Journal of Animal & Environmental Law

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By Victoria Sutton and Brie Sherwin

Toxicological animal studies are the cornerstone of the study of toxicology.  Experiments can be controlled and timed on genetically identical animals in order to get the best possible data on the toxic effects of products and substances.  Extrapolating that information to human exposure gives us the best risk information for purposes of regulation and risk management.  Federal agency rulemaking procedures for environmental risks and drug approval processes, as well as civil consent decrees for rule enforcement are examples of the administrative use of toxicological data. Read on.

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By Craig Anthony (Tony) Arnold

Property issues arise in interconnected physical, social, and legal environments.  All indications point to interconnections that are complex, far-reaching in scope, multi-scalar, dynamic, and nonlinear.[1] Property institutions must adapt to these complexities and changing conditions.  However, it has become apparent that the patterns and practices of our uses of land, water, and the environment are unsustainable ecologically and socially. Read on.

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By Courtney Graham

Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, boasts one of the richest and diverse collections of marine species along the African coast.  The nation is plagued by a seriously indebted economy where 70 percent of its population lives below the poverty line.[1] With such contrasting national characteristics, it should be no surprise that Mozambique’s coastal waters are being pillaged by international profiteers capitalizing upon the valuable and unsupervised resources.  These destructive practices are severely depriving Mozambique’s fragile economy of tens of millions of dollars each year and threaten the sustainability of this fragile marine ecosystem.[2] Read on.

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By Kristen Staley

In recent years, it has oft been said that “eating is a political act.”[1] But to say it is merely political is too vague and easily construed out of context.  World renowned chef and author, Alice Waters, best defines eating as political as “not just to mean having to do with voting in an election, but to mean ‘of, or pertaining to, all our interactions with other people’ — from the family to the school, to the neighborhood, the nation, and the world.” [2] In other words, because eating requires collaborative efforts from all members of society to thrive—consumers, businesses, and nations—eating is democratic act, not just political. Read on.

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By Byron Gary

This is the story of radioactive waste’s little brother.  And much like the story of any little brother, it involves many episodes of attention-grabbing attempts. From flaming trucks to near major environmental catastrophes, low-level waste has been trying to make the headlines. Unless you live near a disposal site,  however, you have most likely  never heard of it. Yet, low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) surrounds us all.  It is in your smoke detector and your watch dial;  There is a good chance you pass buildings storing it in store-closets on your daily commute.  Radioactivity is so ubiquitous,  it is encountered everywhere. Read on.

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By Michael Roberts

This work explores the moral status of laws prohibiting bestiality and whether they are justified in practice or justifiable in theory. Part I of the paper introduces us to bestiality by first testing our moral intuitions regarding the act. Through a list of 10 examples we are asked to consider whether we find some acts morally wrong, and therefore prohibitable by law. Next, the paper explores the current state of the law. It considers possible definitions of bestiality from the Church, secular law, and legal scholars. Each definition is criticized as overly broad, vague, and in at least one case, too narrow. Instead, a new definition of bestiality is proposed which better comports with our moral intuitions and eliminates some problems associated with the prior definitions. Read on.

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By Laura Story Johnson

In 1989 at an American Institute of Biological Sciences meeting, Mostafa K. Tolba, then Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), warned that “as many as 50 million people could become environmental refugees” without coordinated meaningful international action to safeguard the global environment.2 In 1999, the chairman of the World Water Council argued that “more people flee due to environmental problems than due to war,” and estimated the number of environmental refugees in the world to be 25 million, warning that this number would quadruple by 2005.3 Also in 1999, Grover Foley wrote that “Climate change, at a conservative estimate, will increase the number of environmental refugees six-fold over the next fifty years: from 25 million to 150 million.”4 In October 2005, the United Nations University (UNU) warned that the world may have to deal with as many as 50 million environmental refugees by the year 2010. Read on.

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By Cameron Griffith

Human waste pollution, sometimes referred to as fecal coliform pollution, is a major threat to the waterways throughout much of Kentucky. In many cases, this pollution is piped from homes and businesses directly into the ground water and streams. Additionally, failing septic systems and aged sewer systems also allow sewage to contaminate the groundwater and surface water. Whether it comes from a failing septic system in Central Kentucky, or a straight pipe sewage discharge from a home in Eastern Kentucky, the bottom line is sewage has polluted many streams and rivers to the point they are no longer safe for human contact. Unfortunately, many do not understand that human waste is not simply unpleasant; it can be dangerous. In fact, many believe that sewage leaking, leaching and cascading into the ground and into the waterways is nothing more than a cosmetic problem, a stench that is unpleasant yet necessary and quite simply a part of life. Read on.

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By Melissa McHendrix

On January 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida.1 As one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, the sound of his name can send a cold chill down one’s spine. Although he was never convicted for the deaths of all the 26-57 suspected victims, his trial and subsequent execution seized the attention of the general public and media networks alike.2 People could not fathom how and why a man would commit such heinous acts against other human beings. In addition to the gruesome details of the murders, the media primarily focused on why Bundy was such a callous individual. Countless psychologists and psychiatrists rushed to share their theories about his troubled childhood and introverted personality. Despite the doctors’ belated claims that Bundy was a ticking time bomb, his friends, coworkers, and neighbors never saw it coming. Read on.