Currents

The first bill on toxic substances since the 1970s was introduced to the House last Wednesday.

For anyone still wondering if hydraulic fracturing or "fracking"—a means of extracting natural gas by injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure underground to break through rock—is safe, a new video called "Stand Up New York!" offers a quick tutorial.

Last week, General Electric announced their $200 million Ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid.

In the hope of getting some form of energy legislation passed before the Senate recess in August, a scaled-back energy bill is being pushed by Senate Democrats and the White House.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fallen far behind in one of its most important responsibilities: to protect the American public from toxic air pollutants.

Great Lakes officials are calling for government intervention as Asian Carp have been found in the Wabash River which leads to Lake Erie. Another live carp was found in the Chicago area waterway system in late June—just outside Lake Michigan. The spawning population of invasive, voracious fish could drastically affect the natural habitat of the Great Lakes and prove disastrous for local fishing industries.

New data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows that ice in the Arctic Sea melted at record numbers for the month of June.

Most people are afraid to share the water with sharks. But not the scuba divers who make a point of seeking them out. Instead, they call the sharks they encounter "graceful," "compelling," even "beautiful."

Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving legislator in U.S. history, died June 28 at age 92 due to serious illness. With Byrd’s death come a number of other issues for the Senate, including the uncertain fate of the climate bill.

Black Hawk, Colorado is the first town in the U.S. to ban bicycle use on most streets.