Environment & Science

Bethlehem Twp. Commissioners voted in favor of an ordinance that would legally allow for existing structures on a 43-acre property near Green Pond Road, which houses NCC's East 40, though those properties may need special permits.

Applications are open for the The Good Farmer Award U.S. Officials are looking for farmers with less than 10 years of experience who exemplify sustainable farming practices while contributing to community and environmental health.

This week, a look at a NASA mission that is on the way to a moon landing, but very different from the Apollo missions a half century ago.

A Northampton County farm was one of the latest group to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

Unable to fly and rescued from Saucon Park on Thursday, the female bald eagle was set for a 10-day quarantine at the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife in Hamilton Township, Monroe County. The mother bird died early Friday at the wildlife center.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind watch for winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph possible for the Lehigh Valley and portions of central, northern and northwest New Jersey and east central and southeast Pennsylvania.

Easton is hiring a sustainability coordinator. It marks the third of the Valley's major cities to carve out a position dedicated to sustainability initiatives and fighting the worsening impacts of climate change.

It's the third time the Delaware River has won the title. Previous wins were in 2002 and 2017.

Some salt sheds across the region could be down to their final grains, officials said Thursday, as reports of a rock salt shortage spread through the region and well beyond.

The state's dairy industry has officially reached "HPAI-free" status after rigorous testing in Pennsylvania dairy cattle for highly pathogenic avian influenza. Other states have detected bird flu in their cattle though, so the state will continue to monitor and test cattle.

Officials announced Wednesday the start of its Climate Challenge as part of a broader Climate Action Plan, with goals of making sequential steps in steadily reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Weeks away from the official start of winter, the National Weather Service has established new winter storm warning criteria, officials confirmed late Monday.

City council on Wednesday will consider overriding Mayor Matt Tuerk's veto of council’s approved 2024 no-tax-increase budget, which did not include the position. Advocates still hope to find a way to a hire a sustainability manager.

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

A November 11 Facebook post showed a map of Pennsylvania and the surrounding mid-Atlantic region being walloped by snowfall in the weeks ahead. It's "wrong" and "without context," a local meteorologist said.

Edward Boscola, city water and sewer resources director, said Wednesday that a roughly $2 increase in monthly sewer charges would keep the capital fund in good shape, minimize borrowing and contribute to upcoming projects at the wastewater facility.

The Lehigh County Authority released the estimate and a schedule of public meetings to review the plan and collect feedback from affected residents. The first meeting is scheduled for 6 tonight in South Whitehall Township.

Lafayette College's commercial composting vessel was placed in June. It comes more than a decade after the college first started it's composting program, with the dining hall using fully compostable packaging and cutlery.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection policy now recognizes 1,965 environmental justice areas in Pennsylvania. More than 200 are in rural counties.

Greater Easton Development Partnership has gotten agricultural grants totaling $60,000 from the Pennsylvania Farm Bill's Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant.

The first new building on Muhlenberg’s campus in more than a decade, the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, 2400 W. Chew St., has racked up three different sustainability awards and certifications.

Lehigh Valley Breathes is a Valley-wide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing. The project is expected to run for a year.