Climate Change

"Artificial turf carpets athletic fields, playgrounds, and residential lawns across the US, offering a low-maintenance alternative to natural grass that always looks lush and doesn’t require heavy watering. But while this popular synthetic material is marketed as eco-friendly, it has also long attracted controversy – for decades, environmental and health advocates have expressed concern about the chemical byproducts of the turf’s plastic fibers."

"A federal agency plans to reassess its environmental permit for Hyundai’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle plant in Georgia after a conservation group complained that regulators failed to properly examine the sprawling factory’s potential impacts on the area’s water supply."

"A rare but deadly disease spread by mosquitoes has one town in Massachusetts closing its parks and fields each evening. Four other towns are urging people to avoid going outdoors at night."

"Extreme heat killed more Americans in 2023 than any other year over nearly a quarter century of records, according to research published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association."

"Researchers in California are working to genetically engineer the cow microbiome -- and in the process, eliminate methane emissions."

"The son of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was hailed as a hero five years ago when his family’s company purchased a troubled coke plant in North Birmingham that had polluted three historically Black neighborhoods. Now, a judge says the Justices’ Bluestone Coke is on a “superhighway to contempt.”"

"The U.S. is pretty much only building clean energy these days, and mostly solar and batteries. That’s good news — but the pace still needs to pick up."

"As heat waves become more frequent and intense, researchers and activists say the lack of precise data is leading to needless fatalities."

"Dual hurricane threats are zeroing in on Hawaii, a rare combination that could bring impactful rain and winds to the islands twice within a week."