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Byline: Justin Nobel It is the middle of March in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Donnie Batie, M.D., has lost one of his closest relatives-his wife's sister Gertie. There will be [...]

Last July, a Russian helicopter pilot had nearly completed a record-breaking trip around the globe when he crashed into the icy waters of the Arctic Circle. Stuck on a slab [...]

Byline: Justin Nobel As dusk falls in central Louisiana's Cajun country, 57-year-old Michael Thomas, in a white V-neck T-shirt and tan Saints cap, smokes a cigarette in the orange glow [...]

Byline: Justin Nobel It's a summer Thursday, happy hour at Lee's Bar in downtown Rugby, North Dakota, and as millions of Americans prepare for a weekend at the beach, 54-year-old [...]

Today BP penalty funds flowing to the region provide an enormous opportunity to not only repair environmental damages from that disaster, but also help restore a long-suffering Gulf Coast. This fact is often forgotten, but just weeks before the spill, President Obama announced a proposal to allow offshore drilling in sections of the Atlantic Seaboard, eastern Gulf, and north Alaskan coast. TEN YEARS AGO, WHILE REPORTING ON THE BP oil spill, I fell hard for the Gulf Coast. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the health risks associated with the radioactive wastes being produced by the oil and gas industry. Topics explored include the radioactive contamination of tanks and trucks being used in the said industry, the investigation into the environmental hazards of oil and gas waste spillage, and the cancers which may be attributed to the occupational exposure of industry workers such as pipe cleaners and welders to radioactivity.

Highlights from the article: Just now in Maine, Portland typically tops the list of best cities with "great restaurants, scenery, and schools", writes Marina Schauffler of the Portland Press Herald. However, she notes, "The city's bustling Old Port, much of it built on fill, is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise and storm surge" and "parts of the gateway Bayside neighborhood are even lower in elevation than the Maine State Pier along Portland's waterfront". Keenan has studied the impact of climate change on cities around the world, notably Copenhagen, Hong Kong, and Miami. Iqaluit is well positioned to take advantage of a climate change-inspired push north.

The article discusses politics in West Virginia with a focus on the primary campaign for the U.S. Senate of populist Paula Jean Swearengin against Democratic legislator Joe Manchin. Emphasis is also given to topics including the health and environmental impacts of mountain-top-removal coal mining, the candidacy of Don Blankenship, a Republican and formerly incarcerated person, and the dangers posed by the impoundment and containment of coal-slurry.

The article discusses the author's claim that Washington, D.C. is not prepared to handle a major hurricane as of 2017, and it mentions the impact that a hurricane could have on the American federal government and national security. The damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida is addressed, along with the possibility that a large hurricane could cripple the government agencies that are designed to protect the U.S. The Potomac River and the dangers associated with flooding and heavy rainfall are assessed. Flood-proofing procedures are also mentioned.

The article focuses on funds from Deepwater Horizon oil spill used for financing unprecedented restoration along the cost in Louisiana. Topics include creation of detailed restoration agenda by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) formed in 2005 in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita , views of Governor John Bel Edwards, importance of restoring barrier islands, and the project the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion building gated structure into west bank of the Mississippi.

The article discusses the environmental activism of residents of Grant Township, Pennsylvania, against the proposed construction by Pennsylvania General Energy of an injection well for fracking wastewater. Emphasis is given to topics such as approval of the well by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the activism of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, and the potential contamination of drinking water.

The article discusses the ecological aspects of Louisiana river delta, focusing on aging of the ecosystem of the delta, and mentions ecological succession in the Wax Lake Delta, and presents views of ecologist Robert Twilley on the same.

LAND: SANDBONI Aka, the Cherrington Beach Cleaner. The metal wedge of this machine lifts several inches of sand onto a screen that sifts tar balls and oiled debris. SEA: HEAVY-OIL-RECOVERY [...]

The article discusses the attempt of Austrian-Canadian auto parts tycoon Frank Stronach to create an agrarian refuge for the displaced urban poor after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Topics covered include the project's goal to make it easier for residents to produce their own food and the financial commitment by Stronach's auto parts manufacturing firm Magna International.

This article focuses on Rugby, a farming town in North Dakota located 45 miles from the Canadian border. Topics discussed include the indifference by residents of Rugby to the sea, their reputation as among the healthiest people in America, and the celebration by Rugby resident Inez Blessum Thorstenson of her 103 birthday in June 2015. Mentioned also is a study by Iowa State University gerontologist Peter Martin which examined the lifestyles of 152 Iowa centenarians in rural towns.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of watching a storm drain spewing out salt water in Miami Beach, Florida. INSETS: FOLLOW THE SOLAR BRICK ROAD;GREENER PASTURES.

The article discusses a study of the Green Heron, one of the many marsh birds in the Audubon's Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary in Louisiana. Topics covered include a description of the bird's nesting and feeding habits, their migration patterns and issues that may threaten the survivability of the birds.

An essay is presented on the so-called Atomic City in Idaho's Lost River desert and the factors that caused the nuclear accident in the area on January 3, 1961. It says that the disaster was caused by the explosion of a nuclear reactor which killed three men in the Stationary Low-Power Plant Number I (SL-I). It notes that the design of the reactor was also linked to occurrence of the accident.

A blog from reporter Justin Nobel on the adverse affect of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on marshes and beaches, birds and mammals, as well as the people living in the area is presented.

The article discusses how Mike Clements, a telescope enthusiast built an amateur telescope and his inspiration behind it.It tells us how Clements developed interest in Telescope making after visiting the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and how he built his first telescope from a toilet-paper tube and his father's eyeglasses.He then built the world's largest amateur telescope which is thirty-five feet tall, weighs four thousand pounds and consists of 70-inch mirror.

The article focuses on throat boxing, a music combination between the traditional Inuit throat singing and beat boxing. It notes that throat singing songs are not lyric-driven narratives but more on the ancient codes wherein some are secretly uttered and turned deep into the core. It also highlights the performance of thirty-four-year-old singer Tanya Tagaq at the Lincoln Center in New York City and the Youtube video of Nelson Tagoona that have exemplified how far the Inuit music has come.

The article offers a brief profile of Bren Smith, founder of the GreenWave sustainable seafood farm in Connecticut. Emphasis is given to topics such as the farming of edible sea plants, the redesign of his aquaculture infrastructure in the wake of hurricanes, and the establishment of a network of farms through GreenWave's 3D ocean-farm development program.

The article profiles Kate Orff, founder of SCAPE Studios, a landscape-architecture and urban design firm, dealing with topics including her projects in locations including Lexington, Kentucky, and Brooklyn, New York City, and SCAPE's work restoring polluted waterways.

The article reports on TogetherGreen, a new initiative created by Audubon with support from Toyota, is giving grants totaling $1.4 million to 41 projects in 24 states. These funds, the first awarded for the five-year, $20 million initiative, support proposals that address local environmental problems and engage residents. According to John Flicker, National Audubon's president, the TogetherGreen projects may seem small, but they can make a significant difference.