environment on localnews page 44

In Warren, Michigan, a creek turned an eerie blue, sparking a legal storm. Two business owners, Saad Somo and Marvan Talal-Razooqi Batoo, found themselves in hot water after a toxic spill. They admitted to their mistakes in court, avoiding a trial. The incident happened in February 2024. A building

Understanding Nature's Web: A Smarter Way to Predict River Health

Managing rivers and lakes is tricky. There are lots of living things and environmental factors to consider. Most models focus on just a few species or simplify how they interact. This makes it hard to see the big picture. A new approach uses something called Hierarchical Bayesian networks (HBNs). Th

Why Mud in Reservoirs is a Big Problem

Reservoirs are like big bathtubs collecting water, but over time, they also collect a lot of mud. This mud can cause big problems. In China's Three Gorges Reservoir, even though less mud is coming in each year, there's still a huge amount already there. The same issue is happening in smaller reservo

Urban Pollution's Hidden Toll on Mangrove Life

In the heart of Brazil's Ceará coast, the Cocó River tells a story of urban life's hidden impact. This river, surrounded by bustling cities, is a hotspot for various pollutants. Scientists dove deep into this issue, checking water, sediment, and even the creatures living there. They found a shocking

How Climate Change is Messing with Our Forests' Ability to Store Carbon

Climate change is shaking things up for our forests. In the northeastern US, forests are like nature's carbon vacuum cleaners, soaking up CO2 from the air. But with temperatures on the rise and snowpack shrinking, these forests might not be able to do their job as well as they used to. Warmer tempe

Texas Faces Flood Aftermath and Trade Shifts

A devastating flash flood in central Texas has left at least 82 people dead, with many questions about why warnings were not issued sooner. The hardest-hit area is Kerr County, where 68 deaths have been reported, including 28 children from youth camps near the Guadalupe River. Residents like Wendy B

Turning CO2 into Something Useful: A Smart Way to Fight Climate Change

The world is burning too much fossil fuel. This is bad news for our planet. It's making the weather go crazy. We need new ways to make energy that don't harm the Earth. One cool idea is using electricity to turn CO2 into useful stuff. This is called CO2 reduction. It can help clean the air and store

Harnessing Biogas: A Cleaner Path for Engines

Biogas is gaining attention as a green fuel that can cut down on pollution and reduce reliance on traditional fuels. However, there are hurdles to overcome, like cleaning it up, storing it, and making engines run better with it. This research highlights the need for better rules and new technology t

Ningbo's Rivers: A Three-Part Health Check

Ningbo's rivers are getting a thorough health check-up, and it's about time. Most studies only use one method to check the water's condition. But this time, researchers decided to be more thorough. They used three different ways to see how clean and alive the rivers are. First, they looked at 15 ri