Environment & Science

The “Stanley Jr. Kids Wheelbarrow and 7-piece Garden Set" has been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission after the paint on the hoe and rake were found to contain lead levels exceeding the federal content ban.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire. This week, they look ahead to the Autumnal Equinox.

SpaceX’s capsule Polaris Dawn splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico in the predawn darkness early Sunday. Returning to Earth were two SpaceX engineers, a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman of the Lehigh Valley. Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk.

A Lehigh University graduate last year recorded a new species of mushroom at Wildlands Conservancy's South Mountain Preserve.

Monarch butterflies are starting to migrate through the Lehigh Valley. An annual tagging program, held at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, helps conservation efforts.

Testimony that will help a Northampton County judge decide if a lawsuit against the Bethlehem Landfill and Lower Saucon Twp. can move forward continued Friday, and will stretch into a third day.

Called the Recovery in Nature initiative, two state departments have joined forces to create regional-specific partnerships to bolster substance use recovery efforts while strengthening all residents’ connection to nature.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its report of the most challenging places to live with asthma. The release coincides with peak asthma season in September.

Early Tuesday, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who has a home in the Lehigh Valley, launched into space for a second time as part of a mission dubbed Polaris Dawn. The launch was visible in the area.

Awardees of the state Department of Education’s Environmental Repairs Grant program were announced Monday. It focuses on eliminating lead, mold, asbestos and other environmental hazards from school buildings.

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.

State environmental officials on Thursday evening hosted the last of five public engagement sessions, as they work to create a Priority Climate Action Plan, or PCAP, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission statewide and mitigate further effects of climate change.

Forecasters say another impactful storm is expected to move up the coast, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to the region Sunday into Monday.

The new official map marks recently acquired land, while setting priorities for future desired open space.

A Tuesday evening webinar cosponsored by the Bethlehem Area Public Library and Bethlehem Food Co-Op focused on how residents can meaningfully participate in the city’s efforts to fight climate change.

The Lehigh Valley remains devoid of accumulating snow events so far in December —and it looks like that pattern will continue straight through the holiday season.

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