Environment

Nelson Kanuk, a senior at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, is one of six Alaskan youth suing the state, asking it to pay more attention to climate change.

As His Home Melts Away, Teenager Sues Alaska

6:49pm March 14, 2013

by Ed Ronco

Nelson Kanuk, an 18-year old Yup'ik Eskimo, has seen the permafrost his home is built on melt, and in a year or two the house could be gone. Kanuk argues the state needs to take more action on climate change.

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Remembering Aldo Leopold, Visionary Conservationist And Writer

10:13am March 13, 2013

by Jacki Lyden

Leopold's A Sand County Almanac was published in 1949. Decades after his death, his work is at the cutting edge of his field — and his words inspire a new generation of environmentalists.

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Dunkin' Donuts plans to go green by committing to purchasing all of its palm oil from sustainable sources.

Can Dunkin' Donuts Really Turn Its Palm Oil Green?

7:13pm March 12, 2013

by Ilya Marritz

Under pressure from the New York state comptroller — who oversees one of its largest shareholders — the doughnut chain has agreed to set a goal of using only 100 percent sustainable palm oil to make its doughnuts. Production of palm oil has caused serious deforestation in Indonesia.

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As Natural Gas Creeps In, King Coal's Reign Fades

4:29pm March 12, 2013

Coal accounts for much of the world's energy supply, but the United States has seen a decline in coal production. The natural gas industry is booming in the U.S. and many in coal country fear for the future of their industry and their livelihood.

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Scientists say they have put together a record of global temperatures dating back to the end of the last ice age, about 11,000 years ago. This historical artwork of the last ice age was made by Swiss geologist and naturalist Oswald Heer.

Past Century's Global Temperature Change Is Fastest On Record

10:40pm March 08, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

In the past 100 years, average temperatures on Earth have changed by 1.3 degrees. Previously, that large of a swing took 5,000 years. That's the word from researchers who pored over temperature data going back to the end of the last ice age.

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The nation's last coal-burning ferry, the SS Badger, sits on Lake Michigan in the port town of Ludington, Mich. The EPA permit that has long allowed the ship to dump coal ash into the lake is now under review.

Steamship Anchors A Community, But Its Days May Be Numbered

5:50pm March 04, 2013

by Noah Adams

The nation's last coal-fired ferry has been traversing Lake Michigan from the town of Ludington, Mich., since 1953. An EPA permit allowing the Badger to dump several tons of coal ash into the lake daily is now under review, which could mean big changes for the small town's culture and economy.

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American Electric Power's natural gas-burning plant in Dresden, Ohio, is one of the energy company's new investments in alternatives to coal-burning plants.

Natural Gas Dethrones King Coal As Power Companies Look To Future

8:01pm March 01, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

It's a brave new energy world, with two major opponents: natural gas and coal. As prices fluctuate and renewables, such as wind and solar, fight for a share of energy generation, there's heated competition for access to your wall socket.

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Environment

After The Spill: The Environment And Economy Of The Gulf

2:30pm February 28, 2013

In July 2010, the oil spill caused by the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion fouled beaches and wetlands, killed wildlife, and ruined seafood businesses. Nearly three years later, as the civil trial against BP begins, those who live and work in the area continue to feel the disaster's effects.

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Increased Humidity From Climate Change Could Make It Harder To Tolerate Summers

7:23pm February 25, 2013

by Richard Harris

It's not just the heat — it's the humidity. Health experts actually apply that principle to workers, soldiers and sportsmen who toil outside and in places that lack air conditioning. A study in Nature Climate Change says that global warming will noticeably reduce the amount of time people can spend working and playing safely outside.

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Dennis Roseman (left) and Jamie Manganello pull in a swordfish off the coast of Florida. The Day Boat Seafood company went through a complicated process to become certified as a sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council.

For A Florida Fishery, 'Sustainable' Success After Complex Process

1:19pm February 25, 2013

Environmentalists, together with the Marine Stewardship Council, say that Day Boat's story reflects the good that the MSC system can do. But critics say the vigorous certification process is inconsistent.

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