Environment

This month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is flying an airborne research lab over oil and gas producing states.

In Indonesia, efforts are underway to grow palms in a sustainable way. But that's putting a squeeze on small farmers.

More than 50 tons of dead fish have been removed from a Rio de Janeiro lagoon slated to host Olympic events. Specialists blame algae blooms but water quality has been a concern for Olympic organizers.

The Forest Service is set to open more than 80,000 acres for clean, renewable geothermal power in Washington state. But environmentalists are worried about damage to streams and old-growth forests.

City officials in Burlington are closely monitoring a local waterway after 20,000 gallons of sewer waste spilled into a creek over the weekend.

Researchers at Purdue are using software to mine tweets for data that can help warn that a dangerous storm is approaching. But the data may not always be reliable and analyzing it can be tricky.

The relentless drought has turned almonds into a target for water conservationists who bemoan that it takes one gallon of water to grow one almond. Growers say the bad rap is unfair and misleading.

Desalination facilities are under construction across California that would make ocean water drinkable. Environmentalists debate whether more plants would only worsen long-term water issues.

Golf courses are water hogs, and that thirst is especially notable as California's drought grows in severity. At Pelican Hill, a top golf course near Los Angeles, water conservation is an obsession.