Environment

Santa Barbara Oil Spill Reopens Fierce Environmental Debate

9:48pm May 23, 2015

The long-term environmental impacts of this week's oil spill in California may not be clear for some time. Meantime, the spill has reignited a fierce local debate over off-shore oil drilling.

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A bird covered in oil flaps its wings at Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif., on Thursday. More than 9,000 gallons of oil have been raked, skimmed and vacuumed from a spill that stretched across 9 miles of California coast, just a fraction of the

Pipeline Operator: Possibly Months To Determine Cause Of Calif. Spill

6:35pm May 22, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Plains All American, the company that operates the pipeline, says it has yet to uncover the problem. So far, 9,000 gallons of sludge have been removed from a 9-mile stretch near Santa Barbara.

Plankton collected in the Pacific Ocean with a 0.1mm mesh net. Seen here is a mix of multicellular organisms — small zooplanktonic animals, larvae and single protists (diatoms, dinoflagellates, radiolarians) — the nearly invisible universe at the bott

Revealed: The Ocean's Tiniest Life At The Bottom Of The Food Chain

5:54pm May 22, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

The ocean's tiniest inhabitants — including bacteria, plankton, krill — are food for most everything that swims or floats. Now, scientists have completed a count of this vast and diverse hidden world.

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Environment

First Truckload Of Coal Ash Leaves For Lined Dump

6:08am May 22, 2015

by Michael Burke

The coal ash is moving out. Duke Energy moved the first truckload of coal ash from its Charlotte plant Thursday.

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A helicopter coordinates ships below pulling booms to collect oil from a spill near Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif., on Wednesday.

Pipeline Operator In Calif. Spill Reportedly Had History Of Infractions

4:29pm May 21, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Plains All American Pipeline had accumulated 175 safety and maintenance infractions since 2006, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Environment

State Warns More Residents Of Unsafe Water

6:28am May 21, 2015

by Michael Burke

North Carolina officials are warning more residents about unsafe water. The state suspects the pollution comes from Duke Energy's coal ash pits.

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In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, people walk on a beach with an oil slick from a broken pipeline off the central California coast near Santa Barbara on Tuesday.

Oil Spill Near Santa Barbara Fouls California Coastline

6:51pm May 20, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

A pipeline rupture spilled some 105,000 gallons of crude. Some beaches were evacuated, and it's unclear if they will reopen in time for Memorial Day.

The White House announced an action plan Tuesday aimed at reversing dramatic declines in pollinators like honeybees, which play a vital role in agriculture, pollinating everything from apples and almonds to squash.

Pollinator Politics: Environmentalists Criticize Obama Plan To Save Bees

12:09pm May 20, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

The White House's strategy to reverse dramatic declines in bee numbers calls for the restoration of 7 million acres of bee-friendly habitat. Critics say the plan ignores a key culprit: pesticides.

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Environment

House And Senate Cooperate Over Renewable Energy Limits

7:45am May 20, 2015

by Michael Burke

Portions of the North Carolina Senate wants to join House lawmakers in the latest energy bill. They don't want to push energy companies to make more power from renewable energy.

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A man and his drone: Carlos Casteneda of the Amazon Basin Conservation Association prepares to launch one of his plastic foam planes.

Eyes In The Sky: Foam Drones Keep Watch On Rain Forest Trees

7:46pm May 19, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

The autopilot toy planes, equipped with cameras, help conservationists detect illegal logging and mining earlier in the remote parts of the Amazon basin.

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