
Molly Bilinski
Environment & Science reporterI cover environment and science for LehighValleyNews.com. Originally from Schuylkill County, I got my start in journalism writing obituaries for the Reading Eagle in 2014 after graduating from Kutztown University. I’ve also reported for The Press of Atlantic City, covering municipalities, crime and courts, and The Morning Call, where I was part of the audience team. In 2022, I won first place in the diversity category of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s Keystone Media Awards. Contact me at mollyb@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8225.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its plant hardiness map, showing a warmer Lehigh Valley. The region has moved into a warmer zone from the one where it was placed more than a decade ago. Experts say it has consequences for plant seasons and species.
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Almost 11,000 birds of prey were counted this year during the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn hawk watch as they made their way along the raptor "superhighway" in the Valley’s backyard.
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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.
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State lawmakers on Monday held a committee hearing titled “Minimizing Risk & Harm: Preparing for Pennsylvania’s Hydrogen Future.” It comes almost two months after President Joe Biden announced seven regional clean hydrogen hub projects, including two in Pennsylvania.
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The state Department of Environmental Protection's Energy Programs Office will host five public engagement sessions in December, four in-person and one virtual, as officials work to create a priority climate action plan to address the negative effects of climate change.
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The city’s annual holiday tree lighting was held Saturday evening at the Arts Park, 20 N. Fifth St. Hundreds gathered for the free event, which included hot cocoa and s’mores-making, horse-drawn carriage rides, vendors and photos with Santa.
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Residents from the Lehigh Valley and beyond on Thursday attended the state Department of Environmental Protection’s last public comment meeting on the commonwealth’s interim environmental justice policy. The majority said the policy doesn’t go far enough.
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This first round of designations included 483 tracts across the country, with only one in the Lehigh Valley. Officials said additional designations are slated for the next 12 to 18 months.
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A colony with tens of thousands of honeybees was removed Wednesday from beneath the roof of the government building. The honeybee population is shrinking. James Zdepski is looking to change that.
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Olivia Teel became the city’s forester in June. A native of the Lehigh Valley, who also studied environmental science at a local university, Teel’s devotion to the environment extends past working hours.
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Early-aught hip-hop hitmakers Nelly and Chingy performed Friday at third night of the Allentown Fair grandstand.
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While three out of four Lehigh Valley residents are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned with loss of open space, about a third expressed concerns about the quality of air and drinking water in the region. Read the latest in our "Life in the Lehigh Valley" series.
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Two Allegiant flights slated for Wednesday afternoon have been canceled. Forecasters say the Category 3 story is 'unprecedented.'
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More than 2,600 acres on 35 farms in 18 counties across the commonwealth were preserved. Here are the Lehigh Valley farms now safe from development.
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The yet-to-be-named calf was born Aug. 4 and is the tenth oryx calf born at the zoo since 2014.
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As of Aug. 22, more than 300 raptors were counted during the Berks County sanctuary's annual autumn count. The count runs through Dec. 15.
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The Martin OM Biosphere guitar, which costs $2,299, received the Preferred by Nature Sustainability Framework certification, officials said Thursday. The Nazareth guitar maker is the first company to achieve the certification in the U.S., and only the second worldwide.
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Hoping or wishing that an item is recyclable, without actually confirming it, can do more harm than good, and it’s an increasing issue for Lehigh Valley haulers, as well as the recovery facilities where those items are sorted.
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Thousands of raptors — from vultures, eagles and kites to hawks, kestrels and falcons — are expected to make their annual trek through the region over the next three months, and researchers at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center are in need of volunteers.