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NPR

Scientists Reach Milestone In Quest For Smart Windows

Smart windows change how much sunlight they let through on a hot day. Such windows could reduce the demand for energy by reducing the need for air conditioning. This quest has been going on for years but it's got years to go before the project becomes a reality.
WAMU 88.5

Virginia Voters Back Chesapeake Bay Restoration Plan

It's unclear whether the Chesapeake Bay will prove a divisive issue in this year's gubernatorial race, but a new poll shows most residents of the commonwealth support current restoration plans.

NPR

Federal Court Says U.S. Must Complete Yucca Mountain Review

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission stopped its review process when the Obama administration ditched the project. The court ruled the move was illegal.
NPR

Why Urban Beekeeping Can Be Bad For Bees

The rise in urban beekeeping could end up resulting in too many bees with too few flowers to feed on, two U.K. scientists warn. That's already the case in London, where the number of urban hives has doubled over the past five years, they say.
WAMU 88.5

Virginia Trash Hauler Promotes Recycling In Innovative Ways

Getting people to recycle more is a simple matter of marketing for one Virginia trash hauler, which uses incentives and a personal touch to get closer to customers.

NPR

Resort Villa Collapses Into Sinkhole Near Disney World

Vacationers staying in central Florida awoke to crashing sounds Sunday night, as their three-story building began to collapse. A large portion of the structure at a resort in Clermont was pulled into a sinkhole. It seems the process was slow enough that everyone in the building got out safely.
NPR

The Algae Is Coming, But Its Impact Is Felt Far From Water

From China's Yellow Sea to the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, agricultural waste in the water system is fueling spectacular algae blooms. The masses of slime cause dead zones in the water and major losses in tourism revenue in affected towns. But the algae fight doesn't begin at the water's edge; it starts in the fields and pastures.
NPR

Wine Waste Finds Sweet Afterlife In Baked Goods

The mushy pile of seeds, skins and stems left over after grapes are pressed used to be one of winemaking's biggest sustainability problems. But instead of heading to the dump, these days, some grape pomace is being reborn in a host of ways, including a nutrient-packed flour substitute.
NPR

Swinging CO2 Levels Show The Earth Is 'Breathing' More Deeply

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere cycle up and down as plants take it up in the summer and let some of it out in the winter. Over the past 50 years, these "breaths" have gotten larger, as plants in the Arctic are taking up more carbon dioxide during the warmer summers.
NPR

NOAA: Hurricane Season On Track To Be 'Above Normal'

But federal forecasters trimmed their original forecast slightly, because the Atlantic waters are not as warm as predicted.

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