Environment

$15 Billion Settlement Proposed In Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

12:19pm June 28, 2016

Two-thirds of the sum will be set aside to compensate U.S. owners of nearly 500,000 VW diesel cars. The company will also pay $2.7 billion into an environmental remediation fund.

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VW Faces Tuesday Deadline For Diesel Emissions Settlement

7:54am June 27, 2016

by Sonari Glinton

Volkswagen admitted last September to intentionally cheating on emissions tests. A federal judge has set a Tuesday deadline for VW to work out a plan for making amends.

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Locals Provide Disaster Assist After West Virginia Floods Kill At Least 24

7:59am June 26, 2016

by Kara Lofton

Search and rescue operations are underway in West Virginia after flooding killed at least 24 people. Clean up has begun but some things can't be saved.

Bakey's offers three spoon flavors — plain, sweet and savory.

This Startup Wants You To Have Your Disposable Spoon And Eat It, Too

6:58pm June 23, 2016

by Didem Tali

An Indian startup sells edible spoons that taste just like crackers, made out of millet, rice and wheat. The company's founder says it's a fun way to encourage people to reduce their plastic waste.

Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard, prepares to land in Seville, Spain, on Thursday.

'Beautiful Flight' Across The Atlantic Is Major Milestone For Solar Plane

5:07pm June 23, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

After 71 hours and 8 minutes of flight time crossing the Atlantic, Solar Impulse 2 touched down in Spain. It's a big step toward the goal of circumnavigating the globe using only the sun's power.

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A fracking site is situated on the outskirts of town in the Permian Basin oil field in the town of Midland, Texas.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Obama Administration's Fracking Rules

10:12am June 22, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

A U.S. judge in Wyoming said the Bureau of Land Management can't regulate hydraulic fracturing — because more than a decade ago, Congress specifically excluded fracking from federal oversight.

Environment

Southwest Heat Wave Causes Snowpack To Melt Earlier, Quicker

6:06am June 22, 2016

by Kirk Siegler

Scientists say more heat will likely be the new normal for the Southwest. Water managers are warning that soaring temperatures are also causing the region's already stressed snowpack to melt faster.

The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, south of Los Osos, Calif., sits near earthquake fault lines, and will close by 2025.

California's Last Nuclear Power Plant To Be Shut Down

8:16pm June 21, 2016

by Chris Arnold

Diablo Canyon's reactors are close to earthquake fault lines. Public concerns are split between the dangers of quake damage and of carbon dioxide gas released by the burning of fossil fuels.

Record-Breaking Heat Wave Hits The Southwest

4:30pm June 21, 2016

Meteorologist Iris Hermosillo describes the extreme heat residents of Phoenix are experiencing.

One of the sites for the Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve lies within salt caverns 2,000 feet below the ground near Freeport, Texas.

Low Oil Prices Fuel Reconsideration Of Petroleum Reserves

8:58am June 21, 2016

by Jeff Brady

The Department of Energy is considering the future of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Some argue it's no longer needed or should be smaller because U.S. oil production has increased.

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