Environment & Science

More than 100 businesses, officials, organizations and environmental advocates statewide — including two from the Lehigh Valley — signed a letter to Shapiro arguing his economic development plan, “Pennsylvania Gets It Done,” fails to prioritize sustainable industries and instead doubles down on fossil fuels.

LANTA and UGI Energy Services have signed a three-year deal that will provide the transportation authority with compressed natural gas collected from landfills in eastern Pennsylvania.

The Lehigh Valley stands alone as the only major climate site in the area with above-average snowfall this winter, but the pattern says winter could be just about over.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomy Guy," Marty McGuire.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission last week released a draft of its Priority Climate Action Plan, a document almost a year in the making aimed at tamping down the region’s carbon emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The National Weather Service issued the warning Saturday afternoon for parts of Lehigh and Northampton counties, extending into Carbon County.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Five farms, three in Lehigh County and two in Northampton County, were the latest to be included in the commonwealth’s Farmland Preservation Program, along with more than a dozen others across the state.

Some areas reported almost 14 inches of snow, with flakes the size of cotton balls. Other areas got just a few inches. Said a National Weather Service meteorologist: 'I completely understand the shock factor.'

The Lehigh Valley is under a winter weather advisory in effect from 10 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, with a chance the snowfall that could overperform in parts of the region.

Three farms in Lehigh County were the latest to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

A system arriving Sunday night could bring a period of snow and ice to the area before a changeover to rain but “there remains considerable uncertainty with the details.”

During the 2023-24 hunting seasons, a record-breaking 261,672 pounds of venison from 6,905 deer and six elk statewide was donated through Hunters Sharing the Harvest. Find out how much was donated in the Lehigh Valley.

Part of the DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program, the grants support projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats. A dozen Lehigh Valley projects were funded.

The Blue Mountain fire, also called the Gap Fire, on Nov. 2 erupted in Lehigh Township. The fire, which grew from 150 acres to almost 600, took seven days of fighting before it was marked 100% contained.

The rainfall is expected to be heaviest Wednesday afternoon and evening as a cold front approaches, with forecasters not ruling out some rumbles of thunder possible in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch ended late last month, with 9,373 migrating raptors recorded. While the overall count is lower than last year, many species exceeded 2023 totals.

Planet Venus is acting as the brightest star, visible in the West after sunset. Grab your binoculars, because there's a second planet at play with lots to show.

Wilson Area School District is set to host their second Wilson Family Computer Science Night, showcasing fun and hands-on innovative tech for students up to grade eight.

Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire who lives in the Lehigh Valley and conducted the first private spacewalk, was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to lead NASA.

The Unidos Foundation was one of 12 community organizations across Pennsylvania to receive the grant. Money is earmarked to ensure that historically marginalized and underserved communities have access to information and resources about environmental protection.

More than a year after the federal government held its first hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, two more were held within a week in November.