Easton, MD, May 06, 2009 — On Capitol Hill, there's growing momentum for legislation called "Cash for Clunkers." In fact, there are several bills circulating in Congress and the details are in flux. But the general idea is to use tax dollars to encourage people to trade their old gas guzzling clunker for a new fuel efficient car. The hope is to help the slumping auto industry and the environment at the same time. Tamara Keith gives the environmental claims a test drive.  Go to full article

Havana, IL, May 01, 2009 — The St. Lawrence River is one of the best places in the world to fish for carp. But few anglers would think to eat them. Out in the Midwest, there are rivers flush with a species of carp that shouldn't be there in the first place. The Asian Carp is one of the Great Lakes most aggressive and damaging invasive species, pushing out native fish. There are entrepreneurs who dream of getting rid of Asian carp by turning them into food. Shawn Allee looks at what they've cooked up and whether it could do any good.  Go to full article

Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 30, 2009 — The current swine flu outbreak was first detected in a region of Mexico with large confined animal feeding operations, factory farms. Many environmentalists wonder if there's a connection. Lester Graham reports.  Go to full article

Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 21, 2009 — Clean water rules dating back to the 1970s have made dramatic differences in the health of US waterways. But there's increasing recognition of a new threat - one that's traced back not to big industrial plants, but to household drains. The drugs we take are showing up in our drinking water, and they're showing up in fish. The federal government's now saying that in most cases, you should never flush unused drugs down the drain. There are safer ways to dispose of them. But even if you want to do the right thing, it's not always easy. Rebecca Williams takes a look at what you should and should not do with your medications.  Go to full article

Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 17, 2009 — Chances are, you haven't bought a new car this year. Auto sales are down across the board, including in the small car and electric-gas hybrid markets. Now some dealers and automakers are proposing a way to move some of those more fuel efficient cars: increase the gas tax. Samara Freemark explains why the same people who sell cars might want to make driving them more expensive.  Go to full article

Skykomish, WA, Apr 15, 2009 — Back in February, President Obama proposed $150 billion to employ people in "green collar jobs," The idea was to create jobs that benefited the environment. But he also wanted to boost the economy. A ski resort wanted to go one step ahead. So it hired a new employee to help its 2,500 acres "go green." Irene Noguchi reports.  Go to full article

Apr 09, 2009 — Carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming are driving power companies to a decision. They can move away from burning coal altogether or they can work on technology to eliminate their CO2 emissions someday. While they're making that decision, some of the nation's oldest, dirtiest coal-burning power plants still run. In the final part of our series on the future of coal, Shawn Allee looks at why they billow dangerous air pollution -- stuff most people think we cleaned up long ago.  Go to full article

Detroit, MI, Apr 08, 2009 — President Obama wants the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that contribute to global warming. Congress is considering a carbon cap-and-trade program. Lester Graham reports on what that will mean to coal-burning industries and your power bill.  Go to full article

St. Louis, MO, Apr 07, 2009 — Coal has a reputation as a sooty, dirty fuel. More recently, environmentalists and the coal industry alike have become just as worried about the carbon dioxide released when coal is burned. In the third part of our series on the future of coal, Matt Sepic of the Environment Report has this look at the science behind so-called "clean coal".  Go to full article

Mattoon, IL, Apr 06, 2009 — The coal industry got hit with expensive pollution restrictions almost two decades ago. Now, the government's considering putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming. Coal companies think they have a technological solution in a test project called FutureGen. In the second part of our series on the future of coal, The Environment Report's Shawn Allee looks at why they have such high hopes for it.  Go to full article