Environment & Science

Pennsylvania's third most populous region received a "C" grade from the American Lung Association and ranked fourth-worst in the mid-Atlantic for ozone pollution. But, it's better than last year’s rankings in the annual "State of the Air" report.

The Lehigh Valley Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday agreed to add new definitions for ordinances in Plainfield Township addressing the keeping and raising of chickens at residential properties.

Fahy Commons was named the first project in the world to achieve a rigorous sustainability certification for buildings that reward projects for more energy than they use. The 20,000-square-foot, three-floor building cost $13.2 million and opened to students last January.

This year, Earth Day falls on April 22. But for Lehigh Valley businesses that embrace more sustainable efforts, no matter the cost, it's just another typical Monday.

“Public Participation, Public Power: A Community Guide to Local Land Use Decision-Making in Pennsylvania" was released Monday. The almost-100-page guide includes explanations of state and local land use laws and more.

WLVR’s Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire. This week, Brad and Marty discuss Tuesday’s full moon. It’s known as the ‘Pink Moon’.

A new outdoor air quality monitoring project is coming to Allentown this summer. The data collected through the initiative, officials said, will help inform decision-making to improve residents’ health in the city, known for its poor air quality.

This year’s Lehigh Valley Sustainability Summit was held Friday morning at The Club at Twin Lakes. Officials discussed upcoming projects, as well as efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Megan is joined by Tom Shortell and Molly Bilinski.

Northampton County Conservation District held its annual Envirothon, where students go head-to-head in immersive challenges in the soil, mud, and woods — competing for hundreds of dollars. Teachers say it's special because it gets kids off their phones and experiencing the natural world, and each other.

Students learn to identify medicinal, edible and toxic plants. They also study how some plants have impacted history for both the good and bad, through their healing, addictive, profitable or edible properties.

The Allentown Public Library hosted a discussion on native plants and pollinators on Saturday, explaining their importance and what humans can do to help these vital organisms.

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.

The Northampton County Department of Parks and Recreation on Friday held a free program for residents about the world’s only flying mammal, bats, at Louise Moore Park, 146 Country Club Road in Lower Nazareth Township.

The officials announced a statewide drought watch this July. Here are the latest updates for Lehigh, Northampton and more.

DOE has selected PPL's application for consideration in the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program.

NOAA's Operational Branch Chief Jon Gottschalck referenced “Snowmaggedon” — the storm that walloped the region in February 2010. He said in this winter outlook, "There’s some hope for snow lovers."

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Wednesday hosted “WorkshopLV: Environment + Transportation." The almost two hour long meeting focused on brainstorming and prioritizing ways to decarbonize transportation across the region.

Several sightings of black bears have been reported recently in residential areas of Bethlehem Township. Despite the animal not typically being aggressive toward humans, the Pennsylvania Game Commission advises not to approach or entice a black bear.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a series of in-person and virtual meetings to collect feedback on its new environmental justice policy. The next meeting is Oct. 25.

If the Lehigh Valley weather forecast feels familiar, it’s because an end-of-the-week system is once again being watched closely by meteorologists.

A biologist from the Pennsylvania Game Commission visited the location of the sighting in Lower Macungie Township and determined the animal spotted was not a mountain lion.