Pennsylvania is home to a growing petrochemical industry, but at what cost? The state's residents are paying a high price for the plastic produced by facilities like Shell's plant in Beaver County. This plant, which received millions in tax breaks, has not only underperformed economically but has also put the health and safety of nearby communities at risk. The prod...
Nature is in trouble. Everywhere, from plants to big animals, many types of life are disappearing. People are a big reason why this is happening. We cut down forests, pollute the air, and change the climate. But cities and buildings can help fix this. Think about bees and bugs. They need places to live and food to eat. Buildings can have green roofs. These are roofs...
People are talking about the big power lines and the harm they cause to nature. Irene Gilbert's story shows us that even "clean" energy isn't as clean as we think. We need to use less energy, not just find new ways to make it. The idea of a "clean" energy future sounds good, but what does it really look like? Huge solar farms, giant wind turbines, and massive batter...
Every year, a peculiar event takes place at the Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve. It's not your typical gathering. Instead of quiet walks or birdwatching, people come to smash pumpkins. This isn't just about having fun, though. It's about helping the environment. The event, known as the Pumpkin Smash, encourages people to bring their old pumpkins. Instead of throwing ...
People often think that not using soap means being dirty. But some folks have found that skipping soap can actually lead to healthier skin. This idea might seem strange at first, but there are good reasons why some people choose to go soap-free. For many, soap is a daily habit. It's something we've been taught to use to stay clean. But what if you could skip it and ...
Sunflower straw, a common agricultural waste, has been given a new purpose. Scientists have been experimenting with it to clean up oil spills. They treated the straw with two different chemicals: silanization and acetylation. The goal was to see how well the treated straw could soak up oil. The experiments showed that silanization worked better than acetylation. The...
Solar panels are everywhere, helping us generate clean energy. But what happens when they reach the end of their life? Mostly, they end up in landfills, which is not great for the environment. These panels contain materials like lead and zinc, which can leak out and cause harm. Scientists have found a clever way to reuse these old panels by turning them into concrete...
A powerful computer chip is about to take a journey into space. NVIDIA's H100 GPU, known for its role in advanced AI, will soon be aboard a satellite launched by Starcloud, a startup from Redmond, Washington. The goal? To test if data centers can operate in orbit, potentially making tech greener and faster. Data centers on Earth consume huge amounts of electricity a...
A new player in the energy game is eyeing North Carolina for a big project. Deep River Data, a company with ties to the crypto world, wants to drill for natural gas near the Deep River in Lee County. This could be the first commercial well in the Triassic Basin, a gas-rich area under North Carolina and other Eastern states. The gas isn't for crypto mining, though. T...
Deep in the Amazon, a silent battle is unfolding. Indigenous communities are facing a growing health crisis linked to illegal gold mining. Mercury, used to extract gold, is polluting rivers and posing serious risks to unborn children. This threat is so severe that some women are afraid to start families. In the Munduruku community of Sai Cinza, a three-year-old girl...