Two men in a small motorboat, one sitting and one standing, fish on a still lake with the forested shoreline visible behind them.

SHOR Act on the rocks

Fishing advisory bill stalls two years in a row Continue reading SHOR Act on the rocks

southernsciencenewsMarch 23, 2024April 28, 20241 Comment

A man wades in a shallow creek with a sampling cup, gloves and a backpack.

New PFAS testing shows ‘forever’ chemicals throughout Coosa River basin

Expanded testing sets baseline understanding for education, advocacy on PFAS chemicals. Continue reading New PFAS testing shows ‘forever’ chemicals throughout Coosa River basin

southernsciencenewsMarch 5, 2024March 5, 20241 Comment

A young Black girl sits on a kayak looking away from the camera, out over the water, with her paddle resting across her lap. She's wearing a life jacket. In the background, several other kayaks are visible.

Environment in the classroom

Program teaches kids about science, justice in Africatown by Sydney Cromwell Healing gardens. Sea kayaks. Drone soccer. They’re all part of STEMMing the Tide, a project that aims to change school curriculum and get middle schoolers engaged in science and environmental issues — right in the midst of a community that has faced some of the greatest environmental injustices in Alabama. ‘LOST IN THE PIPELINE’ … Continue reading Environment in the classroom

southernsciencenewsFebruary 14, 2024February 14, 20241 Comment

A row of wooden pews with stained glass and columns visible in the background.

Faith for the future

Religious climate activists focus on energy, justice in the Southeast by Sydney Cromwell Climate anxiety. Crisis fatigue. Whatever you call it, spend enough time thinking and reading about the realities — and the immediacy — of climate change, and it’s easy to let it get you down. For Rhoda Vanderhart, a Mobile resident and one of the founders of Gulf Coast Creation Care, that moment … Continue reading Faith for the future

southernsciencenewsJanuary 13, 2024March 12, 20253 Comments

Two people in waders and high-visibility clothes stand on the bank of a large puddle in the middle of a forest. The sun is low on the horizon behind the hills.

An entire world in a puddle

Researchers study relationships between wetlands, microbes, greenhouse gasses by Sydney Cromwell Every ecosystem has its own life cycle, its own rhythms. Few, though, are as changeable as the small wetlands scattered across the Tanglewood Biological Station, south of Tuscaloosa. In dry seasons, these tiny wetlands — some less than an acre in size — seem to disappear entirely, their waters absorbed into the ground or … Continue reading An entire world in a puddle

southernsciencenewsNovember 27, 20232 Comments

From the right side of the image, a road of black ash travels toward a pile of ash in the background, with tracks from large vehicle tires visible. Around the road and the pile is barren dirt.

EPA considers denying Alabama’s coal ash permit program

ADEM program shows “a consistent pattern of deficiencies,” EPA says Continue reading EPA considers denying Alabama’s coal ash permit program

southernsciencenewsAugust 4, 2023August 4, 20231 Comment

An electric power plant with three red-and-white-striped smokestacks, sits on the bank of Mobile River, which is brown and cloudy.

The burning problem

Will new coal ash regulations make Alabama safer? Continue reading The burning problem

southernsciencenewsJune 28, 2023August 4, 20233 Comments

Two researchers kneel in a field of brown stalks of harvested soybeans. The grad student, on the right, is wearing a netted hood similar to a beekeeper's suit, and the professor, on the left, is wearing everyday clothes

Climate-centered thinking

Alabama A&M researchers study agricultural influencers of climate change, carbon emissions Continue reading Climate-centered thinking

southernsciencenewsMarch 1, 2023May 4, 2023Leave a comment

A pile of logs and other trash lying on bare dirt, with smoke rising off of it. Construction equipment to move dirt on top of the fire is visible in the background.

What to know about the Moody landfill fire

EPA cleanup underway, but air quality concerns continue Continue reading What to know about the Moody landfill fire

southernsciencenewsFebruary 8, 2023February 8, 20232 Comments

The shoreline of Little River. There is no wind or visible current, so the trees on the far shore are reflected nearly perfectly.

When ‘forever’ is everywhere

Samples show PFAS chemicals throughout state waterways Continue reading When ‘forever’ is everywhere

southernsciencenewsJanuary 21, 2023May 4, 20233 Comments

Southern Science

Covering science research, issues and advocacy in Alabama.

Tag: water quality