Environmental, Health and Safety News | Volunteer EHS News Network Dedicated to Protecting People & Our Planet

Which Pittsburgh buildings emit the most greenhouse gases? See how they compare

We charted building emissions across building categories to compare the main sources of greenhouse gases in Pittsburgh buildings.
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Hormone-mimicking chemicals harm fish now—and their unexposed offspring later

Fish exposed to endocrine-disrupting compounds pass on health problems to future generations, including deformities, reduced survival, and reproductive problems, according to a new study. The study, published in Environmental Science and Technology, is the first of its kind in a fish that can live in freshwater, brackish water or salt water, and suggests that...
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Casey says mitigating climate change should be political priority

Bold action needed to mitigate impacts of changing climate already felt in urban and rural areas, and agricultural, forestry and recreation industries.
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Without a ‘Right to Garden’ law, it may be illegal to grow your own food

How one Illinois family’s backyard hoop house put them at odds with city officials.
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The man who took on the Irving Oil refinery and won

When Gordon Dalzell learned the Irving Oil refinery’s air quality permit was up for review, he got to work.
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“Over half of the people who used to grow crops here can’t do it anymore”

Canyon de Chelly, part of Navajo Nation lands in Arizona, has been suffering from worsening droughts.
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Restoring the American Chestnut with Genetic Engineering Splits the Conservation Community – The Allegheny Front

Scientists are hoping a genetically modified American chestnut can restore the iconic tree. Some groups say it could be a Trojan horse for more GMO trees.
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Climate change brings up some hard emotions, but there can be joy in the struggle

A psychologist explains how people can cope with the feelings of sadness, fear and anxiety around climate change by looking for solutions and meaning in their lives.
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Study: Radiation levels higher downwind of fracking sites

$Study: Radiation levels higher downwind of fracking sites$

Researchers found elevated levels of radioactivity on air particles measured downwind of fracking sites around the country. They say health effects are possible, though not imminent.
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COVID-19 stresses cash-strapped small, rural hospitals

About 130 rural hospitals have closed in the past 10 years, and three-quarters of those remaining are in the red as COVID-19 spreads in farm country.
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Massive marine die-off in Russian Far East threatens endangered species

Now believed to be caused by an unprecedented algae bloom, the decimation of bottom-dwelling sea life may have devastating ripple effects.
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Inside Amazon’s quest to use less cardboard

The company is redesigning its packaging to use less material, and employing AI to find the smallest possible package for each box.
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How we could save $4 billion in building energy costs

An experiment in giving buildings smart energy analytics saved $95 million in energy costs in 6,500 buildings. If adopted nationwide, the savings could be enormous.
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The pandemic has the potential to finally transform meat processing in the U.S.

Some states are addressing the bottleneck in the industry by allowing state inspectors to approve direct-to-consumer and interstate sales. And new federal legislation could make those efforts possible nationwide.
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New York begins enforcing plastic bag ban on Monday

New York’s ban on single-use plastic bags went into effect earlier this year but the state will officially begin enforcing the rule on Monday.
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Honduran mine protestor shot and killed, others continue to await trial

A man who protested against a mining development in Honduras was shot and killed inside his home last week.
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Sharon Treat, Stuart Trew: US chemical industry overreaches by invoking USMCA

The Canadian government wants to start addressing the global plastic pollution problem. But the U.S.-based plastics industry is saying not so fast — and invoking provisions of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
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Art imitates life at Plastic Bag Store pop-up in New York

The Plastic Bag Store set to open to the public on Thursday looks like a typical New York City grocery, with rows of soda drinks and cartons on its shelves. But a closer look at the boxes of sushi rolls and cereal reveals labels such as ‘plastic bagacado roll,’ ‘Yucky Shards,’ and ‘Caps N’...
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California takes a big step toward making polluters pay for their messes

A bill to reform the Department of Toxic Substances Control has been a long time coming, but will Governor Newsom sign it?
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Urban birds sang a different tune during lockdowns

When traffic noise disappeared from San Francisco, the city’s white-crowned sparrows took advantage of the silence, researchers found.
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The world got quieter with the pandemic

The approximately 50 percent drop in environmental noise exposure brought it below the level generally considered to carry health risks.
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Iowa derecho in August was most costly U.S. thunderstorm disaster

NOAA estimates damage at $7.5 billion, higher than many hurricanes.
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Trump’s toughest rebrand yet? Being seen as a ‘great environmentalist’

A green pivot will be a hard sell after four years of rolling back environmental rules.
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A 30-mile canoe trip through Alaska’s Tongass National Forest

The Honker Divide Canoe Route draws intrepid travelers through the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. But the lifting of logging restrictions may indelibly alter its character.
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Colorado wildfire grows into largest in state history

Left vulnerable by dry conditions, more than 430,000 acres have burned so far in what has been one of the worst years ever for wildfires in the state.
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Landslide in Vietnam kills at least 20 military personnel

Search-and-rescue efforts were underway after a landslide in the central province of Quang Tri, resulting in what may be the country’s greatest military loss in peacetime.
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How many plants have we wiped out? Here are 5 extinction stories

Botanists have laid out evidence that dozens of North American trees, herbs, plants and shrubs have gone extinct since European settlers arrived.
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The Trump administration is reversing nearly 100 environmental rules. Here’s the full list

The White House has dismantled major climate and environmental policies focused on clean air, water, wildlife and toxic chemicals. Here’s how it adds up.
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Incendios en Colorado habrían destruido muchas casas

Casi 3.000 personas se vieron obligadas a escapar de un incendio que avanza rápidamente en la región centro-norte de Colorado, y las autoridades creen que muchas casas quedaron destruidas.
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More Than 205,000 Wisconsin Households to Receive Additional October FoodShare Benefits in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

The public health emergency declared by Governor Tony Evers on September 22 enables the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to once again provide additional FoodShare benefits to eligible households. These benefits will help those Wisconsin families with the costs of food for October. Also, the federal government increased the limits of how much...
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Water Subcabinet Members Highlight Enhanced Aquatic Resource Mapping with Western States

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov) — Yesterday, as part of the Western States Water Council (WSWC) virtual Fall 2020 meeting, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator for Water David Ross highlighted ongoing cross-agency efforts to enhance the nation’s aquatic resource maps. The federally-led mapping effort illustrates the enhanced interagency coordination established by the Trump Administration...
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President Trump Signs Executive Order on Modernizing America’s Water Resource Management and Water Infrastructure

WASHINGTON ( EPA Press Office ) — Today, President Trump signed an Executive Order on “Modernizing America’s Water Resource Management and Water Infrastructure.” This historic action ensures Federal coordination on water policy is standard practice now and into the future by formally establishing a Water Subcabinet of senior Federal agency officials to facilitate efficient...
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MIT Book on Repairing Infrastructures: The Maintenance of Materiality and Power

Repairing Infrastructures: The Maintenance of Materiality and Power. The book provides an overview of infrastructure studies and maintenance and repair studies, illustrated with case studies from our own research and the work of other researchers. You can buy the book as a paperback and/or download the chapters directly from MIT’s website for free. We’re...
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Exposure to man-made chemicals influences genes controlling aging, immune system and metabolism

Most genes in the human body can be disrupted by man-made chemicals. What effect does this have on human health and how should regulators respond?
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There is not a great future in plastics. But in one D.C. alley, there is art.

These murals in Tenleytown are a way to educate people about plastic pollution.
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Fluoropolymers don’t deserve “low concern” label, researchers say

The industry-backed conclusion that fluoropolymers pose low concern of risk to human health and the environment lacks scientific rationale, say researchers from Europe and the US.
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Joe Biden answers 6 Vox questions about his climate change agenda

How Biden could use the powers of the presidency to protect vulnerable communities and hold fossil fuel companies accountable.
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Inside the fall of the CDC

How the world’s greatest public health organization was brought to its knees by a virus, the president and the capitulation of its own leaders, causing damage that could last much longer than the coronavirus.
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Along Mariner East pipelines, secrecy and a patchwork of emergency plans leave many at risk

Despite being one of the most controversial projects in Pennsylvania history, many emergency managers and others along the route cannot confidently answer one pressing question: Are we prepared?
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Wildfire smoke in US exposes millions to hazardous pollution

Wildfires churning out dense plumes of smoke as they scorch huge swaths of the U.S. West Coast have exposed millions of people to hazardous pollution levels, causing emergency room visits to spike and potentially thousands of deaths among the elderly and infirm.
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Fracking in California: The good, the bad and the unknown

Shale gas production does not occur in California. So, what type of fracking happens here?
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‘We don’t have any choice’: the young activists naming and shaming US politicians | Environment | The Guardian

As the election nears, young Americans are calling on US politicians to take action on climate, police brutality and immigration
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Emergency plans fail to consider complexity of Mariner East pipelines, and those most at risk

Experts say they require specialized planning, with blueprints for how all people — especially those with disabilities — can get to safety. But Pa.’s plan for preparedness passes the buck.
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Pennsylvania: House Environmental Committee to meet on bill redefining water pollution

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting October 20 on Senate Bill 619 making fundamental changes to the definition of water pollution under the state Clean Streams Law.
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Fannie, Freddie take a close look at mortgage risks as climate events multiply

Environmental risks remain as Blackjewel bankruptcy nears its end

Environmental advocates worry a coal company liquidation plan will leave dozens of coal permits in eastern Kentucky unreclaimed.
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The pandemic pushed cars out of this Scottish UNESCO site

The prettiest streets in Edinburgh are closed to motorized traffic. Is a pedestrian future afoot here and in other UNESCO sites?
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It would cost just $330 billion to end global hunger by 2030

Looking at every intervention available to us, researchers have found the best combination of policies to feed everyone on the planet. And the price tag is quite low.
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If we want more companies like Patagonia, we need laws to enforce it

If we want to get past “woke capitalism,” this is what it’ll take to get companies to an equitable relationship with both workers and society.
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Left without school or day care, farmworkers are bringing their kids to work

The coronavirus has created a unique crisis for impoverished agriculture workers.
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“Why The US Election Could Decide Battle Against Climate Change”

“Scientists studying climate change say that the re-election of Donald Trump could make it “impossible” to keep global temperatures in check.” Climate Change Disasters Energy & Fuel Environmental Health...
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Trump Reverses Decision to Reject California Request for Wildfire Relief

“President Trump reversed himself on Friday, approving a package of wildfire disaster relief for California hours after officials from his administration had explained why the state should not receive...
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Armed and dangerous, murder lorises use their venom against each other

Videos and images of slow lorises being “tickled” have gone viral: their large eyes peering out, tiny arms raised overhead. But, as it turns out, the loris isn’t tickled...
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Deforestation threatens to wipe out a primate melting pot in Indonesia

JAKARTA — An evolutionary crucible in Indonesia that’s given rise to a unique array of primates found nowhere else on Earth is at risk of disappearing due to rapid...
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Putting sustainability at the center of business strategy: An interview with Paul Polman

Over the past decade perhaps no major diversified consumer products company has done more to burnish its sustainability credentials than Unilever, the 91-year-old conglomerate that owns brands ranging from...
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Madagascar experiments with drones for its massive reforestation effort

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — To achieve its ambitious large-scale reforestation goals, Madagascar is turning to the sky. The country will use drones to plant trees in isolated areas. The plan...
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Philippine court upholds open-pit mining ban in Mindanao

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines — A court in the Philippines has dealt another setback to the company looking to mine Southeast Asia’s largest untapped deposits of copper and gold, ruling...
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Video: The Sumatran rhino is sliding into extinction. It doesn’t have to

The Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is possibly the world’s rarest large mammal, and certainly one of the most endangered. Official figures put the population at around 80 individuals, including...
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Wildlife emergency in Bolivia as fires threaten animal sanctuaries

Fire at Ambue Ari. Courtesy of CIWY. A ghastly orange grin extends across the treetops in Guarayos, Bolivia, marking a cruel turn of fate for rescued wildlife. On the...
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Does trophy hunting hurt giraffe populations? A planned lawsuit says it does

Skinned, stuffed and tanned, wild giraffes are up for sale at dozens of stores across the United States. While importing and selling wild giraffes and giraffe products, such as...
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“Climate Impacts: U.S. Migrants On The Move Due To Warming”

“Climate migration in America is no longer about small, isolated communities pulling up stakes to avoid floods, wildfires or rising seas. Physically moving to reduce climate risk is becoming...
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“Campaign 2020: Oil And Gas Industry Goes In Big For Trump”

“The oil and natural gas industry has a clear favorite in the 2020 presidential election: Republican Donald Trump.” Climate Change Energy & Fuel Environmental Health Environmental Justice Environmental Politics...
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“FERC Sparks Firestorm With Landmark Carbon Pricing Move”

“The nation’s top energy regulators yesterday paved the way for states to incorporate a carbon tax into regional power markets in an unprecedented move that is garnering mixed reviews,...
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“Wildfire Smoke Can Spread Toxics to Water, Soil, and Elsewhere”

“Wildfires leave behind more than scorched earth and destroyed homes: Rising smoke plumes can contain chemicals that disperse not only into the air but in soil, water, indoor dust,...
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“Japan To Release Fukushima’s Contaminated Water Into Sea: Reports”

“Nearly a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan’s government has decided to release over one million tonnes of contaminated water into the sea, media reports said on Friday,...
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“Wind-Stoked Wildfire In Colorado Is Largest In State History”

“Stoked by high winds, a wildfire burning for two months in northern Colorado exploded in size this week to surpass 167,000 acres, making it the largest blaze in state...
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“Earth Breaks September Heat Record, May Reach Warmest Year”

“Earth sweltered to a record hot September last month, with U.S. climate officials saying there’s nearly a two-to-one chance that 2020 will end up as the globe’s hottest year...
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“Shuffle of EPA’s Science Advisers Elevates Those With Industry Tries”

“A shuffle to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) independent board of science advisers will add a longtime consultant who has worked for the tobacco and chemicals industries while promoting...
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Unsealed Docs Show Union Carbide Leaked Toxics Into Creek For Years

“Newly unsealed court documents provide additional evidence that chemical giant Union Carbide Corp. failed to report the presence of a toxic dumping site in South Charleston that has been...
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“Trump Makes Water Demand Of Farms Priority For New Office”

“President Donald Trump on Tuesday created what he called a “subcabinet” for federal water issues, with a mandate that includes water-use changes sought by corporate farm interests and oil...
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Video: Captive-reared scarlet macaws get a second chance at life in the wild

Newly shared images show a cohort of 26 young scarlet macaws (Ara macao) released into the forest, part of ongoing efforts to buoy their populations in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere...
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In Guatemala, refugees find new calling as park rangers

At night in Mirador National Park in northeastern Guatemala, Raul Gomez falls asleep surrounded by the calls of nocturnal animals padding their way through the jungles of the Maya...
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Gorongosa National Park is being reforested via coffee and agroforestry

Gorongosa National Park has quite a history, from its inception 60 years ago to being battleground the subsequent Mozambique civil war, to its recent revitalization and engagement with the...
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Op-Ed: “Avian Botulism Kills 40,000 Birds at National Wildlife Refuge”

“Heat, drought and water policy have created a slow-motion catastrophe at a refuge on the California-Oregon border.” Biodiversity Disasters Water & Oceans National (U.S.) Public Source: ,
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“FEMA Ends Policy Favoring Flood Walls Over Green Protections”

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency has taken a dramatic step to encourage communities to use environmentally friendly features such as wetlands for flood protection instead of building sea walls...
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“A Field Guide To The Election And Climate Change”

“The presidential election is just weeks away, and climate change has broken through as a defining issue for Americans this year, even amid a historic pandemic and deep economic...
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“Targeted Ecosystem Restoration Can Protect Climate, Biodiversity”

“A new study identifies vast areas of farm and cropland that could be converted back to natural conditions to protect species and store carbon.” Agriculture Biodiversity Climate Change Wildlife...
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Maui Has Begun Managed Retreat. It Wants Big Oil to Pay the Cost.

“With nearly 300 miles of coastline, the Hawaiian islands that make up Maui County face the threat of sea level rise from all sides. It’s that assault that has...
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“Long-Banned Toxics Are Still Accumulating In Great Lakes Birds”

“Decades ago several bird species in the Great Lakes—including the iconic bald eagle—faced an uncertain future because toxic chemicals were threatening their populations. While several bans and policies have...
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No Inspection: “States Ignore Lead-Contaminated Meat In Food Banks”

“Hunter-donated meat provides crucial protein to US food banks. But an EHN investigation found a lack of oversight that could result in potentially hundreds of thousands of lead-contaminated meals...
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Number Of Global Methane Hot Spots Soared This Year Despite Slowdown

“The worldwide number of methane hot spots has soared 32 percent so far this year despite the economic slowdown, according to satellite imagery analyzed by a private data firm.”...
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Calif. Fires: PG&E Shuts Off Power To Thousands Of Bay Area Residents

Hotter temperatures and strengthening winds raised wildfire risk in California and prompted power shutoffs. Climate Change Disasters Forests California Public Source: ,
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“Barrett’s Climate Answers Raise Question: Is She A Denier?”

“Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett called climate change ‘a contentious matter’ and declined to acknowledge the existence of the scientifically established phenomenon during the third day of her...
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Harvard fund evades justice in land-grabbing case over Cerrado farm

On Sept. 8, a court ruling shook up an old land conflict in Cotegipe, in the Brazilian Cerrado grasslands. That was when the 3rd Civil Chamber of the Bahia...
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Podcast: A radio program is helping save critically endangered gorillas in Nigeria

Today we take a look at efforts to protect the Cross River gorilla, one of the world’s rarest great ape subspecies, which include a radio program broadcast to nearly...
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Indonesia’s new deregulation law to hurt small fishers, coastal communities

JAKARTA — When Indonesian lawmakers passed a hugely controversial deregulation bill on the evening of Oct. 5, Sulaiman was with his fellow fishermen who had just returned home from...
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Lots of suspects but few leads in mystery sea turtle deaths in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO — Conservation experts in Sri Lanka have been left puzzled by a recent spate of marine turtle fatalities, where the animals’ bodies have washed ashore without any indications...
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Can an art museum drive sustainability? Q&A with MOCA’s Klaus Biesenbach

Contemporary art may seem tangential to environmental concerns for many people, especially those who are active practitioners of conservation, but The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles...
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‘Luckiest people’: Encountering a newborn Sumatran rhino in the wild

JAKARTA — In 2018, five Indonesian forest rangers had an experience that would make them the envy of conservationists everywhere: they met a newborn Sumatran rhino in the wild....
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“‘Jet Fighter’ Godwit Breaks World Record For Non-Stop Bird Flight”

“A bird said to have the aerodynamic build of a “jet fighter” has been tracked flying more than 12,000km (7,500 miles) from Alaska to New Zealand, setting a new...
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“The Arctic Is In A Death Spiral. How Much Longer Will It Exist?”

“The region is unravelling faster than anyone could once have predicted. But there may still be time to act”. Climate Change Water & Oceans Antarctica & Arctic Public Source:...
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“Mining Covers More Than 20% Of Indigenous Territory In The Amazon”

“Mining, both legal and illegal, impinges on more than one-fifth of Indigenous territory in the Amazon, according to a new study from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the...
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“Top Asset Owners Commit To Big Carbon Emissions Cuts”

“Thirty of the world’s largest asset owners, with portfolios worth a combined $5tn (£3.8tn), have committed to cutting the carbon emissions linked to companies they invest in by up...
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Judge Tries To Oust Pendley. Now Some Want His Decisions Tossed, Too

“William Perry Pendley’s “acting” status as head of the Bureau of Land Management calls into question his rulings on energy leases, monuments and conservation plans.” Energy & Fuel Environmental...
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“EPA Hired Consultants To Counter Staff Experts On Fluoride”

“At a trial over fluoride regulations this summer, EPA eschewed its own experts, hiring an outside company often deployed by corporations to deny and downplay chemicals’ health impacts.” Chemicals...
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Appeals Court Nixes Trump Use of $3.6 Billion In Military Funds For Wall

“A federal appeals court ruled late Friday that President Donald Trump’s use of his emergency powers to build his long-promised border wall with military funds is illegal, striking a...
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Enviros and Dam Operators, at War for Years, Start Making Peace

“The industry that operates America’s hydroelectric dams and several environmental groups announced an unusual agreement Tuesday to work together to get more clean energy from hydropower while reducing the...
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Another Casualty Of Coronavirus Pandemic: Trust In Government Science

“This has been the 2020 pattern: Politics has thoroughly contaminated the scientific process. The result has been an epidemic of distrust, which further undermines the nation’s already chaotic and...
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UN Warns of Rise in Climate Disasters Over Past 20 Years

“There has been a ‘staggering’ rise in natural disasters over the past 20 years and the climate crisis is to blame, the United Nations said Monday.” Climate Change Disasters...
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Which version? Confusion over environmental fallout of Indonesia deregulation law

Multiple versions of a sweeping deregulation law passed in Indonesia last week contain substantial differences affecting the nation’s plantation sector, despite assurances from lawmakers that any changes to the...
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