Environment / Public News Service

Since 2019, volunteers have helped complete a watershed restoration project in Midnight Meadows, located in New Mexico's Carson National Forest. (amigosbravos.org)

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Volunteers Continue Restoration Work in NM's Midnight Meadows

Midnight Meadows in northern New Mexico's Carson National Forest is one of 22 sites identified as "wetland jewels," and volunteers will continue their…

Elementary school students on a field trip marvel at the size of a redwood tree. (Victoria Reeder)

Thursday, September 22, 2022

For Students, A Trip to the Forest is a Game Changer

As California's children settle into the new school year, about 1,500 students will soon take the field trip of a lifetime to see the giant redwoods…

Crater Lake National Park covers more than 180,000 acres in southern Oregon. (aiisha/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Public Lands Day Celebrates 'Spectacular' Landmarks in OR, U.S.

Saturday is National Public Lands Day, a celebration of national parks in the United States. People will be able to access national park lands for …

Researchers warn that as climate change increases wildfire areas in snow zones throughout the West, the wildfire influence on the snowpack also will grow. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Report: Wildfires Expanding Into Snow Zones Will Impact Water Supplies

Wildfires in Wyoming and across the West are creating bigger impacts on snowpack supplying farms, energy production and drinking water for millions …

The Hanford Nuclear Site was home to the world's first plutonium production reactor. (U.S. Department of Energy)

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Interactive Hanford Story Teaches about Nuclear Site's Threat to Columbia River

The Hanford Nuclear Site on the Columbia River in central Washington has left a complex legacy for the region. An interactive story map imagines …

The World Health Organization links indoor air pollution, including pollutants from burning natural gas, to increased chances of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. (Vladimir Semenov/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Groups Plead with Public Utilities Commission to 'Supercharge' Electrification

Nevada needs to move away from natural gas and toward clean energy - that's the view of climate action groups that spoke up on Tuesday at an open foru…

Research from 2015 revealed a federal estimate of more than 48,000 abandoned coal mine sites across the nation, but exact numbers remain unclear. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Report: Reclaiming Degraded Lands Could Help Fight Climate Change

Thousands of former mines, brownfield sites, and orphaned oil and gas wells are scattered across West Virginia, and a new report from the National …

New technology can pinpoint methane sources to within 15 feet, and using a high-resolution imagery, can connect plumes to individual pieces of equipment. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

New Maps Expose Methane 'Super-Emitter' Sites

A new study mapping methane pollution across five oil and gas production basins in states including Colorado found a small number of sites account for…

Wildfires near farms in Whatcom and Skagit counties have made work in the fields hazardous for workers. (Alfredo Juarez)

Monday, September 19, 2022

Amid Wildfires, Heat, WA Farmworkers Call for Greater Protections

Washington state farmworkers are facing harsh conditions in the midst of wildfires and late-summer heat. They're calling for greater protections from …

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. The swamp's wildlife, cypress forests and flooded prairies draw thousands of visitors each year. (Moultrie Creek/Wikimedia Commons)

Environmental Groups Fight to Stop Mine Near Okefenokee

Environmental groups are calling on Georgia's Environmental Protection Division to reject permits to build a titanium mine near an intact freshwater w…

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. (FWS.gov)

GA Groups Fight to Stop Mine Near Okefenokee

Environmental groups are calling on Georgia's Environmental Protection Division to reject permits to build a titanium mine near an intact freshwater w…

The Inflation Reduction Act will lower energy costs for households and businesses, create manufacturing jobs for American workers and deliver a clean, secure, and healthy future for families. (Vitalli Vodolazskyi/AdobeStock)

Tennessee Rural Electric Co-ops to Benefit from Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act has made a historic investment of $370 billion dollars to fight climate change over the next decade. Among its benefits…

Wyoming to Receive $25 Million for Orphan Wells Under Infrastructure Bill

President Joe Biden's bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is expected to bring more than 300 jobs to Wyoming to clean up and plug so-cal…

The Idaho Conservation League looked at data for 112 sewage treatment facilities in the state. (tuastockphoto/Adobe Stock)

Report: ID Sewage Treatment Plants Have Waste Issue of Their Own

Pollution is a major problem for wastewater facilities in Idaho. The Idaho Conservation League's fifth annual report on discharges from sewage …

Part of New York State's climate law says 35% of total statewide spending on clean energy and efficiency programs must go to disadvantaged communities. (Adobe Stock)

NY Prepares Disadvantaged Communities for Climate Change Effects

New York State has been working to ensure disadvantaged communities aren't so vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, as storms grow in …

Critics of a draft proposal to expedite the permitting process for energy projects say it would open up more oil and gas drilling on public lands, on and offshore, running counter to the nation's efforts to curb climate change. (Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management/Flickr)

Elected Officials Condemn Proposal to Fast-Track Energy Permits

Local officials concerned about climate change are urging Democrats to scuttle a deal reached with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to pass a bill to fast-…

In 2021, there were fewer than 12,000 coal miners employed in West Virginia, according to state data. (Adobe Stock)

West Virginians Draw from Within to Rebuild Communities

By Quincy Gray McMichael for Yes! Media. Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service, Reporting for the YES! Media-Public News …

Environmental and family farm advocates say there's been a proliferation of large confined-animal feeding operations in states such as Minnesota, with most of them deigned for hogs. (Adobe Stock)

Rural MN Communities Fight Influence of Factory Farms

This week, a northern Minnesota county advanced a large-scale hog feedlot project. Opponents argued such operations are not what rural communities …

A recent designation of Southwest Colorado streams marks the largest community proposal for Outstanding Waters protections to be adopted in Colorado's history. (Adobe Stock)

Southwestern Colorado Waters Win New Protections

As climate change brings longer and more severe drought to the American Southwest, a community-led coalition is celebrating new protections for more …

Concerning levels of PFAS have been discovered in the environment, water and wildlife of the Great Lakes region. (Adobe Stock)

EPA Advances Efforts on Dangerous 'Forever Chemicals'

The federal government is taking new steps to protect people in Illinois and other states from "forever chemicals." PFOA and PFOS are two types of pe…

EPA Makes 'Forever Chemicals' a Priority With Latest Action

The federal government is taking new steps to protect people in Wisconsin and other states from "forever chemicals." PFOA and PFOS are two types of p…

According to a study by the Center for Biological Diversity, woody biomass energy generation in California emits almost four times the carbon pollution of gas-generated power. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Division in CA Over Woody Biomass’ Climate Future

After California's Legislature approved a plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, experts called for one renewable-energy source to be re-evaluated…

An estimated six million children with asthma in the United States are especially vulnerable to air pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock)

EPA Moves to Take Action on Dangerous 'Forever Chemicals'

The federal government is taking new steps to protect people in Ohio and other states from "forever chemicals." PFOA and PFOS are two types of per-an…

In bi-partisan fashion, Iowa leaders have championed wind energy development. But some say the state is behind in studying the broader impact of climate change. (Adobe Stock)

IA Leaders Face New Pressure to Study Climate Change

The effects of climate change, such as droughts and destructive storms, have been visible across Iowa in recent years. That's prompted calls for …

In 2018, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York filed a lawsuit against the City of Mount Vernon for violating the Clean Water Act. (Adobe Stock)

NY Town Faces Similar Infrastructure Woes to Jackson, MS

A small city in New York faces water infrastructure issues similar to the ones making national headlines in Jackson, Mississippi. Mount Vernon has …

Pollinator protectors are working to reclaim unused urban spaces, hellstrips, small yards, balconies and alleyways for native flowering plants. (Adobe Stock)

Grassroots Program Puts Hands-in-Ground for Colorado Pollinators

Some 18 recent graduates of an urban pollinator habitat-restoration program in Boulder got grants from the Endangered Species Coalition to put more na…

in the late 1800s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began sending

Historic Arboretum Cracked Code to Growing in Wyoming

Before the invention of refrigerated shipping, people living across the High Plains had to grow their own food. As Europeans migrated into the region…

PFAS contamination has been confirmed at 228 sites in Michigan. (Adobe Stock)

Great Lakes Groups Call Proposed EPA PFAS Rule a 'Watershed' Moment

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that will designate two "forever chemicals" as dangerous. PFOA and PFOS are PFAS chemicals …

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than half of the contiguous United States is experiencing moderate to extreme drought. (Adobe Stock)

CT Farmers Work through Severe Drought Conditions

Since early May, much of Connecticut has been in a severe drought, leaving the state's 5,500 farms scrambling to adapt. Much of the Northeast is …

Congress passed historic legislation to battle climate change last month, but researchers say the average American badly underestimates support by their fellow citizens. (Niklas/Pixabay)

Study: Perception Versus Reality about Climate-Change Distress

If you protest in the streets of Texas about climate change and your neighbor doesn't, you may think they don't care about the issue. But new …

GA Group Mobilizes against World's Largest Wood-Pellet Plant

Residents of Adel, a predominantly Black and Hispanic town in South Georgia, are fighting plans to build the world's largest wood-pellet plant in …

Methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure in New Mexico are the state's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the University of New Mexico. (umm.edu)

NM Fossil-Fuel Industry Fights Methane, Ozone Rules Compliance

Environmental groups in New Mexico say a lawsuit filed by an advocacy group for the state's fossil-fuel industry suggests it values profit more than p…

Much like coal and oil, woody biomass is a carbon-burning form of energy production that emits carbon dioxide. (Adobe Stock)

Massachusetts Helping Turn Tide on Biomass Energy

Clean-energy advocates are hopeful Massachusetts' leadership on fighting biomass pollution will drive change in other states and nations. The Bay …

Northern Utah'a air quality ranks among the worst on the planet, according to IQAir, a website that monitors pollution levels around the world. (Salil/Adobe Stock)

High-Pollution Days Bring Free Rides on Wasatch Range Transit System

Salt Lake City is notorious for its bad air days this time of year, but there is a silver lining to the brown cloud. The Free Fare for Clean Air …

Farmers face startup costs to diversify their crop rotations, but experts say the move can mean lower overall costs over the long run. (Adobe Stock)

Old Ideas About Farming Offer New Alternatives

The resilience of the U.S. food supply to disasters has become even more important in the time of climate change. Nebraska farmers, like others…

Conglomerate Mesa is designated as California Desert National Conservation Land and protected by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. (Friends of the Inyo)

Campaign Expands to Protect Conglomerate Mesa

Conservation groups are working to raise awareness of the fight to protect a pristine California desert landscape from development, near Death Valley …

West Virginia has the potential to create more than 1,000 solar energy jobs, and nearly 3,000 energy efficiency jobs by 2030 and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, according to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (Adobe Stock)

Inflation Reduction Act: A Pathway to Transition WV from Coal

West Virginia residents stand to gain from the tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation, supported by Sen. Joe Manchin…

With more certainty surrounding federal tax credits, supporters of renewable energy say developers will give the green light to more projects in the coming years. (Adobe Stock)

Measuring the Inflation Reduction Act's Economic Potential for ND

The Inflation Reduction Act has made headlines for clean energy provisions and prescription drug cost reform for Medicare recipients. A labor leader …

The biomass process, also called anaerobic digestion, uses waste products from farm animals and plants to extract methane and generate power. (Olivo/Adobe Stock)

MI Groups Call Biomass Proposal 'Flawed, Inefficient'

Environmental advocates are calling a Michigan proposal to use animal and industrial waste as a source of "renewable natural gas" for power generation…

Planting native flowering plants in your yard instead of grass can help restore critical habitat for struggling pollinator species. (Adobe Stock)

Wanted: Next-Generation Beekeepers for Nebraska Farms

With the age of Nebraska's farmers and beekeepers on the rise, bee enthusiasts are encouraging more young people to check out the Great Plains Master …

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron have risen during the last decade from around 577 feet to 582 feet. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Inflation Reduction Act Provides Hope for Michigan's Climate-Change Policies

With the Inflation Reduction Act now law, many states are beginning to bring their climate goals to fruition. In the last decade, Michigan has seen …

Panel Discussion Tonight on Future of Nevada's Water

Some of the state's top experts will speak out tonight on the greatest water issues facing Nevada. The event, sponsored by the Nevada Conservation …

Multi-billion-dollar companies like Chevron, which owns this refinery in El Segundo, would have to track and make public their carbon emissions if SB 260 becomes law. (Pedro Szekely/Flickr)

Vote Coming on Bill to Make Big Companies Disclose Carbon Emissions

A big floor vote in the State Assembly is expected this week or early next on a bill that would require mega-corporations that do business in Californ…

Maine artist Russel Whitten creates an ocean scene at East Point Audubon Sanctuary at Biddeford Pool. (Elizabeth Creamer/Maine Audubon)

Maine Audubon 'Brush with Nature' Event Captures Wilderness Sanctuaries

The beauty and inspiration of Maine's coastal wetlands soon could be hanging on a wall near you. Twenty-seven plein-air painters will be creating …

Part of the Inflation Reduction Act's $369 billion climate-change investment creates the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, which aims to reduce leaks from producing and distributing natural gas. (Adobe Stock)

Inflation Reduction Act is Law: What Next for Climate?

Although President Joe Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, he's getting pressure to declare a climate emergency to provide further …

Once installed, a trio of solar arrays is estimated to save Maine taxpayers at least $7.2 million over the next 20 years. (Photocreo Bednarek/Adobe Stock)

MaineDOT Installing Solar Arrays to Power Capitol Complex

The Maine Department of Transportation is "going green," with plans to install solar arrays on three state-owned properties in Augusta. The …

Pennsylvania's 58,000 farm families continue to care for over 7.7 million acres of farmland. (asafaric/Adobe Stock)

Inflation Reduction Act Seen as 'Win' for PA Family Farms

President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law Tuesday, which conservation groups see as a major victory in the battle against …

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Environment

Volunteers Continue Restoration Work in NM's Midnight Meadows

For Students, A Trip to the Forest is a Game Changer

Public Lands Day Celebrates 'Spectacular' Landmarks in OR, U.S.

Report: Wildfires Expanding Into Snow Zones Will Impact Water Supplies

Interactive Hanford Story Teaches about Nuclear Site's Threat to Columbia River

Groups Plead with Public Utilities Commission to 'Supercharge' Electrification

Report: Reclaiming Degraded Lands Could Help Fight Climate Change

New Maps Expose Methane 'Super-Emitter' Sites

Amid Wildfires, Heat, WA Farmworkers Call for Greater Protections

Environmental Groups Fight to Stop Mine Near Okefenokee

GA Groups Fight to Stop Mine Near Okefenokee

Tennessee Rural Electric Co-ops to Benefit from Inflation Reduction Act

Wyoming to Receive $25 Million for Orphan Wells Under Infrastructure Bill

Report: ID Sewage Treatment Plants Have Waste Issue of Their Own

NY Prepares Disadvantaged Communities for Climate Change Effects

Elected Officials Condemn Proposal to Fast-Track Energy Permits

West Virginians Draw from Within to Rebuild Communities

Rural MN Communities Fight Influence of Factory Farms

Southwestern Colorado Waters Win New Protections

EPA Advances Efforts on Dangerous 'Forever Chemicals'

EPA Makes 'Forever Chemicals' a Priority With Latest Action

Division in CA Over Woody Biomass’ Climate Future

More NC Residents See Link Between Pollution, Health

EPA Moves to Take Action on Dangerous 'Forever Chemicals'

IA Leaders Face New Pressure to Study Climate Change

NY Town Faces Similar Infrastructure Woes to Jackson, MS

Grassroots Program Puts Hands-in-Ground for Colorado Pollinators

Historic Arboretum Cracked Code to Growing in Wyoming

Great Lakes Groups Call Proposed EPA PFAS Rule a 'Watershed' Moment

CT Farmers Work through Severe Drought Conditions

Study: Perception Versus Reality about Climate-Change Distress

GA Group Mobilizes against World's Largest Wood-Pellet Plant

NM Fossil-Fuel Industry Fights Methane, Ozone Rules Compliance

Massachusetts Helping Turn Tide on Biomass Energy

High-Pollution Days Bring Free Rides on Wasatch Range Transit System

Old Ideas About Farming Offer New Alternatives

Campaign Expands to Protect Conglomerate Mesa

Inflation Reduction Act: A Pathway to Transition WV from Coal

Measuring the Inflation Reduction Act's Economic Potential for ND

MI Groups Call Biomass Proposal 'Flawed, Inefficient'

Wanted: Next-Generation Beekeepers for Nebraska Farms

Inflation Reduction Act Provides Hope for Michigan's Climate-Change Policies

Panel Discussion Tonight on Future of Nevada's Water

Vote Coming on Bill to Make Big Companies Disclose Carbon Emissions

Maine Audubon 'Brush with Nature' Event Captures Wilderness Sanctuaries

Inflation Reduction Act is Law: What Next for Climate?

MaineDOT Installing Solar Arrays to Power Capitol Complex

Inflation Reduction Act Seen as 'Win' for PA Family Farms