Environment

Water is pumped into a creek for aeration in East Palestine, Ohio, on Tuesday, more than a week after a train derailment released toxic chemicals.

What to know about the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio

2:59pm February 16, 2023

by Becky Sullivan

Residents are worried about environmental and health impacts after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed earlier this month and officials evacuated the area to conduct a controlled burn.

Some of the railcars that derailed Friday night when a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed are in the process of being cleaned up on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio.

Upset Ohio town residents seek answers over train derailment

10:06am February 16, 2023

by The Associated Press

Hundreds of worried people gathered to hear state officials tell them that testing so far has shown local air is safe to breathe and to promise that safety testing of the air and water would continue.

A U.S. Air Force member releases a weather balloon from the deck of the U.S.S. Portland off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, in December 2022.

Balloon shoot-down has U.S. on alert. Weather forecasters know how to steer clear

3:54pm February 15, 2023

by Mallika Seshadri

The U.S. military started tracking more airborne objects it calls "low speed clutter" after shooting down the Chinese balloon. The National Weather Service says it launches about 184 balloons a day.

Smoke rises from a derailed cargo train in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 4.

Health concerns grow in East Palestine, Ohio, after train derailment

8:41pm February 14, 2023

by Juliana Kim

Air monitoring continues in East Palestine after the crews released a number of toxic chemicals in what officials called a "controlled explosion" last week.

California lost more than 36 million trees in the last year alone

6:42pm February 14, 2023

by Nathan Rott

A recent federal survey found that California lost more than 36 million trees just in the last year. The large-scale die-off is alarming ecologists and policymakers.

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After a profitable year, some oil companies are slowing their pivot to renewables

6:42pm February 14, 2023

by Camila Domonoske

Oil executives have mostly stopped denying climate change, but now argue that the world should not act quickly to cut fossil fuel use. In fact, last year, industry leaders slowed down climate plans.

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Some residents have filed a federal lawsuit after hazardous train derailment in Ohio

6:31pm February 13, 2023

by Julie Grant | Allegheny Front

It's been just over a week since a train carrying hazardous material derailed and caused a fiery crash in Ohio. Some residents worried about health risks have filed a federal lawsuit.

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The premise of The Last of Us is that the cordyceps fungus turns people into creatures that do the fungus's bidding.

'The Last Of Us' made us wonder: Could a deadly fungus really cause a pandemic?

9:24pm February 10, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In the hit HBO show, the world has been devastated by a pandemic caused by a deadly fungus. Is that even possible? Could the next pandemic come from fungi? Turns out it's a very real question.

Ben Jealous takes the lead at the Sierra Club at a pivotal moment for the organization.

As the Sierra Club reckons with its past, a new leader charts a more inclusive future

5:32pm February 10, 2023

by Manuela López Restrepo

After a conflict and reckoning stemming from its controversial past, the Sierra Club had to look inward. Can Ben Jealous bring the organization into the future?

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Antonio López, East Palo Alto's vice mayor, stands next to floodwaters in the city.

After January storms, some California communities look for long-term flood solutions

12:28pm February 10, 2023

by Ezra David Romero/KQED

California cities, like East Palo Alto, work on long-term infrastructure changes to help adapt to future extreme weather brought on by climate change.

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