Environment & Outdoors
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World-Renowned Climate Scientist to Speak at Penn State Great Valley on Wednesday
Climate scientist and science communicator Michael Mann will discuss his latest book, The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet, on Wednesday, May 4 at Penn State Great Valley. The New Climate War shows how fossil fuel companies have waged a 30-year campaign to deflect responsibility and delay action on climate change…
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Philadelphia Region Exits Top 25 List of Smoggiest Metros, But the News is No Breath of Fresh Air
The Philadelphia region has finally dropped off the list of the 25 worst metro areas for ozone smog. But the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report shows that the levels of air pollution are still worrisome. Sophia Schmidt hacked through the data for The Philadelphia Tribune. The report looked at both ozone and…
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Talk About Overkill: Pennsylvania Residents Are Incinerating a Seasonal Pesky Pest with Propane Torches
Yes, these pests are annoying. And yes, they affect agribusinesses. But some mitigation techniques against them are getting a bit extreme, writes Abigail Gruskin for The Atlantic. In fact, the entire issue of the need to actively eliminate the critters is being questioned. Spotted lanternflies were predicted to decimate local trees, farms, and vineyards since…
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Schuylkill River Trail Officially Opens Its Final Section From Chesco to Montco
Chester County marked the significance of Earth Day with the official opening of a two-mile section of the county’s final portion of the Schuylkill River Trail to the Montgomery County border. The event attracted hundreds of people, including trail partners from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PennDOT, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater…
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Proposed Development in Cheltenham Raises Fears Over Increased Flooding
Cheltenham Township residents are worried that a proposed development along Tookany Creek would increase water runoff in the area that is already prone to flooding, writes Emily Rizzo for WHYY. The eight townhomes that are in the proposal would demolish woodlands and then be situated along the floodplain and wetland on 222 Church Road –…
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Hay, What a Good Idea! Quakertown Inventor Harvests Abundant Savings on Heating Oil Costs
A Quakertown mechanical engineer has reconfigured a biomass boiler — a natural-burning, hot-water producer for home heating — to run on hay fed to it automatically. Tom Venesky harvested this story in Lancaster Farming. Michael Kramer wanted to get the high cost of home heating oil off his back. His ah-ha moment came from a…
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Climate Change Expert to Offer Solutions at Neumann University
“Human-caused climate change is a global emergency, which disproportionately affects the people who are least responsible for the problem,” writes David Blockstein, Ph.D., the co-director of Solve Climate by 2030. Blockstein will present evidence of climate change and offer solutions that he believes can make a difference in a program titled “Teaching the World about Climate Solutions and…
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Suburban Philadelphia Nonprofit Finds Itself in Spotlight Amidst Investigation into Trump’s ‘Fraudulent’ Schemes
North American Land Trust, a nonprofit based in Pennsbury Township, has found itself in the spotlight amidst the New York Attorney General’s investigation into Donald Trump’s dealings, writes Jacob Adelman for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The investigation has labeled Trump’s $21 million tax deduction for preserving his Seven Springs Estate a part of a pattern of…
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111 Acres of Land Conserved in Chester County Thanks to Conservation Trust, Family Property Owners
Partnering with Charlestown Township, French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust has put 111 acres under protection in northern Chester County, writes staff from the Daily Local News. Conservation easements were pioneered by brothers Christopher, Nicolas, and Geoffrey Crowell on two properties, with funding for the easements coming through the Open Space Initiative. Moreover, the easements…
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72-Acre Preserve in Chadds Ford Set to Open for Public Use This Spring
Thanks to a network of dedicated local nonprofits, Brinton Run Preserve is set to open this spring in Chadds Ford, writes Melissa Jacobs for The Hunt Magazine. With 72 acres of fields, the land is protected under a conservation easement. Currently, the rolling fields are home to 92 plant species and a large number of…
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Montgomery County, Its Neighbors Have Among the Most Polluted Waterways
According to a new report by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, Montgomery County, along with the majority of Southeastern Pennsylvania, have among the most polluted waterways in the Keystone State, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Overall, 2,398 more miles of the state’s streams have been designated as impaired over the last two…
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Conshohocken’s IKEA Decreases Climate Footprint; Aims to Be Climate Positive Worldwide by 2030
IKEA recently announced this week that it was on track to become climate positive by 2030 since its annual carbon emissions fell 6% from pre-pandemic levels despite record sales, writes Anna Ringstrom for Reuters. According to brand owner Inter IKEA, value chain emissions – meaning everything produced from raw material production to customers’ use and…
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Phoenixville to Build First Hydrothermal Carbonization Plant in North America
Phoenixville plans to build the first hydrothermal carbonization plant in North America at a municipally-owned wastewater treatment center, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY. “We could spend money doing the same old, same old and not change anything,” said Borough Manager Jean Krack. “Or maybe we can spend the money and improve the outcome and be…
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Conshohocken-based IKEA Plans to Restore 3,000 Acres of Florida Land Damaged by Hurricane
IKEA recently purchased over 3,000 acres of land in Florida that was damaged by Hurricane Michael, with plans to plant a forest on the damaged land, writes Sophie Hirsh for Green Matters. The two plots of land that were purchased by Ingka Group, the company that controls most of IKEA stores, is called Tupelo Honey…
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December 2021: The Second-Warmest Holiday Season in the Philadelphia Region
If December 2021 felt like Santa needed Bermuda shorts and Frosty could have used an iced tea, there’s a reason: It was the second-warmest final month of a Philadelphia year in 147 years of record keeping. Frank Kummer simmered the particulars for The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 31 registered an average daily temperature of 51 degrees,…
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Warm Autumn Afternoons May Be Cozy and Comforting, But They’re Also Concerning
Warm autumn afternoons, requiring only a light jacket for a scenic walk to enjoy the golden foliage, are vastly appealing in the Philadelphia suburbs. But as much as they give locals a sense of serenity, they also cause concern from a climate change perspective. Taylor Allen and Mike D’Onofrio covered the implications for AXIOS. A…
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This Montco Township Ranks as Highest ‘Cancer Risk’ in Philadelphia Region Due to Industrial Air Pollution
According to a new ProPublica online report, an area of Montgomery County has the highest estimated “excess lifetime cancer risk” from air pollution from chemical companies in the Philadelphia region, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The report, titled “Poison in the Air,” analyzed and mapped the spread of cancer-causing chemicals from various sources…
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Philadelphia is Among Top Clean Technology Innovation Hubs in Nation
Despite low-scoring state support, Philadelphia ranks as one of the top clean technology innovation hubs in the nation. The distinction comes from a new Saoradh Enterprise Partners report, reported by Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal. The report defines cleantech innovation hubs as functioning geographic ecosystems that are based on metrics that include research…
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