Midwest states east of ‘tornado alley’ are bearing the brunt of severe storm season. Here’s why
Tornadoes have killed 68 people in the U.S. in 2025, with the majority of those deaths in Kentucky and Missouri.
-
-
After DOGE gutted AmeriCorps, rural communities stand to lose education and preservation help
AmeriCorps members were working on environmental education and habitat restoration at parks and nature centers in rural areas across the country. Now federal cuts have eliminated many of those positions.
-
PHOTOS: Storm snaps trees and utility poles in Vermilion County
Tornado warnings were issued at different times Tuesday afternoon in Champaign, De Witt, Macon, Piatt and Vermilion counties.
-
Bill banning carbon sequestration near Mahomet Aquifer clears General Assembly
The bill comes after recent leaks at a carbon injection site in Decatur.
-
Soil conservation in the U.S. started with this agency 90 years ago. Now its future is uncertain
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is dealing with job losses, massive proposed budget cuts and talk of consolidation.
-
Clock ticks on lifting Illinois’ nuclear moratorium as environmental groups want a say
Illinois’ energy demand will outmatch its supply by 2030, according to a study from the consulting firm The Power Bureau.
-
How to stop invasive plants from taking over the prairie state
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY – Illinois is called the prairie state because a few centuries ago, it was mostly prairie land, filled with thousands with different types of plants. Now, those native plants are locked into a competition with invasives. Ryan Pankau is the Horticulture Educator for Illinois Extension. The forester said honeysuckle is the biggest plant threat to…
-
Armadillos aren’t just in Texas anymore, they are expanding territory in Illinois
Armadillos have little hair and cannot survive on ground that is frozen for more than a few days. But climate change means winter in much of Illinois is becoming more bearable.
-
Scientists near Peoria wake up early to catch invasive birds
Invasive birds cost the United States’ farming industry billions of dollars every year. But to find out which species are the biggest culprit, you have to get up way before the sun comes up.
-
Ban on carbon capture near Mahomet Aquifer wins unanimous approval in Illinois Senate
Over the last few years, environmental groups and others in Central Illinois have raised concerns about the region’s water potentially becoming contaminated by an emerging technology that’s intended to reduce the harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
-
Midwest light pollution kills migrating birds, but scientists know how you can help
An ornithologist spent four decades tracking 40,000 bird deaths at a single building. His records paved the way to better scientific and public understanding.
-
‘Mission Accomplished’ for Rantoul air force base, yet $76 million of environmental clean-up remains
Most of the Chanute Air Force base transferred to the village of Rantoul in 2023. At the time, the Air Force declared “Mission Accomplished” in a press release — but it acknowledged there’s still at least $76 million more toxic clean-up to do. Today, it is unclear what the plan is for the many abandoned and deteriorating buildings.
-
Bogs sink carbon dioxide ‘like no ecosystem on Earth,’ but many are at risk of being drained
Peat bogs sequester a massive amount of the Earth’s carbon dioxide. But even as scientists work to better understand bogs’ sequestration, the wetlands are under threat.
-
Midwest biofuel industry hopes to gain more miles under Trump’s new term, but uncertainty remains
Biofuel advocates calling on the new administration to increase ethanol and biodiesel volumes in the country’s fuel supply, expand E15 gasoline and clarify tax credits.
-
Champaign County approves a temporary ban on carbon sequestration, citing water contamination fears
Champaign County Board members voted Thursday night to approve a zoning ordinance amendment that will pause all carbon sequestration in the county for 12 months. The moratorium will allow the board time to develop a more comprehensive, and potentially permanent, ban.
