveals that the climate change crisis is not a “socialist lie” but a genuine emergency that demands urgent action. “Help us” should not feel distant, but it should feel like a responsibility we all share in uniting against the one thing that is destroying our planet.

Astonishingly, I personally had not heard about this issue from my family or peers; I only came across it on X (formerly Twitter), and I was shocked at how little concern seemed to be shown.

Politicians, in particular, appeared to overlook these environmental disasters, focusing instead on geopolitical issues like Ukraine and the Iran war.

This suggests that these crises are deemed unimportant, but this recurring problem cannot be ignored forever.

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Historically, events such as Hurricane Katrina and the Dust Bowl in the U.S. demonstrate the severe consequences of neglecting the environment— consequences that will only worsen if we continue to ignore the warnings. That’s why the entire world must work together to combat climate change, as it benefits everyone. We cannot keep ignoring or underreporting these issues because neglect only hurts more in the long run. However, things weren’t always this way. In the 1980s, when the hole in the ozone layer was discovered, it was a serious threat because the ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Without it, humans risked increased cancer rates. In response, nations around the world signed the 1987 Montreal Protocol, banning the production of substances that damaged the ozone layer (United Nations Environment Programme, n.d.). As the world united over the ozone crisis, there’s hope that similar collective action can be taken for climate change in the future.

A forest fire burning in the mountains of Chubat Province, Patagonia (Keogan, 2019).

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