A species of exotic tick arrived in Ohio in 2021 in such huge numbers that their feeding frenzy on a southeastern farm left three cattle dead of what researchers believe was severe blood loss. Researchers say the pests, known as Asian longhorned ticks, can be as small as a sesame seed. They were first detected in the U.S. .
In a significant setback for environmental efforts in Pennsylvania, a state court recently ruled that a program designed to reduce air pollution from power plants is illegal. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth court struck down a law that would have allowed the state to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a program that aims to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. John Walliser, senior vice president with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, said state leaders still have a constitutional obligation to address climate change and air pollution, despite the court s ruling, and added Pennsylvania participating in RGGI would bring revenue directly back into the state. .
Opposition is growing among hunters and anglers to a proposed road in Alaska s iconic Brooks Range. The state has invested millions in the project, eyeing it as an economic development tool. The Brooks Range extends from Alaska s Arctic into Canada s Yukon. .
Timely and forward-looking are the two terms one Nevada conservation group is using to describe the state s 2023 environmental landscape. The bipartisan infrastructure law and federal clean energy plan has meant some big wins for Nevada, says Christi Cabrera-Georgeson, deputy director with the Nevada Conservation League. They brought what she calls an "unprecedented influx of money" to the state, allowing policymakers to prioritize climate, clean energy, public lands and wildlife. .
Olympic swimmer turned environmental activist Merle Liivand has seen a rise in plastic waste while navigating the Intracoastal canals of South Florida over the years and has decided to take action. Liivand actively participates in cleanup efforts alongside environmental groups and has grown frustrated by the amount of plastic waste discarded by people. She is encouraging people to do better and said it could be as simple as avoiding the use of materials containing microbeads which are banned by federal law as additives in toothpaste and facial cleansers yet allowed in other personal care products even in makeup. .