Is selling half of the US petroleum reserve a good idea?

May 23, 2017
The Trump administration in its budget proposes to sell off half of the country’s strategic reserve of crude oil. The idea is that putting more than 300 million barrels of energy onto the market could raise more than $16 billion over the course of a decade. Proponents note that the oil market is more open, […]

Prospective cuts have EPA workers weighing their options

May 23, 2017
The question of staying or going comes up anytime political control shifts. For some, the time to go may come soon.
EPA staffers have been dealing with massive shifts in the way their agency operates, with executive orders that have mandated reviews or canceled several environmental initiatives and rhetoric about reducing regulation.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Large manufacturers are looking to increase profits by reducing waste

May 22, 2017
Choosing between profits and sustainability is antiquated, according to a new study about the “circular economy” business model.
An increasing number of countries and economies think circular economy is a good idea.
Sebastien Bozon/ AFP

Why Pittsburgh is buying $1,200 garbage cans

May 18, 2017
The smart cans are meant to save time and money, but some trash collectors are skeptical.
Robert Sledge, from the Department of Public Works, empties trash cans in downtown Pittsburgh.
Erika Beras

Mega-dams, like Hoover, probably wouldn't be built today

Mar 29, 2017
Dams are costly and have gone out of style. We also know more about their environmental impact.
Hoover Dam in 1936, the year it was completed. The dam was finished two years ahead of schedule and under budget, a feat unlikely to occur today.
Getty Images

Details on ‘astonishingly high’ pollution in Nigeria emerge nine years after spill

Mar 24, 2017
A geologist says mangroves remain soaked in oil from a 2008 pipeline spill.
Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

Which areas will see cuts under Trump's budget?

Mar 16, 2017
One big winner: people who want to see a smaller government.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

How the new EPA chief can take the agency in a new direction

Feb 20, 2017
President Donald Trump picked his new National Security Adviser today. Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster will replace Michael Flynn, who resigned after withholding information about a call with Russia’s ambassador. Tomorrow, Scott Pruitt — another high-profile appointee — will take his job as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency.  Pruitt has a complicated past with […]

Pennsylvania braces for gas pipeline protest

Feb 9, 2017
Protesters are massing in Pennsylvania to protest another pipeline. But this one is different: it carries natural gas, which means it comes with rights over eminent domain. Click the above audio player to hear the full story.