Currents

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."

Around the world, builders, artists and communities at large are coming up with innovative ways to turn recycled materials into usable works of art.

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.

The 62-mile Lower Owens River in California had all but disappeared 95 years ago. But a restoration project that began in 2006—the largest of its kind—has brought the river back , complete with cottonwood and willow trees and bobcats, minks and great horned owls.

Smog is more than just a health hazard for the elderly and asthmatic. The latest research suggests living near a busy roadway with higher-than-average smog may be linked to lower IQ scores and other health impacts in developing newborns.