The Allegheny Front for the week of
August 8-14, 2014
Algae Causes Toxic Drinking Water, Call to Action
Toxic tap water in Toledo was no surprise to researchers who monitor Lake Erie. The international community has been calling on Ohio and other Great Lake states to reduce the amount of phosphorus running off farms and from wastewater treatment plants into the lake. They're hopeful that now that call will be heard.
ICYMI: 4 Shale Stories on Transparency and More
A shale standards center accused of greenwashing. Pennsylvania slaps Chevron, and itself, after fatal well explosion. A utility moves to build pipeline. Transparency about fracking chemicals remains elusive.
Blaming Climate Change for Pests in PA Forests
By some estimates, forests can absorb 24 percent of man-made carbon dioxide emissions a year. To get those climate benefits, many experts say forests need to be well-managed—against droughts, bugs and invasive plants. But climate change is making these problems worse.
Teen Birder on Warblers, Travel and Blogging
Pittsburgher Aidan Place is an established birder at just 15 years old. It all started on his family's sheep farm in Greene County. Now the teen blogs about his birding trips around the state, country and world.
Doctor: Climate Instability Shakes Mental Health
For psychiatric doctor Steven Moffic, the health risks from climate instability and other abrupt environmental shifts include post-traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse, autism, and something called "solastalgia."