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.

Much of the state is under a flash flood watch as the remnants of Hurricane Ida travel to the northeastern United States.

The U.S. Department of Energy held an online public meeting on Tuesday to find out how frontline communities in Appalachia are impacted by the growing ethane and petrochemical industries. Ethane is a byproduct of natural gas development and can be used to make plastics.

Despite piping hot August temperatures, artist Sarah Karess is hard at work on the mural at the Allentown Transportation Center.

Pennsylvania’s environmental regulator is levying an $85,666 penalty against Sunoco for issues with its Mariner East project in four counties last year.

If you’re planning a visit to a national park, you’ll need to pack a mask even if you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19.

More than a dozen city leaders, including the mayors of Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, are calling on Congress to pass the Parks, Jobs and Equity Act.

A “Code Orange” air quality alert is now in effect across the Lehigh Valley.

Tucked into the latest state budget agreement is tens of millions of dollars in new sales tax breaks for companies that build and run server farms known as data centers.

About 37% of ticks in Pennsylvania are the kind that carry Lyme disease, according to the Tick Research Lab of Pennsylvania at East Stroudsburg University.

Black fly spraying starts June 30 along the Lehigh and Delaware rivers.

Some lawmakers and environmental groups are calling on the Wolf administration to strengthen a proposed regulation that aims to curb emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane before the rule comes up for a final vote. But the proposal exempts tens of thousands of low-producing wells.

Gov. Tom Wolf wants Pennsylvania to join a nationwide program that aims to curb pollution generated by power plants.