Environment

Gardening is a good shelter in place family activity

Most Alabamians have been sheltering in place now for over four weeks. Schools will not actually open again until August, if then, and the grocery stores are still struggling to keep up with demand. There is no spring baseball, softball, or soccer and the fall football and cheering seasons might not happen if the lockdown … Continued

April 14, 2020

Alabama’s drinking water is safe during COVID-19 crisis, ADEM Director Says

Alabama’s drinking water is safe, so there’s no need to hoard cases of bottled water during the coronavirus crisis, according to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. “With so many things Alabamians have to worry about – their jobs, social distancing, the welfare of loved ones, gathering food and other necessities – the safety of … Continued

March 30, 2020

Department of Conservation says most state parks will stay open

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said last week that most of their outdoor facilities remain open for recreation. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ADCNR has made a number of temporary changes to its business operations for the safety of its employees and the general public. The changes will be in effect … Continued

March 23, 2020

Democrats reject coronovirus bill, saying more is needed for working people

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, said he voted Sunday evening against moving forward a $1.6 trillion emergency rescue package during a procedural vote because it doesn’t go far enough to help working people who need relief the most. “We need a strong, bipartisan package that directly assists our workers, our health care providers, and vulnerable … Continued

March 22, 2020

“It’s their choice. Individual freedom:” Alabama beaches to remain open for now

The Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism president said that the families and college students at Alabama’s beaches this week are there by “individual choice.” As beaches in some parts of Florida closed in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Alabama’s coastline this week remained busy. Photos shared widely on social media show … Continued

March 18, 2020

Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition joins nationwide call for clean fuels, vehicles

Representatives from the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition will join clean transportation leaders from across the nation this week in Washington, D.C., to educate federal policy makers about the need to expand America’s use of transportation alternative fuels, including biofuels, electricity, natural gas, and propane autogas. Altec Industries will also participate in Energy Independence Summit 2020, … Continued

February 11, 2020

Tickets available for Feb. 8 Birmingham climate change dialogue

Organizers of an upcoming event in Birmingham hope those who attend – climate scientists, business and faith leaders, energy sector representatives and the public alike – will engage one another on climate change and discuss what each can do to help. “People have been reluctant to look carefully at solutions, because they’ve been too busy … Continued

January 16, 2020

Alabama taxpayers will pay to defend Trump administration rollback of Endangered Species Act

Alabama taxpayers will pay as much as $30,000 to a Los Angeles law firm to defend President Donald Trump’s substantial weakening of the Endangered Species Act, according to state records. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall led a coalition of 13 states in the Dec. 9 filing in a California district court in defense of the … Continued

January 9, 2020

Hunters reminded to report deer they kill

This week thousands of Alabama deer hunters will be in the woods seeking to put meat in the freezer or that trophy that will be mounted on the wall of the family home for the next fifty years. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is reminding hunters to report the deer that they … Continued

January 2, 2020

A look back at APR’s coverage of climate change in 2019

APR began covering climate change during the summer of 2019, and in that time we looked closer at its impacts on Alabama and elsewhere, what’s being done to address them and the problems people have simply discussing climate change. Here’s a closer look at what we’ve learned in the last five months. We started our … Continued

December 31, 2019