Environment & Science

A NASA robotic mission that is exploring the inner reaches of our solar system will literally ‘touch the Sun’ on Christmas Eve.

The Lehigh Valley is in a 9-inch rain shortfall. The prolonged dry spell has raised concerns about the longevity of fresh-cut Christmas trees this year. And, it's thinning out the trees planted this year to grow for future holiday seasons.

The township's Shade Tree Commission was awarded 15 trees from a statewide nonprofit dedicated to improving the tree canopy in urban areas.

Listings will include risks for flood, wildfire, wind, heat and air quality, as well as interactive maps and insurance requirements.

With no quick cure for the fast-moving, but slow-to-kill disease, experts said American beech trees could be functionally extinct throughout the state within 10 to 15 years.

Said Edward Boscola, Bethlehem water and sewer resources director: “It’s important for everybody to know that the lead levels in the city’s drinking water system are very low."

May, an immature female broad-winged hawk, migrated through Hurricane Milton in Florida last month. The hurricane made landfall Oct. 9 near Siesta Key, Fla., as a devastating Category 3 storm.

Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. At about 5:35 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, grab your binoculars and watch it disappear.

The drought is far from over, but enough precipitation has fallen to boost the confidence of state officials when it comes to outdoor fires.

The precautionary measure across Pennsylvania comes at no cost to farmers. While the virus hasn't been reported in commonwealth cattle, other states have seen a marked uptick in cases.

Air quality in the Lehigh Valley is getting mixed reviews in the 22nd annual American Lung Association's State of the Air report released April 21.

Bethlehem has announced a new plan to fight climate change. To kick off the effort, the city is creating its first-ever office of sustainability and city residents are being asked to join to help reduce Bethlehem’s carbon footprint.

The spotted lanternfly continues to kill crops across Pennsylvania. The invasive pest was first discovered in Berks County in 2014, and the state recently expanded its mitigation efforts extending the list of quarantined counties.

The Wolf Administration says it is making the largest government commitment to solar energy in the country by agreeing to buy power from seven new solar projects in the state.

Microplastic contaminants have been found in 53 waterways in Pennsylvania, including in the Lehigh River, according to clean water advocacy group PennEnvironment.

As snowstorms hammer away at the Lehigh Valley, there is a lot of news about massive blackouts following snowstorms in Texas where people are taking drastic measures to stay warm including running cars to heat their homes.

As the Lehigh River draws people from all over the region for whitewater season, the churning of the water depends on a dam controlling the flow.

The post went viral on Facebook, falsely claiming that hunters are required to wear $30 fluorescent orange face masks featuring the state Game Commission's logo.

State environmental regulators are hitting Sunoco’s Mariner East pipeline project with its sixth violation in Lebanon County since mid-August.

A federal appeals court called Pennsylvania’s regulations for coal plant emissions too weak and ordered the state to revise them.

This summer’s combination of record-breaking heat, Black Lives Matter activism, and the pandemic has led to conversations on environmental justice.

As state lawmakers debate how to help Pennsylvania’s economy recover from the coronavirus shutdown, environmental groups see an opening for a cleaner future.