The Big Impact Of A Little-Known Chemical In W.Va. Spill
At the time of the accident, the CDC didn't have a standard for how much of the coal-cleaning chemical is safe in drinking water. So the agency had to come up with one.
Environment
The Upside Of The Bitter Cold: It Kills Bugs That Kill Trees
Scientists say that the freezing weather can help reduce the population of a beetle that harms trees, as well as other invasive species. In Minnesota, up to 80 percent of the beetle's larvae may die off, buying some time for those who feared its negative effects on the ash tree population.
Natural Gas Boom Cuts Into Pennsylvania's State Forests
Pennsylvania is the fastest-growing state for natural gas production, but the development is cutting through swathes of previously unbroken forests. Some scientists say this could affect wildlife, which perform important functions like climate and insect control.
A Bet, Five Metals And The Future Of The Planet
Decades ago, amid fears of rapid population growth, a biologist and an economist made a bet about how many people the planet could sustain. Global population is now estimated to top 7.1 billion. So who won the famous bet?
It's Not too Cold to Fish for Trout in Greensboro
The cold temperatures may get in the way of your outdoor activities, but its a perfect time to grab your fishing pole and head to Lake Higgins in Greensboro.
Forest Service May Try To Recoup Rim Fire Costs With Logging
The U.S. Forest Service has proposed a large salvage logging operation in the area affected by last year's historic Rim Fire, which burned 410-square miles of California's Sierra Nevada. The proposal is meeting stiff opposition from environmental groups who say the land is better left untouched.
Arctic Methane Bubbles Not As Foreboding As Once Feared
European scientists were alarmed in 2008 when they discovered streams of methane bubbles erupting from the seafloor in Norway's high Arctic. This gas, which contributes to global warming, was apparently coming from methane ice on the seafloor. A follow-up study finds that methane bubble plumes at this location have probably been forming for a few thousand years, so they are not the result of human-induced climate change. But continued warming of ocean water can trigger more methane releases in the Arctic, with potentially serious consequences to the climate.
Brutal Cold is On the Way
Right now, as you read this, you may think it's cold out there. But this is as warm as it's going to get for a day or so.
A Tragic Year For Wildland Firefighters Ends In Reflection
Thirty-four firefighters died in the line of duty this year. The unusually high number is sparking a larger conversation about the dangers firefighters face as more homes are built in and around drought-stricken forests.
A Scientist's New Job: Keeping The Polar Bears' Plight Public
Global warming is pushing species like the polar bear to the brink of extinction. It's not a typical conservation problem, so one government biologist discovered the best way he could help save the great white bears was to quit his job.