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Ancient Rome had ways to counter the urban heat island effect – how history’s lessons apply to cities today

Trees are one way to cool down a city. Architects in ancient Rome also designed buildings with porticos for shade and air flow. Laszlo Szirtesi/Getty Images As intense heat breaks records around the …

Ericsson resident Jessica Wyn Miller (right), an entomologist, leads a Bug Club adventure into the world of bugs near her Minnehaha Creek-side home. She has found that her work as an artist intersects with insects.“I got excited for aquatic insects when I found out they reflect the health of a water,

She hated bugs – so she decided to become an entomologist

Jessica Miller still shrieks sometimes when a spider jumps on her, but the south Minneapolis environmental entomologist has found that makes her more approachable when she’s teaching classes on …

Joel Albers and Eric Johnson, both Seward residents, are working to save the historic Bethany Church from being demolished. They think the community will regret destroying a historic structure.

Activists rally to save historic Seward Church

For 70 years, Eric Johnson has lived in the shadow of Bethany Church, but that shadow may soon disappear if the building’s current owner, Augsburg University, moves ahead with plans to demolish …

What can one person do to help birds avoid collisions with windows? Close your curtains at night, especially during the migration season, to reduce light spread. Make sure outdoor light is directed downward and use minimally. And consider using window markings.

Make the Twin Cities more bird-friendly

Cradling the Mississippi River on either side, the Twin Cities are a critical, yet hazardous, resting place for migrating birds. An estimated 40 million birds migrated through the Mississippi River …

A rain barrel collects roof runoff so you can save the rainwater for later use. Reroute downspouts away from pavement and onto grass, a rain barrel or a rain garden. (Photo courtesy of the University of Minnesota Extension)

A watershed moment

What is a watershed? What is our local watershed called? Where does it begin and end? What is the largest watershed in the U.S.? According to board chair of the League of …

Update on Hiawatha Golf Course

The MPRB began and supported several small but impactful projects at Hiawatha Golf Course while funding for a more comprehensive design effort was secured. Osprey Trash Boom System …

‘Just the Facts with Steve Ballmer’ Shares Government Data on Energy & the Environment, and Economy

(BPT) - USAFacts, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic organization founded by former Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, is launching the next set of PSAs in a six-part series — these will focus on …

What if your pets' steps could create renewable energy?

(BPT) - Does your dog run crazy-eights? Does your cat get midnight madness? Of course, any of your pets can get the zoomies, or, maybe they simply follow you around the house all day in hopes of a …

New round of federal grants injects billions into rural renewable energy projects

The Daily Yonder reports on a new round of federal funding and its focus on communities across the country with fewer than 10,000 residents.

The Importance of Clean School Transportation

(Family Features) Across the country, more than 1.3 million children ride to school each day in school buses, most of which are powered by diesel and produce harmful emissions.

One city's unique bike giveaway program is a win for mobility justice

Next City reports that by giving free bikes to those most in need, the Bike Chicago program has proven a powerful strategy to grow active transportation.

New big storm is headed for the Caribbean: What meteorologists look for in early signs of a future hurricane

Disturbances in the Atlantic may be nothing, or they could be the seeds of a destructive hurricane. NOAA GOES When tropical meteorologists peer at satellite images , they often catch sight of subtle …

Understanding the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Propane School Buses

(Family Features) When diesel school bus fleets are converted to cleaner energy options - like propane - the significant economic and environmental benefits are clear.

Help your home and your energy bill handle summer heat

(BPT) - As summer temperatures rise, what can you do to beat the heat at home? Before lowering the thermostat setting, consider an often-overlooked approach to help your home and your energy budget …

Hail the size of golf balls and even grapefruit? The science of how tiny ice crystals grow dangerously large

Hail the size of grapefruit shattered car windows in Johnson City, Texas, in May 2024. In June, a storm chaser found a hailstone almost as big as a pineapple . Even larger hailstones have been …

Hurricane Beryl’s rapid intensification to Category 5 is alarming: Here’s why more tropical storms are exploding in strength

Hurricane Beryl hit the island of Carriacou, Grenada, on July 1, 2024, with 150 mph sustained winds. NOAA Hurricane Beryl was the latest Atlantic storm to rapidly intensify, growing quickly from …

Is Earth really getting too hot for people to survive? A scientist explains extreme heat and the role of climate change

Many countries have seen extremely hot weather lately, but in most of the inhabited world, it’s never going to get “too hot for people to live here,” especially in relatively dry climates. Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If …

Hurricane forecast points to a dangerous 2024 Atlantic season, with La Niña and a persistently warm ocean teaming up to power fierce storms

If the National Hurricane Center’s early forecast, released May 23, is right, the North Atlantic could see 17 to 25 named storms, eight to 13 hurricanes, and four to seven major hurricanes by the end of November. That’s the highest number of named storms in any NOAA preseason forecast. …

La Niña is coming, raising the chances of a dangerous Atlantic hurricane season – an atmospheric scientist explains this climate phenomenon

One of the big contributors to the record-breaking global temperatures over the past year – El Niño – is nearly gone, and its opposite, La Niña, is on the way. Whether that’s a relief or not depends in part on where you live. …

Rula explains how to cope when you find yourself in a funk.