Environment & Science

People who stayed up late Sunday night were treated to an incredible display of the northern lights, which were visible in the Lehigh Valley.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe and several other eastern Pennsylvania counties.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Mayors in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are coming together to fight against worsening climate change and strengthen sustainability across the region. Two of the three cities have their own climate action plans.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 22, in the Lehigh Valley.

The first new building on Muhlenberg’s campus in more than a decade, the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, 2400 W. Chew St., opened in January. The 20,000-square-foot, three-floor building cost $13.2 million and is one of the first buildings in the world expected to achieve a rigorous sustainability certification for buildings that give more than they take.

A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible in the region on Saturday, with the main threat being damaging wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service.

Puerto Rico's electrical grid has been devastated by hurricanes due to worsening climate change. Ruth Santiago, a Bethlehem native, has a solution.

Swarms of non-biting midge flies last week were spotted in Bethlehem. LehighValleyNews.com spoke with Marten Edwards, chair of Muhlenberg College's biology department, to find out more about the insects.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with Ryan Gaylor and Molly Bilinski.

The severe storms and flash flooding of July 16 overwhelmed parts of the Slate Belt, Forks and Palmer townships and led seven Northampton County municipalities to declare disasters of their own.

The Martin OM Biosphere guitar, which costs $2,299, received the Preferred by Nature Sustainability Framework certification, officials said Thursday. The Nazareth guitar maker is the first company to achieve the certification in the U.S., and only the second worldwide.

Hurricanes in the U.S. the last few decades killed thousands more people than meteorologists traditionally calculate, according to a new study.

Hoping or wishing that an item is recyclable, without actually confirming it, can do more harm than good, and it’s an increasing issue for Lehigh Valley haulers, as well as the recovery facilities where those items are sorted.

Last year, Bethlehem Area and Allentown school districts were waitlisted to get rebate funding through the Clean School Bus program. Another round of applications for this fiscal year is open until later this month.

A local consortium of tech companies, local government and politicians and other organizations have submitted an application for the Lehigh Valley to land $75 million to boost the Lehigh Valley's production of semiconductors as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.

State Representative Robert Freeman joined officials from Northampton County and Easton to promote a transition to electric vehicles, which they say will yield substantial environmental, economic and health impacts.

Following assessments throughout Northampton County, officials are warning federal assistance for damage due to the July flooding is not guaranteed.

Thousands of raptors — from vultures, eagles and kites to hawks, kestrels and falcons — are expected to make their annual trek through the region over the next three months, and researchers at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center are in need of volunteers.

While Monday night’s storm failed to live up to its full potential, the Lehigh Valley will deal with one more day of wet and stormy weather.

Northampton County's upcoming hazardous waste collection event is by appointment only, and those who show up without one will be turned away, a news release said Monday.