Environment & Science

This week, a look at the late Vera C. Rubin, an American astronomer whose name is now associated with one of the most powerful observatories on Earth.

An annual pest across Pennsylvania, corn earworms can cause damage to both sweet and field corn, cutting into farmers’ profits and home-gardeners’ yields. They've been reported in the Lehigh Valley.

Aryash Shyam, a rising eighth-grader at Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School, created the GreenBeam to kill weeds with a laser. The project got him named the Pennsylvania State Merit Winner in the 2025 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

South Whitehall Township commissioners on Wednesday approved an ordinance that asks to add a ballot question requesting a tax increase intended to help support the preservation of open spaces.

Held at DeSales University’s Gerald White Conference Center, the day-long event drew several dozen participants, including students, teachers and local environmental advocates and leaders.

In the Lehigh Valley, 22 out of just the last 30 days have seen dew points at or above 70, meaning nearly three-quarters of recent days have been sticky enough to feel more like Florida than eastern Pennsylvania.

A project of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh, Sustainable Pennsylvania is a voluntary program focused on helping municipalities improve sustainability to save money, conserve resources and improve residents’ lives.

Allentown police can hand out tickets to anyone caught swimming in natural waterways in the city, Mayor Matt Tuerk said, urging residents not to let a $100 fine “ruin your summer.”

The city was awarded funding through a state Department of Environmental Protection grant to buy seven electric vehicles. However, more funding is needed for charging infrastructure.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton areas until 9:30 p.m. In the Emmaus area, more than 2 inches of rain had fallen in two hours, a meteorologist said.

Scholl Orchards installed towering wind machines on its land in Kempton, Berks County, in a battle to ward off frost. It's necessary with warming winters to protect the trees from damage.

In October, months before the East Palestine derailment, the company also directed a train to keep moving with an overheated wheel that caused it to derail miles later in Sandusky, Ohio.

An unseasonably warm winter has people thinking their pollen allergies are already acting up. But other temperature-related causes can trigger allergy-like symptoms.

As the weather warms, there have been more reports of ticks in the Lehigh Valley. An expert explains why and how to protect yourself.

Some Pennsylvanians in Beaver County who live within or just beyond the evacuation area near the site of the train derailment are worried about the long-term effects of the event.

In the aftermath of the derailment, which released toxic chemicals into the streams and air around East Palestine, many are wondering how the country’s regulations around rail traffic could have allowed a train with 20 cars of hazardous material not to be considered a “high hazard.”

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sent a scathing letter to the president and CEO of Norfolk Southern on Tuesday, calling out the company for making emergency management decisions without consulting state and local leaders and for prioritizing its railroad operations over “a safer overall approach” for local residents and the environment, after a train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio last week.

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Our daily list of useful information, chosen to inform and enhance your day, includes news you can use and then some!

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a host of changes to the state’s cannabis laws that would expand who is eligible for a medical marijuana card.