Environment

Arizona Tribes Wade Into The Water Business

4:30pm January 18, 2016

by Will Stone

Rain and snow from El Nino are filling reservoirs in the West. But the weather isn't ending questions about where cities will get water in years to come. One source could be Native American tribes.

Brother William Valle of the Institute of the Incarnate Word in Chillum, Md., loads potatoes onto his cart at the Capitol Area Food Bank, in Washington, D.C. A new government initiative seeks to engage faith-based groups on food waste — for instance, by

Thou Shalt Not Toss Food: Enlisting Religious Groups To Fight Waste

1:59pm January 18, 2016

by Maria Godoy

The Environmental Protection Agency is launching an initiative to engage religious leaders of all faiths to reduce food waste. Many groups have already embraced the challenge as a moral imperative.

Administration Announces Temporary Freeze On Federal Land Mining Leases

6:14am January 18, 2016

by Stephanie Joyce

Last week, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced a moratorium on new coal leases on federal land while the department considers a comprehensive overhaul to the U.S. coal program.

Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Ron Bergeron handles a snake as part of the Python Challenge in the Everglades.

Hunting Snakes In The Everglades To Protect Native Species

2:40pm January 17, 2016

by Greg Allen

Burmese pythons in the Everglades are taking a big toll on native wildlife. To combat their spread, the state is holding its second Python Challenge — a hunt expected to draw over 1,000 participants.

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Flint Combats Lead-Contaminated Water Effects On Child Development

3:55pm January 16, 2016

Pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha discovered alarming levels of lead in the drinking water of Flint, Mich. NPR's Scott Simon asks her about an initiative she's leading to help the children affected.

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More Bad News For Coal Mine-Reliant States

8:27am January 16, 2016

by Stephanie Joyce

On Friday, the Obama administration announced a halt to new coal leases on federal land. In Wyoming, most of the federally-owned coal mines and revenue from coal leases pays for school construction.

This photo taken Nov. 3, 2015, shows SoCalGas crews and technical experts attempting to safely stop the flow of natural gas leaking from a storage well at the utility's Aliso Canyon facility in Los Angeles. Efforts to plug the well appear to have destabil

Gas Company Understated Benzene Exposure From California Leak

3:23pm January 15, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

SoCalGas wrote about two air samples with high levels of the carcinogen — but not about 12 others, the AP reports. And the LA Times writes that efforts to cap the well appear to have destabilized it.

The federal government will stop issuing new coal leases on some 570 million acres of federal land, under a new plan being released Friday. In this photo from 2013, coal is loaded onto a truck at a mine built on federally controlled land in Montana.

U.S. Announces Moratorium On New Coal Leases On Federal Lands

11:05am January 15, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The change won't affect existing leases, which generated nearly $1.3 billion for the federal government's coal program last year.

A scientist holds a northern long-eared bat suffering from the white-nose syndrome in LaSalle County, Ill.

Environmentalists Say 'Threatened' Status For Bats Not Enough

7:14am January 15, 2016

by Brian Mann

Northern long-eared bats were listed as a "threatened" species this week after being ravaged by a disease that has killed millions of bats. Some environmentalists say the protection is not enough.

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Environment

Low Oil Prices Interfere With What Recyclers Are Paid For Plastic

2:21pm January 14, 2016

by Stacey Vanek Smith

The price of oil has been on a downward dive for a couple of years. This has been great for some businesses and not so for others. One industry hit especially hard is the recycling business.

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