Hoosiers could get their holiday trees from any of about 200 tree farms in the state, according to the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association. But some families choose artificial trees, and each choice comes with environmental consequences. Delaney Barber, energy and climate manager for the Hoosier Environmental Council, said live trees help store carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but when they are disposed of, that process creates carbon. .
Bloomington and Indianapolis are getting some international recognition for the work they re doing to help the environment. The two have been named "A List Cities" by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. Only 119 cities and counties worldwide got A List designation this year, for "bold leadership on environmental action" and transparency about their plans. .
The Arizona Governor s Office of Resilience and industry leaders discussed clean energy investments in the state at Honeywell s facility in Phoenix Monday. The event highlighted the partnership between the public and private sectors and how federal funds can be leveraged to continue making investments in renewable energy sources across Arizona, made available through the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Blaise Caudill, energy policy adviser to Arizona Gov. .
Wildlife advocates are pushing back on a bill in Congress which would remove federal wilderness protections from some Montana land. There are currently 44 Wilderness Study Areas, making up a million acres of Montana s wildest prairies, river breaks, deep forests and mountain peaks in all corners of the state. Experts agreed they provide unparalleled wildlife habitat, clean air and water. .
A Virginia group is working out ways to reforest former mines across Appalachia. The state has several hundred thousand acres of mine land, which was being handled under the Virginia Department of Energy s Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program. But other groups feel reforesting mine lands can play a role in reducing global carbon levels. .