Environment
Drummond Coal Won’t Renew Shepherd Bend Mine Permit
Drummond Company Inc., a global leader in coal production and one of the largest private companies in the U.S., has faced controversy ever since it received a permit to mine coal at Shepherd Bend, an area close to an intake for Birmingham’s drinking water supply. Many groups and consumers, worried about toxins and chemicals reaching the water, […]
Birmingham Awarded 3-Star Sustainability Certification
Birmingham was awarded a three star rating by the STAR Communities on Friday. STAR stands for "Sustainability tools for assessing and rating communities." In a ceremony at UAB, Mayor William Bell addressed the crowd about his vision for a sustainable Birmingham. But, as the weekly newspaper WELD reports, the city still has a ways to go. Nick Patterson, the editor of WELD joins WBHM to explain where the city needs to show some improvement.
Home Energy Efficiency
It's cold outside... and maybe inside, if your house isn't properly insulated. Home energy efficiency is a big issue and a new study gives Alabama high marks - and low marks - for how the state handles it. WBHM's Tanya Ott has our story.
Alabama Organic Agriculture
In the United States, sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to nearly $25 billion in 2009. There are five million certified organic acres in the U.S.. But you won't find many in Alabama because, as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, a combination of cultural and market forces means this state has the fewest certified organic farms per-capita in the country.
Northern Beltline: Environmental Impact
Birmingham's Northern Beltline has been in the planning stages for decades. But there's a renewed sense of urgency to get the multi-billion dollar project moving forward. The Alabama Department of Transportation has said it could issue the first contracts by the end of this year. But as Tanya Ott reports environmental concerns could put the brakes on the project, at least temporarily.
C-FISH Program Aims to Help Charter Boats Rebound
Salt water fishing is a $226 million a year business in Alabama. But the industry took a serious blow after last year's Deep Water Horizon oil spill. As the 2011 fishing season kicks off this month, many charter boat captains aren't sure how they'll fare. Some of them are pinning their hopes on a new educational program called C-Fish.
John Davis Treks East for Wildlife Conservation
There's nothing more enjoyable than a walk in the park, but what about a walk through several parks? Or better yet, what about a walk through several states? Not many people would take on such a long on a trek, but that's exactly what one man is doing.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Gulf Fish Numbers Up
Since the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, marine scientists have come upon a surprising finding: more fish. Researchers at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab report dramatic increases in some species. But the seafood industry is responding to the news with a wave of skepticism.
Alabama and The Oil Spill: GM to Recycle Booms into Chevy Volt
As oil spill cleanup continues along the Gulf coast, one of the big questions is what to do with oil-soaked booms. Clean-up crews deployed about 100 miles of booms along the Alabama and Louisiana coast. Environmental groups worry those used booms could end up in landfills. But General Motors has announced plans to repurpose the booms as parts for its new electric hybrid car.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Environmental Justice
This week, environmental leaders from across the country will meet in Washington for the White House Environmental Justice Forum and the BP Gulf Oil Spill will be front and center.
Rent-a-Goat Business Takes Off
What do you do when you've got a large tract of land that's overgrown with weeds and brush? You could bring in big lawnmowers and bushhogs. But if you don't want the carbon dioxide they spew into the air, you might consider something a little more low-key: renting goats.
E-Recycling
You recycle, right? Of course you do! But what about that "less-than-smart-phone" you just replaced with the latest model? What about those batteries in the clock? Sometimes it's hard to know what to do with electronic gizmos, but as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports some e-recycling is up dramatically in the south.
WBHM Partners on Gulf Coast Consortium to Cover Oil Spill
WBHM is partnering with public media outlets across the Gulf Coast region to create the Gulf Coast Consortium, a multi-media project to expand reporting on the Gulf oil spill.
Conservation: The Behavior Gap
What are you doing to help the environment? Have you ditched the plastic water bottles and carry a reusable one instead. Maybe you bike to work a couple days a week. According to a recent study, there's sometimes a big gap between what we say we should do and what we actually do.
Oil Spill and Hair Sausages
Many of us watch the coverage of the BP Oil Spill and wonder: What can we do to help? Some people are traveling to the Gulf region to volunteer. But others who can't make the trip are getting creative with hair?
New EPA Sulfur Dioxide Rules
Next week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will release much-anticipated new rules limiting sulfur dioxide in the air. When sulfur dioxide spews from smoke stacks and diesel engines it can cause acid rain. But that's just the beginning of the problem.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Seafood Safety
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is looming over the seafood industry. Early tests don't show substantial chemical contamination of Gulf seafood. But officials have closed many fishing grounds. And that means we're going to see more imported seafood in the coming months. But as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, some people question the safety of those imports.
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Hurricane Season
Hurricane season starts in just a few weeks, and experts say it's going to be an active year. What happens if a tropical storm hits while there's still oil in the gulf waters?
Alabama and the Oil Spill: Protecting the Beaches
BP continues to try to stop the flow from the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil has already come ashore in Louisiana. And other coastal communities are scrambling to prepare. As WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, volunteers in Alabama are taking some low-tech steps to protect the shore.
The Oil Spill & Alabama
Governor Bob Riley and Alabama's cabinet heads are working on plans to deal with the massive oil spill that threatens to come ashore this weekend. When an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana exploded last week, gulf coast officials knew they had a problem on their hands. But it's worse than they originally thought.
US 280: The Environmental Perspective
All this week on Morning Edition/All Things Considered we're examining the state's proposed elevated toll road for U.S. 280. Yesterday we talked with someone from the Birmingham Business Alliance, one of the plan's biggest cheerleaders. Today, we hear from Gil Rogers, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
Seagrass Beds in Crisis
Alabama is losing sea grass beds at an alarming rate, according to researchers at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. A new aerial survey indicates that Mobile Bay lost nearly 1,400 acres of sea grass in recent years. That comes on top of significant grass losses over the last quarter century.
Southern Environmentalism
When Forbes Magazine ranked states by their "greenness" the usual suspects topped the list - Vermont, Oregon, and Washington, all progressive states known for their environmental movements. Seven out of the ten "least green" states were in the South, the land of coal mines and timber plots. But as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports there's a growing environmental movement down south and some of its members might surprise you.
Restoring Wetlands on Farmlands
Hundreds of years ago the Mississippi Delta was covered with hardwood forests that could withstand seasonal flooding. In the early 20th century, levvies and dams were installed to drain land for row crops. Some of that land has since been turned back into wetlands, and a new study tracks how that's effected wildlife.
Greening the Greens
This time of year golf might be the farthest thing from your mind. But during the off-season golf course managers get to strategize how to best treat their million dollar turf. Some golf courses have a bad rap with environmentalists. But as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports there's a budding green movement in the golf industry.
Estrogen Contamination in Waterways
A recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey confirms past findings that fish are in trouble. They're turning up with lesions and intersexed, meaning they have both male and female characteristics. What does this mean for humans?
Tri-State Water Wars: Atlanta
It's called "the economic engine of the South". Atlanta, Georgia's population has exploded in the last two decades. But with that growth come environmental problems... like where to get enough drinking water. Georgia, Florida and Alabama have been fighting over who gets how much water from rivers that flow through the states. And as Tanya Ott reports a decision in the federal lawsuit could effect communities across the country.
Global Warming & National Parks
A new report warns that U.S. National Parks could be devastated by global warming. The report identifies 25 national parks, lakeshores, seashores and monuments most at risk from warming temperatures, rising sea levels and retreating snow.
Coal Ash Controversy
Every day for the rest of the year, a long train will travel through Birmingham on its way from a power plant in Tennessee to a landfill in Uniontown, Alabama. Tim Lennox has our report on the controversy the muck on board that train is causing in Alabama's Black Belt.
Birmingham: A Hub for Green Building
Green Building is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy right now. A lot of federal stimulus money is focused on weatherization and alternative energy. And James Smith believes Birmingham can be the sustainability hub of the Southeast. Smith is President and CEO of Green Building Focus. He's gathered internationally-recognized sustainability experts in Birmingham this week for a Green Building Conference.
My City Was Gone
Have an unexplained phenomenon, unusual behavior or an unexpected baby boom? You can always declare, "There must be something in the water." But for the Anniston community, this is not simply an innocuous cliche. Dumping decades ago by the Monsanto corporation has left Anniston with elevated levels of PCBs, a chemical banned since the 70s, but blamed for high rates of cancer and birth defects in the east Alabama town. Public outrage culminated in a legal settlement about 5 years ago which approached $800 million. Journalist Dennis Love followed the case in his book "My City Was Gone." The Anniston native spoke with WBHM's Andrew Yeager.
Air Quality: Portland
This week we've been talking about Birmingham's air quality: why it's bad on some days and the effect of particle pollutants on your health. We've looked at possible solutions, including 'smart traffic lights' and vehicle emissions testing. Today, we turn our focus to Portland, Oregon, which might seem like a strange choice. But a decade ago that city faced air quality problems like Birmingham's. Reporter Barbara Bernstein explains how Portland turned things around and what new challenges it faces.
