Industrial Safety After Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey was a wake-up call for petrochemical plants along the Gulf Coast to rethink their plans for major floods. Companies are starting to plan for larger, more severe storms.
Environment
Can't Tell Where It's Flooded? Look At Your Phone, Stay Safe
The warming climate means more intense rain and dangerous flash floods. In Austin, Texas, officials hope that letting people see the rising waters on their smartphones will help keep them safe.
Case Alleges Chemical Companies Should Prepare For Unprecedented Storms
Criminal charges against a chemical company that flooded during Hurricane Harvey are raising two big questions: When is pollution an accident? And when is it a crime?
Tons Of Dead Fish Washing Ashore On Florida Beaches
Southwest Florida is reeling from a toxic algae bloom called red tide. Hundreds of tons of dead fish are washing up on beaches.
Canadian Court Puts A Stop To Expansion Of Major Oil Pipeline (For Now)
An appeals court sided unanimously with environmental and indigenous groups in the decision; for construction to resume, the government must comply with court orders that could take years to satisfy.
To Predict Effects Of Global Warming, Scientists Looked Back 20,000 Years
More than 40 researchers concluded that climate change would make ecosystems such as deciduous forests, grasslands and Arctic tundra unrecognizable.
Puerto Rico, Presently
A revised official death toll puts the number dead after Hurricane Maria at 2,975.
Will More Logging Save Western Forests From Wildfires?
The Trump Administration has called for more logging of western forests to reduce wildfire risks. But people on the ground in the west say the solution is thinning and forest restoration, not logging.
What Sparked An E. Coli Outbreak In Lettuce? Scientists Trace A Surprising Source
Vegetable farmers in Yuma, Ariz., are asking whether they can co-exist in the same valley with a large cattle feedlot. Those cattle are blamed for contaminating Romaine with toxic E. coli bacteria.
As Wildfires Rage, Smoke Chokes Out Farmworkers And Delays Some Crops
Smoke from wildfires is blanketing much of the West. That's ruining some crops and may be stunting others. And it's making it difficult or unsafe for laborers to pick the harvest.