After the smoke clears, a wildfire’s legacy can haunt rivers for years, putting drinking water at risk

Burned ground can become hydrophobic and almost waxlike, allowing rainfall to quickly wash contaminants downslope. Carli Brucker
Scientists analyzed water quality in 145 watersheds after wildfires and found dramatic spikes in contaminants.

Summer business energy strategies to impact your bottom line

Shipley Energy reports that managing peak load contribution can lower energy costs for businesses, improving efficiency and savings significantly.

These 'pez diablo,' or devil fish, are actually guitarfishes that have been caught, killed, dried and carved into exotic shapes. Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

They look like devils and hence are called pez diablo in Spanish, but these demonic objects are dried and mutilated versions of living rays known as guitarfish.
Curious kids ask questions

Will we eventually have to send our trash into space if we run out of room on Earth?

Humans generate a lot of trash, but there are cheaper and safer ways to handle it than loading it on rockets.

Why does the Earth spin?

An astronomer takes us on a tour of the universe to learn about the birth of stars and planets and how they get their spin.

Why do we use gasoline for small vehicles and diesel fuel for big vehicles?

Both gasoline and diesel fuel are refined from crude oil, but they are good for different things and can’t be used interchangeably.

Thinking green

Small towns are growing fast across Ghana – but environmental planning isn’t keeping up

Many small towns in Ghana lack the infrastructure and planning capacity to cope with their growth.

Supreme Court changes the game on federal environmental reviews

A pumpjack in eastern Utah extracts oil from underground.

For lawyers, industry, advocates and the courts, environmental review after the Eagle County decision is not just a new ballgame. It is a new sport.

The 10 hottest cities in the US, ranked by temperature

Redfin compiled a list of the hottest cities in the U.S. to help you stay safe in a warming world—whether you’re heat-averse and looking for places to avoid or a sun-chaser searching for your next home.

Powering America’s Future: The Case for Solar Energy

Powering America’s Future: The Case for Solar Energy
(NewsUSA) - As America’s need for electricity grows, solar energy is stepping up to meet the moment. Today, utility-scale solar power now generates enough electricity to power 22 million homes. In …

It’s miller moth season in Colorado – an entomologist explains why they’re important and where they’re headed

Moths are known to swarm porch, stadium and street lights at night. Each summer, Denver is visited by miller moths as they make their trek to the mountains. <a href=Fairfax Media/GettyImages" />
Miller moths migrate through the state every summer and are sometimes considered to be a pest.

California plan to ban most plants within 5 feet of homes for wildfire safety overlooks some important truths about flammability

Photos after the Los Angeles fires in January 2025 show many yards where vegetation didn't burn while neighboring houses did.
Hedges and trees may actually reduce home exposure to radiant heat and flying embers, but they must be well maintained. Two scientists who study how plants burn explain.

Is air travel about to get greener? Our study shows how ‘coopetition’ is helping aircraft companies tackle sustainability

Airbus, Saab, Dassault and others are part of an initiative involving ‘coopetition’, a practice that can help firms tackle complex challenges like sustainability.

Solar panels’ shade helps boost Colorado grassland productivity in dry years

Solar panels on grasslands can generate electricity and useful forage or wildlife habitat. Matthew Sturchio, <a href=CC BY-ND" />
Solar energy can help grasslands weather droughts in the semi-arid American West.

Managing forests and other ecosystems under rising threats requires thinking across wide-ranging scenarios

Thinking through scenarios allows land managers to prepare for many potential outcomes.
Park and forest managers can’t rely on the past any longer to understand future risks. Fires, pests and climate change are changing the game.
Saving through an energy-efficient home
Wealth Enhancement looks at several strategies you can adopt to save money through an energy-efficient home.
A mosquito-control technician sprays a mixture including insecticides in a yard in Michigan.
How does the EPA know a pesticide is safe to use in my yard?
Federal regulations govern which pesticides can be used and give specific directions for applying them. Ignoring those directions is a violation of federal law.
Conservation group lawsuit seeks to speed listing of Alaska king salmon under Endangered Species Act
A Washington state-based conservation group filed a lawsuit this week in an effort to speed up the federal government’s review of a proposal to list king salmon as threatened or endangered across the Gulf of Alaska. The Wild Fish Conservancy filed its lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., saying that the National […]
Dragonflies, just like bees and butterflies, face threats that humans can help prevent. Christopher Halsch
Humans are killing helpful insects in hundreds of ways − simple steps can reduce the harm
Insects are often under pressure from several threats at once, from pesticides to habitat loss to pollution.
Monarch butterflies migrate each year and rely on plants blooming along their path to provide food. Clint Wirick/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Bees, fish and plants show how climate change’s accelerating pace is disrupting nature in 2 key ways
Fast-rising temperatures can change how plants and animals behave and disrupt the delicate timing of pollination.

(BPT) - Insects and snails are a critical part of the planet's ecosystem. Bees, for example, pollinate important crops and provide high-quality food like honey, while snails feed on dead or rotting …
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