Conflicts over natural resources are inseparable from human history. As technology has advanced, however, competition over certain resources has only grown. Over the past few decades, there has been an ever-increasing need for critical minerals, which are essential for national security as they are crucial for everything from renewable energy to weapons systems. One such source is polymetallic nodules (“nodules”), found on the seabed floor of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (“CCZ”) in international waters. Competition over who gets the right to extract this resource has intensified in recent years, and while there have been international efforts to create a workable framework, actions taken by countries such as the United States have complicated that process.

Two percent of earthquakes are linked to hydraulic fracturing operations; these manmade “quakes” have been devastating to homeowners across the country since they induce unsafe conditions and expensive property damage. Fracking is the process of using pressurized water with chemicals to create fractures in underground rock layers to extract oil and gas. Fracking fluid is a combination of water and chemicals used to perform the fracturing, once finished this fracking fluid has to be disposed of and is often injected deep into the earth, which is known to induce “quakes.”

In 2007, Barry B. Benson, voiced by Jerry Seinfeld in the beloved Bee Movie, made history by arguing his rights as an insect before the New York Superior Court, claiming that honey industry actors conspired to defraud Benson’s certified class, “all bees of the world.” Today, in real-world combined efforts among biologists, lawyers, and the bees they seek to protect, the stingless bees of Peru have the opportunity to follow in Barry’s illustrious footsteps, symbolizing an important shift away from an anthropocentric legal practice and toward one of biocentrism.

Western Apache Natives know the land at Oak Flat, also known as Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, in Phoenix, Arizona as part of their home. The natives have used the land for centuries to conduct ceremonies, which are part of their religious and tribal belief that are tied specifically to Oak Flat. The problem that comes from Oak Flat is that the land is situated on top of a massive deposit of copper, around 20 million tons of it valued at around $200 billion. In 1955, President Eisenhower closed off all mining operations on Oak Flat, which was later reaffirmed in 1971, and since then, the area has been used by the tribe and other ancestors with the guarantee that their rights to the land would not be intruded upon.

In many Massachusetts coastal communities, informal beach access paths have existed for generations, reflecting earlier norms of shared land use, particularly in areas influenced by Indigenous practices and early colonial norms. Historically, the custom was to allow the community uncontested access to the shoreline through these paths, as such use was not considered a problem. While this custom still exists in part today, it is becoming increasingly rare, and disputes over property interests in the pre-existing beach access trails are becoming increasingly common.

If you come across a floating package in the middle of the ocean, just drifting away, can you claim ownership over it? You might think, “Sure, why not? Finders keepers.” However, it’s hardly that simple as it depends on several underlying factors. For one, there might be competing property interests. The parties here can typically be narrowed down to two key players: the original owner of the goods and the party that finds it. However, in some cases, there may be a third-party interest. This can occur when the first party to retrieve the floating goods unintentionally loses control of it, letting it float away again and a new finder retrieves it.

Tuvalu’s sinking raises questions about the private property interests of Tuvaluan property owners. Using American property law as a reference point, we can uncover approaches to answer whether Tuvalu’s national status can be preserved under a theory of property.

Colorado Springs is renowned for its majestic views of the Pikes Peak mountain, overlooking the entire Eastern plains of Colorado. When viewing a map of Colorado Springs, it is evident that the city has grown naturally in accordance with each property getting to have a stellar view of this crown jewel in the Rockies. What makes the map particularly unique is its vertical sprawl—from North to South—each neighborhood seems almost curated towards this particular peak. However, new developments (and developers) have arrived in “the Springs” to attempt to ameliorate the local ongoing housing crisis. This proposed development (dubbed “One Vela”) would place a 27-story skyscraper right in the heart of downtown, a record-breaking 11 stories taller than the current tallest building in the city. Many Springs locals claim this is against the centuries long ban on tall buildings in the city—but is this a fact or fiction?

A Canadian company, The Metals Company (TMC), recently applied for U.S. government approval to mine the deep seabed. Specifically, parts of the Pacific Ocean outside any country’s borders. Instead of going through the usual international process run by the United Nations International Seabed Authority, TMC is asking for a license under U.S. law called the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA), which allows U.S. companies to explore the ocean floors.

Can a single farmer hold a multinational energy company accountable for climate change? That’s the question at the heart of a lawsuit brought by Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya against German energy giant RWE. Lliuya, whose home in the Andean city of Huaraz is threatened by glacial melt linked to global warming, argues that RWE, one of Europe’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, should pay for part of the costs needed to protect his town from catastrophic flooding.