Environment / Public News Service

America's 63 national parks and 433 National Park Service-managed sites such as New Mexico's White Sands have been ordered to remain open, despite significant worker cuts. (nps.gov)

Thursday, April 17, 2025

DOGE cuts at NM's national parks create alarm, anxiety

New Mexico's national parks generally operate year-round - but they might not operate at 100% efficiency this year due to employee firings, layoffs …

Iowa produced 2.5 billion bushels of corn in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Iowa farmers question need for treated seeds

By Lisa Held for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service C…

Some North Dakota towns have seen plans come together for large-scale dairy operations, prompting debate about what kinds of tools local communities should have in restricting them due to environmental concerns. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, April 17, 2025

ND farm towns prepare for life with new animal feedlot law

Starting next year, North Dakota will have a new law in place that covers local zoning restrictions for animal feedlots. The bill's passage follows a …

A doctor can determine what is causing allergies with skin testing or by examining your blood.<br />(Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Tips to find relief in California this allergy season

Allergy season is here and more than 100 million Americans are suffering from itchiness, watery eyes, runny nose, congestion, sneezing, or wheezing…

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Mining Research Division in Pittsburgh collaborates with the institute's broader mining program to prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses in every area of the mining industry. (Lost_in_the_Midwest/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

NIOSH job cuts threaten PA black lung research, safety labs

A union representing Pittsburgh-based workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is fighting job cuts proposed by the Trump …

The U.S. has seen dozens of coal plants come offline in recent years and researchers noted the ones still in use operate less frequently because of declining demand. They said it should deter policymakers from trying to spend money to increase coal production. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Researchers: U.S. wouldn't see 'bang for its buck' in reviving coal

Minnesota is cited in a new research brief outlining the obstacles America would face in trying to reopen coal plants, an idea prioritized by the …

Seasonal or year-round allergies, depending on the allergen, affect up to 60 million people each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Spring brings seasonal allergies for many Kentuckians

Kentucky ranks among the worst states for seasonal allergies from early spring through late fall, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of …

Experts recommend starting allergy medication early to help your body better manage symptoms once pollen season begins. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Allergy season in full swing in Tennessee, tips for relief

Spring has sprung in Tennessee, which means flowers and trees are blooming, pollen is plentiful and allergy sufferers are feeling the itchy effects…

Climate change is expected to increase the amount of airborne pollen by as much as 40% by 2100. (Sean Pavone/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Wichita named' allergy capital of nation' for 3rd straight year

With temperatures warming, allergy season is underway in Kansas and experts are offering tips on how to cope. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of …

Tree pollen in Louisiana is often from elm, oak, poplar, cypress and maple among others. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

New Orleans ranked 2nd among cities with worst seasonal allergies

With temperatures warming, allergy season is underway in Louisiana and experts are offering tips on how to cope. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation …

According to UnitedHealthcare, medical costs associated with pollen allergies exceed $3 billion a year, with nearly half of those costs linked to prescription drugs. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Experts call preparation key to coping with spring allergies in SC

South Carolina may be famous for its oaks, pines and other trees but experts said pollen from those spectacular forests can also make life miserable …

Colorado forests have not seen below-average winter temperatures in more than three decades, and four of the last five years have brought below-average precipitation. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Drought, warmer winters make CO forests 'beetle buffet'

Warmer winters and prolonged drought have turned Colorado forests into a budworm and beetle buffet, according to a new report from Colorado State …

Medical experts said if you know high pollen days are in the forecast, taking medicine before they arrive can help alleviate symptoms. (Dragana Gordic/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Experts: Texans suffer from year-round allergies

Texas is frequently ranked as one of the worst states for seasonal allergies because symptoms can occur year-round. Dr. Miguel Wolbert, president of …

The wind industry alone brings almost 17.8-billion-dollars in investments to Illinois, currently powering almost 13 percent of the state's electricity needs. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 14, 2025

IL hopes to continue clean energy boom with new bill

As Illinois forges ahead in the clean energy space, legislators and advocates are pushing for what would be the third major climate bill passed in …

There's no cure for seasonal allergies, but prevention and treatment can help ease symptoms. It's estimated pollen allergies cost more than $3 billion a year, nearly half of that for prescription medications. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 14, 2025

Sniffles, sneezes: Navigating allergy season in Pennsylvania

The spring blooms may be pretty, but they are not always a welcome sight for Pennsylvanians who suffer from seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies …

The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1 and will last through the end of November. (Pixabay)

FEMA grant cancellations spark FL outcry as hurricane season looms

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has abruptly ended a key disaster-preparedness program, sparking concerns as another active hurricane season …

The Trump administration says it will halt distribution of $750 million that had been awarded to communities for natural disaster recovery and planning this year. (Shutter Falcon)<br />

Disaster resilience programs across CA frozen as feds cancel grants

Dozens of disaster preparedness projects across California will be interrupted or canceled because the Trump administration is canceling a grant progr…

Wolves are not expert hunters, only succeeding about 10% of the time, but their presence keeps deer and other animals from destroying too much plant life. (Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)

Wildlife advocates decry WA wolf population decline

Wildlife advocates are alarmed by a new report from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife showing the state's wolf population fell nearly 10%…

More than 1,300 mine claims across the country are within the boundaries of units managed by the U.S. National Park Service, according to the National Park Conservation Association. (LM Swanson/Adobe Stock)

Study: 15,000 mining claims near national parks in WY, MT, ID

The number of mining claims on U.S. public lands is growing. A 27% increase since 2019 has brought the total to nearly $500,000. A new study shows …

The study analyzed 56 million cow-level production records across 18,000 dairy farms from 2012 to 2016. (Adobe Stock)

New study: Small farms disproportionately impacted by extreme heat

A new study shows how extreme weather conditions negatively affect production yields on Midwest dairy farms, with a disproportionate impact on …

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship investigated 326 cases of pesticide misuse in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Pesticide 'Cancer Gag Act' dead in Iowa

A bill which would have given pesticide companies legal immunity from health problems caused by their products did not make it through the legislature…

Oregon earned a point on the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard for supporting the industrial sector's electrification. (anatoliycherkas/Adobe Stock)

Oregon scores 9th in the nation for energy efficiency

Oregon ranked ninth this year on The State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research …

Of the nearly half million mining claims on federal public lands across the U.S., more than 120,000 are within 30 miles of a national park or monument. (Billy Clay Myers/Adobe Stock)

Mining claim map shows encroachment on national parks, monuments

The number of mining claims on U.S. public lands is growing. A 27% increase since 2019 has brought the total to nearly a half-million. A new study …

Flooding in Frankfort almost reaches a basketball net Sunday as the Kentucky River is expected to keep rising. (Liam Niemeyer/Kentucky Lantern)<br />

Flooding inundates Kentucky communities

Frankfort is one of a number of communities across Kentucky grappling with a deluge of flash flooding from torrential rainfall over the past several d…

Scientists warn removing access to federal climate data limits support for communities most at risk in a changing climate, and hides the effects already being felt from wildfires, prolonged drought and extreme flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Scientists race to rescue taxpayer-funded data purged from websites

As the Trump administration continues to purge troves of information related to climate change and other topics from government websites, a coalition …

In the Biden administration's final year, the USDA and EPA reaffirmed a goal to halve food waste by 2030 but supermarkets are not legally required to comply. Retailers can help by donating unsold food and educating consumers on cutting waste at home. (lado2016/Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: Major supermarkets fail to cut food-related methane emissions

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Tennessee News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborati…

More than 720 waterways in Iowa, including lakes, wetlands and streams are considered

EPA cuts would endanger Iowa's already contaminated water

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration In a …

The DTE Trenton Channel Energy Center is expected to store 220 megawatts, or 880 megawatt hours, of energy. (DTE Energy)

MI clean energy projects await clarity on federal tax credits

Trenton is set to become home to the region's largest battery storage facility but federal policy changes might change how it's funded. The DTE …

Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming elk occupancy agreements aim to rein in cattle conflicts

Wyoming's practice of feeding elk over winters is a century old but the spread of disease has increased concerns. Now, the Greater Yellowstone …

The Comanche 3 power plant's connection to the power grid would allow a new wind and solar

Report: Comanche 3 'energy park' could add $40M to Pueblo tax base

The Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant in Pueblo, Colo., is set to close in just six years -- and community leaders, regulators, and Xcel are …

More than 73,000 wind turbines across the U.S. are generating reliable power, according to the American Clean Power Association. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Experts: Wind could be Appalachian Kentucky’s next economic driver

Appalachian communities in Kentucky are poised to become manufacturing hubs for the wind energy industry, experts say. The region's workforce…

Energy industry experts predict Ohio could lose 18,400 clean energy jobs by 2030 if Congress repeals the clean energy investment and tax credits included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

Repeal of climate tax credits could cost thousands of Ohio jobs

Federal clean energy investment and tax credits have led to a surge of thousands of new jobs for Ohioans but a budget bill pending in Congress could b…

As states spend millions responding to natural disasters, New Mexico's proposed Community Benefit Fund could prove beneficial ahead of a new crisis. (MarthaMarks/Adobe Stock)

Climate change activists see hopeful signs in New Mexico's next state budget

New Mexico conservation advocates say the state's budget awaiting the governor's signature would make great strides in addressing climate change and p…

According to an analysis by Energy Innovation, energy consumption could more than double by 2030. (vchalup/Adobe Stock)

Analysis: Repealing clean energy tax credits could raise energy costs in MI, U.S.

A new analysis from the think tank Energy Innovation warned repealing clean energy tax credits could significantly increase energy costs in Michigan a…

In 2023, wind generated nearly 13 million Megawatts of power, 60% of Iowa's electricity, the highest percentage of any state. (Adobe Stock)

Another hike looms for Iowa's already rising electricity prices

Iowa is the nation's leader in wind energy production but one of the biggest factors in pursuing alternative energy now hangs in the balance…

Thousands of datasets on a variety of issues have been taken off government websites. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental coalition works to preserve federal climate data

Since President Donald Trump took office, thousands of public government datasets have been removed from federal websites. Often, the data involves …

In a statewide survey, just over half of respondents agreed that growing energy needs pose a threat to Utah's natural environment. (Adobe Stock)

Utah groups protest Rocky Mountain Power plan, rate hike proposal

People gathered outside Rocky Mountain Power headquarters in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, calling out the company for what they describe as "a strategy …

A McKinsey analysis suggested global demand for data-center capacity could rise at an annual rate of between 19% and 22% from 2023 to 2030 to reach an annual demand of 171 to 219 gigawatts. (Adobe Stock)

High-impact data centers could pose WV energy, environment threats

Large, energy-intense buildings used in Bitcoin mining, cloud computing and artificial intelligence data processing industries could become more …

The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization has become as much as a landmark to the community as the Little Village Arch and was awarded the national Food Sovereignty Prize in 2024. (City of Chicago 2021)

Chicago nonprofit transforms former toxic site to feed community

By Angela Burke for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pub…

Some two million gray wolves roamed North America in the early 1800s but today, fewer than 7,000 remain on just 10% of their historic range in the Lower 48 States. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado's Boebert targets renewed effort to remove federal wolf protections

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., has introduced a bill to remove gray wolves from the list of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered …

Thousands of datasets from federal agency websites have been scrubbed since the new administration took office. (Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit races to save science, environmental-justice website data

As U.S. government website purges continue, one nonprofit is racing to track and save as much data as possible. The Open Environmental Data Project …

In 2024, according to American Clean Power, the renewable-energy industry in South Dakota had a workforce of 2,700 people. (Adobe Stock)

For SD, wind energy means jobs, not just spinning turbines

South Dakota's new governor is making an active pitch regarding economic opportunities for the state. The renewable-energy sector said it continues …

Iowa has about 400,000 acres of wetlands, down from an estimated 4 to 6 million acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Federal judge to decide fate of IA 'Swampbuster' wetlands program

A federal judge in Cedar Rapids hears arguments today in a case that could make or break the future of wetland protection programs in the state…

Even though policymakers and utilities are increasingly focused on reducing the impacts of climate change, education experts say a standard curriculum on this topic hasn't really resonated at the school level. (Adobe Stock)

MN youth: Courting the facts could set the stage for climate action

The U.S. Supreme Court this month declined to hear a case brought by youth activists, who argued the federal government has failed to protect them …

Smoke hovers above Los Angeles as seen on January 8, 2025, as a result of wildfires. (Zack Hughes)

Report: Wildfires inch closer to California health care facilities

Wildfires are creeping closer and closer to health care facilities in California, including hospitals and nursing homes, according to a new study…

Preventive steps for poultry farmers regarding bird flu include restricting bird movement and enhancing farm sanitation practices. (PordeeStudio/Adobe Stock)

Poll: Americans fear bird flu's effect on finances over personal health

In January, H5N1 avian influenza struck more than 400,000 birds in Missouri, making it the second-highest state for affected flocks at the time and a …

The Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency fired more than 1,000 NOAA workers, then told probationary employees they would be paid but should not report to work. (Adobe stock).

NOAA budget cuts may weaken Indiana storm tracking

Cuts to weather forecasting programs could weaken severe storm warnings, leaving Indiana communities with less time to prepare. Budget reductions to …

Biosolids, also known as sewage sludge, were applied to farms in Johnson County as fertilizer to boost crop fertility. (zimmytws/Adobe Stock)

North TX county sues feds over PFAS contamination

By Sara Hashemi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration John…

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Environment

DOGE cuts at NM's national parks create alarm, anxiety

Iowa farmers question need for treated seeds

ND farm towns prepare for life with new animal feedlot law

Tips to find relief in California this allergy season

NIOSH job cuts threaten PA black lung research, safety labs

Researchers: U.S. wouldn't see 'bang for its buck' in reviving coal

Spring brings seasonal allergies for many Kentuckians

Allergy season in full swing in Tennessee, tips for relief

Wichita named' allergy capital of nation' for 3rd straight year

New Orleans ranked 2nd among cities with worst seasonal allergies

Experts call preparation key to coping with spring allergies in SC

Drought, warmer winters make CO forests 'beetle buffet'

Experts: Texans suffer from year-round allergies

IL hopes to continue clean energy boom with new bill

Sniffles, sneezes: Navigating allergy season in Pennsylvania

FEMA grant cancellations spark FL outcry as hurricane season looms

Disaster resilience programs across CA frozen as feds cancel grants

Wildlife advocates decry WA wolf population decline

Study: 15,000 mining claims near national parks in WY, MT, ID

New study: Small farms disproportionately impacted by extreme heat

Pesticide 'Cancer Gag Act' dead in Iowa

Oregon scores 9th in the nation for energy efficiency

Mining claim map shows encroachment on national parks, monuments

Flooding inundates Kentucky communities

Scientists race to rescue taxpayer-funded data purged from websites

Report: Major supermarkets fail to cut food-related methane emissions

EPA cuts would endanger Iowa's already contaminated water

MI clean energy projects await clarity on federal tax credits

Wyoming elk occupancy agreements aim to rein in cattle conflicts

Report: Comanche 3 'energy park' could add $40M to Pueblo tax base

Experts: Wind could be Appalachian Kentucky’s next economic driver

Repeal of climate tax credits could cost thousands of Ohio jobs

Climate change activists see hopeful signs in New Mexico's next state budget

Analysis: Repealing clean energy tax credits could raise energy costs in MI, U.S.

Another hike looms for Iowa's already rising electricity prices

Environmental coalition works to preserve federal climate data

Utah groups protest Rocky Mountain Power plan, rate hike proposal

High-impact data centers could pose WV energy, environment threats

Chicago nonprofit transforms former toxic site to feed community

Colorado's Boebert targets renewed effort to remove federal wolf protections

Nonprofit races to save science, environmental-justice website data

For SD, wind energy means jobs, not just spinning turbines

Federal judge to decide fate of IA 'Swampbuster' wetlands program

MN youth: Courting the facts could set the stage for climate action

Report: Wildfires inch closer to California health care facilities

Poll: Americans fear bird flu's effect on finances over personal health

NOAA budget cuts may weaken Indiana storm tracking

North TX county sues feds over PFAS contamination