At their core, various federal energy programs were implemented in hopes of achieving goals such as diminishing climate change and reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources.[1] Federal clean energy and vehicle tax incentives are strong contenders for boosting our economy and bolstering a strong American workforce.[2] The tax credits offered work to level the playing field between the reigning fossil fuel industry and the growing clean energy industry.[3] Yet, these pr

The Obama administration created and developed the Clean Power Plan (CPP) to combat energy pollution. The policy was instrumental as it “set the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from U.S. power plants.”[1] In our current state, the energy sector accounts for “26.9 percent of 2018 greenhouse gas emissions” with 63 percent of electricity being generated from burning fossil fuels.[2] The CPP was set to resolve this major challenge. However, the Trump administration replaced

Background On August 4, 2020, one of the deadliest chemical disasters to date devastated the capital of Lebanon. 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate created an explosion with an equivalent force of 500 tons of TNT, killing 137 people and displacing over 300,000 people. [1] The real tragedy was that this disaster was entirely avoidable. [2] The U.S. is no stranger to chemical accidents. In 2013, a plant in Texas-storing 270 times more ammonium nitrate than permitted-exploded, killi

Located in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the Quitobaquito Springs are estimated to have existed for over 10,000 years. [1] The Springs are the largest in the monument and a rare source of freshwater in the Sonoran Desert. Additionally, they are home to a number of endangered species. The Quitobaquito pupfish (Cyprinodon eremus) is native to the springs and cannot be found anywhere else in the United States. [2] The Quitobaquito Springs are also a historic, sacred s