ELI In the News

The Missouri River is the longest and, by some accounts, most heavily engineered river in the United States. From its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains in western Montana, it stretches for more than 2,300 miles through a massive system of dams, reservoirs and levees before emptying into the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis. For Tim Briscoe, a juris doctorate degree candidate in the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis, the Missouri River is more than an overbuilt local waterway. . . .

Severe coastal flooding during storms in January and March of this year jolted Massachusetts residents and officials into an unwelcome awareness of just how vulnerable we are to rising sea levels. Last month, Governor Baker announced a 1.4 billion dollar bond bill to finance climate resilience efforts. . . .

When it comes to artificial intelligence, a lot of attention has been focused on issues of privacy and economics – what happens if AI makes human workers obsolete. Now, a new report from the non-profit Environmental Law Institute highlights the potential environmental impacts of AI-driven technologies, from autonomous cars to smart thermostats. Listen . . . .

As the River Jordan meanders between Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, disease-causing microbes that thrive in water contaminated with sewage pass over geopolitical lines without passports or border checks. By drinking or bathing in that contaminated water, children on each side of the border get sick. But proposed solutions could provide an opportunity to heal more than just disease. Cross-border investment in water treatment can be a mechanism for brokering peace.