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Now Playing | Inspired by the decline of monarch butterflies in the Midwestern prairie, a gardener, educator, and pastor transform a rural church’s backyard into a sanctuary for pollinating animals, an educational garden for the community, and a sacred space for spiritual contemplation.

The new regulation is aimed at reducing the risk of cancer for people who live close to plants emitting toxic chemicals.

Past Presentation | People are increasingly aware of the origins of their food and the effects of chemicals in agriculture. Numen brings the same analysis to our healthcare system, providing both a sobering view and a vision of safe, elective and sustainable medicine.

Environmental groups are making a new economic argument against coal, the heaviest polluting fossil fuel. Some regulators are listening.

With the last coal-fired plant closing on Monday, we chart the rise and fall of the once-indispensable fuel that powered modern BritainEnd of an era as Britain’s last coal-fired power plant shuts downBritain’s transition to a low-carbon future has reached a milestone with the closure of its last remaining coal-fired power plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire.The shutdown of the 57-year-old power plant on Monday ends more than 140 years of coal power generation in the UK – an industrial story closely interwoven with Britain’s socioeconomic and political history. Continue reading...

Citing community concerns about a planned cement plant in Grayson County, Patrick’s letter asks TCEQ to reject the permit and halt permit approvals statewide.

As Microsoft strikes a deal to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island to power AI, nuclear specialists weigh in on the unprecedented process

The state Department of Environmental Protection said it is reviewing the ruling.

A research project conducted at the University of Bonn reveals differences in the growth of plants under organic and conventional farming methods. A long-term study...

With a habitat of just 2-3 acres, the entire Hendrix’s liveforever species could be wiped out by a single tractor. The post Rock and Roll Botany: An Endangered Plant Named After Legendary Guitarist Jimi Hendrix appeared first on The Revelator.

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering strengthening a climate rule for coal- and gas-fired power plants, people familiar with the matter say.

What Is Hydropower? The power of water has been used to perform work for thousands of years. Since flowing water has energy that can be...

Seeds buried in the soil tell of fire in the landscape. I sampled soil from 57 sites that experienced different patterns of fire. Over 15 months, I watched 39,701 plants grow to learn their secrets.

The Biden administration's crackdown on power plants' planet-warming emissions will accelerate a shift away from coal, and potentially speed the U.S.'s adoption of renewable energy sources. The administration this past week announced a new rule that will require coal plants and new gas plants to install carbon capture technology to mitigate 90 percent of their emissions — or...

A recent report highlights the environmental and health impacts of Louisiana's tax-supported plastics plants, particularly on communities of color. Mark Schleifstein reports for NOLA.In short:The Environmental Integrity Project's report criticizes the $5.6 billion in tax breaks given to Louisiana's chemical companies since 2013, underlining the pollution impact on nearby minority communities.Despite industry claims, 84% of plastics plants violated air pollution permits over the past three years, with significant toxic emissions reported.The report emphasizes the need for stricter fenceline monitoring and criticizes the lack of enforcement actions against violators.Key quote: "In Louisiana, there's an environmental justice component... close to 600,000 people live within three miles of these plants and about two-thirds of them, 66%, are communities of color." — Alexandra Shaykevich, research manager at EIPWhy this matters: The report, based on federal and state data, sheds light on the disproportionate impact of industrial pollution on communities of color, emphasizing a need for policy reforms to protect vulnerable populations and ensure equitable health outcomes. As much of the world struggles to loosen the death grip of fossil fuels, into the breach steps petrochemicals.

Ecological theory and experience tells us that plants on meadows and pastures across Denmark should be dispersing heavier seeds. But they are doing the exact...

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A new study shows how sugar levels influence plant growth and oil production through the protein KIN10, offering the potential for advancements in biofuel production....

New EPA directive will cut pollution equivalent to the emissions of 328m cars, but industry group decries it as a ‘reckless plan’Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued on Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).New limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants are the Biden administration’s most ambitious effort yet to roll back planet-warming pollution from the power sector, the nation’s second-largest contributor to climate change. The rules are a key part of Joe Biden’s pledge to eliminate carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide by 2050. Continue reading...

JT Yu, one of SymbiOp Garden Shop’s owners, encourages gardeners to ask: “How can my garden be beneficial for me, the environment and the ecosystem?”

New research has revealed that the hydraulic systems of plants generate a streaming electric potential in sync with their circadian rhythms, presenting innovative opportunities for...

Under the EPA's new policy, several chemical plants in the Houston area will now be required to monitor and reduce the emission of cancer-causing chemicals.

A federal appeals court on Friday unanimously denied a lawsuit from a coalition of Republican attorneys general and the fossil fuel industry seeking to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pollution standards for power plants. The three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with the EPA on the standards, required...

A total eclipse isn’t just a spectacle in the sky. Birds, insects and even plants will take notice, and might start acting strange.

Indigenous groups see hope in the environmentally friendly process of bioremediation. But will cities pay attention?It almost looked like a garden. In Taylor Yard, a former railyard near downtown Los Angeles, volunteers knelt down to tend to scrubby plants growing in neat rows under the sweltering sun.But beneath the concrete of the 60-acre site overlooking the Los Angeles River, the soils were soaked with an assortment of hazardous heavy metals and petrochemicals like lead, cadmium, diesel, and benzene. As the volunteers worked to dig up entire plants for closer study – some with roots nearly 12ft deep – they wore protective gear and carefully avoided inhaling or touching the toxic soil. Even a brief exposure to the contaminants could cause serious health consequences. Continue reading...

For millennia, we’ve selectively bred our crop species to make the plants stronger and better yielding. But we’ll need a different approach to help our food plants weather the changes to come.

In the process of converting plants into fuel, the initial phase — decomposing the plant material — has consistently posed the greatest challenge. Recent research...

The Cahokia Mounds, once a thriving settlement near present-day St. Louis, was abandoned by 1400, leaving behind a mystery. Recent research challenges the long-held belief...

The fresh listings bring the total number of endangered plants, animals and ecosystems to almost 2,250Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwenty more plants and animals, including a type of waratah, have been added to Australia’s list of threatened wildlife, bringing the total number of endangered species and ecosystems to almost 2,250.The fresh listings come as the government faces a battle to pass legislation for a new national environment watchdog in the Senate and has been under pressure from the Greens and Coalition about delays to a broader package of reforms to the country’s environment laws.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Last week, Georgia Power won regulatory approval to fast-track construction of 1.4 gigawatts of fossil-fueled power plants and to contract for nearly a gigawatt more power from coal- and fossil-gas-fired power plants owned by other utilities. The reason? Fear that skyrocketing power demand from power-hungry data…

Choose a diversity of plants and have some that bloom at different times of the year.

A new initiative invited student groups to design and plant gardens that will promote wildlife, and cultivate their visions for the future.

The Biden administration will require more than 200 chemical plants to cut their emissions of toxic chemicals as part of a broader effort to reduce cancer cases. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized rules on Tuesday that it said would dramatically reduce the number of people facing elevated cancer risks because of their exposure to...

Los Angeles paid $12,500 to raze a native plant garden in Elysian Park to protect a metal storage shed from fire. Critics ask: Why and what now?

Mixotrophs, which have characteristics of both animals and plants, could help blunt the effects of marine heat waves on ocean ecosystems

Environmental Protection Agency finalizes rule to strengthen protections for communities living near industrial sitesMore than 200 of the nation’s hazardous chemical plants will be mandated to reduce toxic emissions linked to cancer, the Biden administration announced on Tuesday.The long-awaited rule finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will strengthen protections for communities living near industrial sites, especially along the Gulf coast. Continue reading...

For the second time, a federal court struck down a regulatory agency’s authorization of two controversial, multi-billion-dollar gas export projects in far South Texas, one of which is already under construction.  In an Aug. 6 opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Washington, D.C. Circuit cited “the nature and severity of the flaws” in […]

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The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) projects a historic drop in renewable energy production. This was confirmed by the executive president of the institution, who also pointed out that this drop would be almost 10% in renewable energy generation. Marco Acuña, executive president, mentioned that this situation would generate greater dependence on oil. The drought […] The post Costa Rica Faces Historic Drop in Renewable Energy Production appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

New industries such as cryptocurrency and cannabis are boosting industry forecasts, straining efforts to cut emissionsWhat’s happening with US energy?Demand for power is soaring, creating a new energy crisis for the United States – one that could make the climate crisis even worse. Continue reading...

As a bee veterinarian, I looked for answers. Where had the animals that had helped feed us so reliably gone? I learned that a wetland near our farm had been contaminated by insecticides, which kill pest insects, but they can also kill bees. I also learned that agriculture had been transformed in the last 20 […] The post Op-ed: Neonicotoid Pesticides Keep Killing Pollinators. Here’s How We Can Help. appeared first on Civil Eats.

A new analysis concludes that unless California almost triples its rate of cutting greenhouse gases, the state won't meet its 2030 climate change target. Some emissions were rising.

This story was originally published by Yale e360 and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Can metals that naturally occur in seawater be mined, and can they be mined sustainably? A company in Oakland, California, says yes. And not only is it extracting magnesium from ocean water—and from waste brine generated by industry—it is doing […]

Plants are just trying to reproduce; immune systems are just trying to keep us safe

The company’s pledge to conserve water at its data centers doesn’t account for thirsty power plants they rely on

Sea level rise has eradicated a U.S. species for the first time. What's next?

Rules target contaminants such as mercury, benzene and lead released by coke ovens used by facilities to burn coalNew Environmental Protection Agency rules aim to crack down on toxic air pollution from US steelmakers by limiting pollutants such as mercury, benzene and lead that have long poisoned the air in neighborhoods surrounding the plants.The rules target contaminants released by steel facilities’ coke ovens. Gas from the ovens creates an individual cancer risk in the air around steel plants of 50 in 1,000,000, which public health advocates say is dangerous for children and people with underlying health problems. Continue reading...

This story was first published by Energy News Network . An array of critics came out swinging in January when Duke Energy first filed its plans in North Carolina for one of the largest fossil fuel investments in the country. But as the months have dragged on in the development of the company’s biennial…

Webinars and other events offer lessons in beekeeping, growing produce, ikebana and more.

PITTSBURGH — EHN reporter Kristina Marusic recently spoke with The Allegheny Front about three communities in the Ohio River Valley that are fighting proposed chemical recycling plants. Chemical recycling is an umbrella term for processes that use heat, chemicals or both to break down plastic waste into component parts for reuse as plastic feedstocks or as fuel. The industry says chemical recycling could help solve the plastic waste crisis, but some environmental health advocates say chemical recycling facilities worsen climate change and emit toxic chemicals.Marusic recently wrote about community fights to stop proposed advanced recycling facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Listen to her interview with The Allegheny Front below. Allegheny Front · Why chemical recycling has some people in Appalachia concerned about pollution and safety

From disease-carrying insects to ecosystem-choking plants, invasive species flourish due to burning fossil fuels

The Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules Tuesday to force hundreds of chemical plants across the U.S. to reduce cancer-linked toxic chemicals they emit into the air.Why it matters: The rules come as a win for environmental advocates and advance the Biden administration's push for environmental justice. The administration also said the rules are part of President Biden's initiative to lower cancer levels in the U.S., which has been dubbed the "cancer moonshot."The big picture: Around 104,000 people in the U.S. live within about 6 miles of the facilities that use chemicals linked to cancer higher risks, according to EPA estimates. Those living near such facilities are disproportionately poor and are more likely to be Black or brown.Zoom in: The new rules primarily target two chemicals: ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene, which are used at around 200 plants spread across Texas and Louisiana and other parts of the country.EtO is widely used for medical device sterilization and as a fumigant for certain food products, while chloroprene is used to make a variety of common polymers and resins. Long-term exposure to them have been shown to increase a person's risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma, leukemia and liver and lung cancers.How it works: The new regulations will require companies to monitor for toxic emissions along a facility's boundary beginning at least two years from today.If a company detects emission levels that go above a limit set by the EPA, they will be required to find the source of the pollution and make repairs. The data gathered through the monitoring will be made public online by the EPA, the agency said.What they're saying: EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement on Tuesday that the new rules will help communities like St. John the Baptist Parish west of New Orleans, which is home to one of the largest sources of chloroprene emissions in the country."We promised to listen to folks that are suffering from pollution and act to protect them," Regan said. "Today we deliver on that promise with strong final standards to slash pollution, reduce cancer risk, and ensure cleaner air for nearby communities."Zoom out: The new rules are also meant to crack down on the emission of other common toxins, like benzene, which has a wide variety of uses, and ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride, which are primarily used in the production of PVC plastic.The administration said it also expects the rules to slash more than 6,200 tons of toxic air pollution and and 23,700 tons of smog-forming volatile organic compounds each year.Go deeper: EPA issues landmark rules to curb auto emissions, bolster EVs

Land for large solar arrays is limited on the island. Rooftop panels can provide electricity during blackouts and bring the island closer to its clean energy goals.

New research reveals that iron oxide in soils can recycle phosphorus from organic matter. A new study by Northwestern University demonstrates that iron oxide minerals...

Now Playing | "The Story of Lumshnong" by Aarti Srivastava highlights ‘mindless’ limestone mining by cement companies. Lumshnong is a village situated in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, India, which is rich in reserves of limestone. These rich reserves of limestone have attracted cement companies to set up their plants in the village, thus creating a hazardous environment for the local population. The documentary talks about “unthinkable stupidity of the cement companies”. There are as many as eight cement plants in a radius of just five kilometres in Lumshnong village. Limestone mining, as claimed in the documentary, has turned the Lumshnong village into a “dusty, waterless and barren” piece of land. “Studies revealed that loss of forest cover, pollution of water, soil and air, depletion of natural flora and fauna, reduction in biodiversity, erosion of soil, and degradation of agriculture land are some are some of the hazards of limestone mining,” the makers of the documentary stated. They added: “The hazards will not just be limited to the areas around the mines and cement factories but will spill to other regions if environmental checks are not put in place. It will also affect the lives of the people who live around the area.” The visuals of cement plants in the foreground, while the vegetations begins to look grey, and locals pointing at the shortcomings of limestone mining paint a sordid and truthful picture of what is happening in Lumshnong.

As Appalachian ginseng turns from rural tradition to global commodity, the Forest Service is trying to keep foragers at bay.

The Key Largo tree cactus is the first locally extinct species due to sea level rise — but it won't be the last

Gardeners’ World presenter Arit Anderson creating colourful display to encourage gardeners to move away from peatA completely peat-free garden will be showcased at the Hampton Court Palace flower show so the public can “have a chat about peat-free gardening” and learn how to do it themselves.Peat-free compost has been a divisive topic in the gardening world, with some gardeners arguing that it is not as good as the peaty stuff for growing plants. Continue reading...

From the Arctic to the Himalayas, New Zealand and even Mexico, glaciers worldwide are retreating. But what happens when the ice is gone?

Advocates are calling for companies that release known carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances, to be more severely punished if they are not in compliance with air pollution regulation laws.