Environment & Science

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

"Turn around, don't drown", warned a spokesperson for PennDOT. More than once today, people in the Valley have had to be rescued from their cars after driving into water that shut their engines off, trapping the drivers.

Some parts of the Lehigh Valley saw more than four inches of rain from Sunday into Monday, with precipitation still falling.

Schools are closing early and a large swath of the region is under a flood warning until at least 3:15 p.m. as the storm system that inundated the area overnight moves north.

The winter, or December, solstice takes place this year between sundown on Dec. 21 and sunrise Dec. 22

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at 11 a.m. on Wednesday is holding a meeting at its Allentown office to brainstorm and prioritize ways to decarbonize transportation across the region. Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions.

Many spots could receive 2 to 3 inches of rain, forecasters warn, with areas of flooding possible Sunday night as another coastal storm targets the region.

Amid the joy and festivities, environmental advocates are urging residents to keep sustainability in mind during what can be a time of year when trash and waste spikes.

The heat this week was one of the hottest stretches of weather ever recorded in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

A regionwide wastewater plan and a hazard mitigation plan both advanced with staff review approvals by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night.

The Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program awarded grants to 12 organizations and municipalities this year.

After days of sweltering heat, the Lehigh Valley can finally expect a break as a cold front brings modest relief and cooler temperatures, forecasters say.

The federal tax and spending bill, dubbed by President Donald Trump as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” includes eliminating electric vehicle tax credits after this year. Advocates called on senators to put them back.

The city of Allentown is set to get $1.9 million, while dozens of nonprofits — including food banks — and other groups will split $3.8 million from the trust's annual disbursement.

On Tuesday afternoon, Lehigh Valley International Airport recorded temperatures that tied the record heat set in Allentown over a century ago on June 24.

In addition to the Kline’s Island Sewer System, or KISS, regional wastewater plan, committee members advanced the Lehigh Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan to the full commission.

With the Lehigh Valley under an extreme heat warning through Wednesday, area doctors are urging residents to keep hydrated and stay cool.

No climate site in the region reached 100 degrees on Monday, but the suffocating heat and humidity was still record-setting across the Mid-Atlantic region.

PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator headquartered in Valley Forge, issued a maximum generation alert and load management alert for Monday.

The first day of summer can be told by the sun's position, as well as the calendar.