Next Generation Diplomacy

By: Andrew Zhang Take a sip and think. Where does your drinking water come from? Water from every tap, fixture, and faucet on Long Island is pumped up from underground aquifers despite being surrounded by water. The very lifeforce of Long Island is contained within these underground reservoirs, but very few people actually know how these function or how they are affected by industry. National Geographic defines an aquifer as “a body of rock/ sediment that holds groundwater,” and Groundwater is defined as “precipitation that has infiltrated the soil beyond the surface and collected in empty spaces underground.” The Long Island aquifer is an unconfined aquifer, which lies beneath a layer of permeable soil, compared to a confined aquifer with a layer of consolidated rock above. The three principal Long Island aquifers, the Upper Glacial aquifer, the Magothy aquifer, and the Lloyd aquifer, are composed of layers of sand and gravel deposited by glacial movement some 10,000 years ago. Th...

By: Robert Kelly What is the current situation? Throughout Long Island, there are nearly 500,000 conventional cesspools and conventional septic systems releasing harmful contaminants into our water supply. Nitrogen is one of the most dangerous contaminants. Though nitrogen is a naturally occurring element, excessive and uncontrolled amounts of it can result in a surge of algal blooms, which poison our shellfish, kill ecosystems, and change the way we interact with the ocean for the worse.   Long Island's war against algae blooms has dated back to the mid-1980s. The surge in these blooms harms shellfish and other bottom dwellers by depriving them of the oxygen they need to survive or releasing many toxins that have the same effect and kill ecosystems. Another adverse impact of algae blooms is that they block essential nutrients and sun rays needed by plants such as eelgrass, causing them to die. Does this problem only affect oceanic communities, or is there more to the story? T...

By: Kalyana Lee The effective maintenance and improvement of an individual's health and well-being are referred to as healthcare. This is in the form of prevention, treatment, or cure of medical issues provided by clinical and health professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others. Members of society must be given access to the resources and opportunities of healthcare. Not only is it essential to receive healthcare, but it also must be ensured that it is provided in a high-quality and successful manner. Otherwise, many people would be at significant risk.  Health regulations and restrictions are social and economic factors that may affect a community's access to proper healthcare. However, governments and medical institutions unite to establish a particular goal for developing high-quality healthcare. The most appropriate definition of high-quality healthcare is a treatment that is effective, safe, patient-centered, prompt, efficient, equitable, and administere...

By: Greis Tozaj Poverty includes more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. It also entails hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education, social discrimination, and the lack of participation in decision-making. Like a tree, poverty has many roots. But among the many causes of global poverty, one factor stands out: education. Access to high-quality education is a globally-recognized solution to the cycle of poverty. Most of the people living in extreme poverty lack primary education. Those living below the poverty line will also be more likely to keep their children out of school, which means they will also have a greater chance of living in poverty. It is proven that education directly correlates with many solutions to poverty, including economic growth, reduced income inequality, reduced infant and maternal deaths, reduced violence at home and in society, and many more (Giovetti 2020). According to the most recent estimates, in 201...