The Allegheny Front

As cities try to reduce emissions, getting more people to adopt solar energy is key. Community-owned solar projects could be a solution. Some operators want to extend the lives of coal plants because of increased energy demand. President-elect Trump has endorsed relaxing regulations that could help do this. Farmers are doing everything they can to prevent a bird flu outbreak in Pennsylvania.

Plus, could climate polluters face criminal charges in Pennsylvania for causing or risking a catastrophe? Suicide prevention in rural areas is a focus at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and how ice jams cause flooding.

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support.

Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed.

Donate today.

Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.

And thanks!

A well pad explosion in Ohio has caused some local communities to worry about the safety of oil and gas. What does the Farm Bill have to do with climate change? A bid to sell U.S. Steel to a Japanese company gets shot down by President Biden. What does it mean for air quality in the region? A new state program that aims to save schools money through solar energy is open for applications. States have begun rolling out new federally funded rebates to help households pay for energy efficiency upgrades and electric appliances. However, the programs are in limbo in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. A renowned geoscientist and Penn State professor is one of this year's recipients for the National Medal of Science.

And, Congress approved an extension of the Farm Bill in December but has yet to pass a new five-year version. Pennsylvania's state amphibian, the Eastern hellbender, could soon get federal protections. Vultures have a bad reputation, but a bird lover says they're worth a second look.

Happy New Year from everyone here at The Allegheny Front!

Thank you to all who donated during our end-of-the-year campaign. While we didn't quite meet our goal of $15,000, it's never too late to donate. And when you do, you become a member of The Allegheny Front - you'll get invites to chats with our reporters and members-only updates from our team.

Best of all, you'll be supporting independent journalism that's reporting on environmental issues impacting our communities across the region. We appreciate the support!

Donate today.

Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.

This week's episode:

Our favorite stories from 2024. Potato chips are getting more expensive--is climate change part of the reason? A new book out this year looks at radioactivity in the oil and gas industry, and its impacts on workers. The largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania closed. For some, it's been hard to accept. We'll revisit Homer City. And the effort to build a nearly 50-mile loop of trails in Rothrock State Forest in Centre and Huntingdon Counties got a boost from the state.

Hi podcast listeners! We only have just a few days left to raise $15,000.

Every dollar matters. Take action today to keep your community informed in 2025.

Give now and your donation will be doubled for double the impact.

Donate today.

Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.

And thanks!

This week's episode:

Twenty-five million people live in the Ohio River watershed, and some don't have clean water to drink. A report out earlier this year is one step in the effort to get federal funding to restore the Ohio and its communities. A kayak tour this summer on the Allegheny River had a unique twist: participants also made art together. The author of a book about deer and our sometimes complicated relationship with them says she developed a sort of gratitude for the animals. A Pittsburgh environmental activist celebrated a milestone this year for the grassroots lecture series she founded 12 years ago.

We only have 1 more week to raise $15,000. Right now, we're not quite half way through!

Every dollar matters. It helps us pay our journalists to travel the region to produce the stories on pressing environmental issues that you come to expect. It helps us pay for the technology to edit and mix our stories and podcast, host our podcast and keep our website updated.

Take action today to keep your community informed in 2025. Give now and your donation will be doubled for double the impact.

Donate today.

Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.

And thanks!

This week's episode:

The general public's views on climate change in Sweden aren't that different from those in the U.S. So why are Sweden's climate policies so much more advanced? It's the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, but even today, not everyone benefits equally. Plus, we head out on a winter tree ID walk.

Also, heading home for the holidays by plane could mean a lot of climate pollution. Penn State has entered into an agreement with the PA Department of Environmental Protection over the presence of PFAS at the State College Regional Airport, and how to keep your home comfortable as temperatures drop.

We're more than halfway through our end-of-the-year fundraiser. Between now and December 31st, we hope to raise $15,000 to help fund our work in the year ahead.

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support.

Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. All donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar to double your impact.

Donate today.

Or send us a check to: The Allegheny Front, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, 15203.

And thanks!

Companies in Sweden are beginning to make steel without fossil fuels. Can it work in the US, which still relies on coal? A holiday shopping guide aims to make it easier to choose refurbished electronics to fulfill your gift list, It's December and that means migrant crows set up winter roosts in cities.

Also, PennEnergy will pay a $2 million civil penalty, and reduce pollution from its facilities, in a proposed settlement with the Justice Department. The Mountain Valley Pipeline has had more issues with erosion control. An energy company with facilities in Turtle Creek, in Allegheny County, just got a boost from the U.S. Department of Energy. More than $3 million in new federal funds will help conserve trout streams in the mountainous areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York in the first tri-state initiative of its kind in the Delaware River watershed. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is about to take flight.

We're more than halfway through our end-of-the-year fundraiser. Between now and December 31st, we hope to raise $15,000 to help fund our work in the year ahead.

We're independent and non-profit, and we don't get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support.

Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed. All donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar to double your impact.

Donate today. And thanks!

This week's show:

Steel is a major contributor to climate change. Companies in Sweden are starting to solve this problem by making steel with renewable energy. Some cooks ditch their gas stoves for induction cooking because of air quality and energy use. This summer two chicks of a bird species that hasn't successfully bred in Pennsylvania for over 60 years flew from their nest.

Also, human-caused climate change increased damaging wind speeds for every hurricane in 2024. More than 40 million dollars in federal climate money is going to help Pennsylvania farmers. More wildfires have burned in Pennsylvania this fall than in the traditional spring fire season. Some experts say the storm that dumped 6 feet of snow on Erie, Pennsylvania this week is climate change in action.

Our end-of-the-year campaign is in full swing and with your help, we can raise important funding to keep our independent, nonprofit newsroom strong.

Through Dec. 31st, your monthly donation will be matched 12 times, or your one-time donation will be doubled!

Democracy needs news. News needs you. Will you answer the call?

Donate today. And thanks!

Pennsylvania's trees are facing a multitude of threats including fungus, insects, and worms, like the ones that cause beech leaf disease. American chestnut trees once thrived in our region, but 150 years ago a fungus wiped them out. Researchers and advocates are trying to bring them back, but they disagree on how to do it. Plus, we tag along with a crew trying to save hemlock trees from a sap-sucking invasive pest.

A researcher in Ohio was surrounded by hundreds of dead ash trees that the emerald ash borer, a beetle, had wiped out. But in that same forest, she found a lone tree thriving. Could this tree be the key to saving ash from extinction?

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We just kicked off our end-of-the-year campaign and with your help, we can raise important funding to keep our independent, nonprofit newsroom strong.

Through Dec. 31st, your monthly donation will be matched 12 times, or your one-time donation will be doubled!

Democracy needs news. News needs you. Will you answer the call?

Donate today. And thanks!

The Northeast has faced a record-breaking drought this fall. It's impacting trees, including the ones we put in our homes at Christmas. Most steel is made using coal. A new report says emissions from plants that are part of this traditional steelmaking have serious consequences for public health. A new exhibit looks at the environmental implications of our fashion choices.

Also, there's been a sharp decline in several Pennsylvania bat species from white-nose syndrome. A new federal conservation plan aims to keep development projects from making things worse. ClearWater Conservancy recently received two grants to help pay for its new Community Conservation Center, which will serve as a hub for land conservation and watershed protection in central Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is hopeful a state ban on Sunday hunting will be completely lifted next year. After an explosion at a fracking waste disposal site last year, nearby residents had concerns about impacts on health and the environment.

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Last year the Biden administration tasked federal agencies with considering environmental justice in their decisionmaking. Some say that isn't happening as planning for the seven new hydrogen hubs moves forward nationwide. Water quality in Pennsylvania streams is being hindered by aging dams, many of which are dangerous and obsolete. Climate-related weather like flash floods and extreme heat impacts people experiencing homelessness.

Also, an environmental group wants state regulators to tighten water pollution restrictions on a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh which has released oil into the Monongahela River. Friends of the Riverfront released a new plan for recreation in Pittsburgh's three rivers. PECO, formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company, has agreed to add solar energy to its mix of sources that generate electricity for customers in southeast Pennsylvania.

Help us gear up to hold newly elected officials accountable at the state and federal levels and keep an eye on those in power - by becoming a member with your donation.

All gifts will be doubled through December 31st. Thanks to everyone who has already become a member!