Advisory warns of diesel contamination in Lake Martha

Polk County health officials have issued an advisory about apparent fuel contamination in Winter Haven's Lake Martha.

Burger King addresses climate change by changing cows' diets

The chain has rebalanced the diet of some of the cows by adding lemon grass in a bid to limit bovine contributions to climate change.

Volunteers plant hundreds of mangroves to restore the St. Petersburg shoreline

Saturday morning, dozens of volunteers with the Florida Aquarium, Keep Pinellas Beautiful and St. Petersburg College came out to get their hands dirty and plant hundreds of mangroves along the St. Petersburg shoreline. The trees may still be small, but they have a big job to do.

Governor approves protections for new 400,000-acre Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve

For all its natural beauty, the Nature Coast has not been protected as an aquatic preserve until Governor Ron DeSantis last night signed a bill passed in the legislature creating the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve. It consists of more than 400,000 acres along the coast of Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco counties.

Florida takes step to protect coast from rising sea levels

Further acknowledging that climate change is a growing concern in his state, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a measure requiring public coastal construction projects to first be reviewed for impacts on the state's fragile seashore because of rising sea levels.

EPA drops regulation for contaminant harming babies' brains

Administrator Andrew Wheeler's announcement was the latest in a series of Trump administration rollbacks or eliminations of existing or pending public health and environmental protections, targeting Obama administration initiatives in particular. The Trump administration says the regulations are burdensome to business and are unnecessary.

Administration denies report that oil drilling could soon be coming to Florida coast

There was bipartisan outrage over a report that the Trump administration is preparing to open the door to oil and gas drilling off Florida’s Eastern Gulf-Coast after the November election. But the government says it's more "fake news."

Turtle watchers: Fill in beach umbrella holes during nesting season

As sea turtle nesting season gets underway, conservation groups are reminding beachgoers to fill in umbrella holes and remove other hazards from the beach to allow baby turtles the best chance at making their way to the water.

PPE pollution: Video shows divers removing masks and gloves from ocean

The high demand for personal protective equipment amid shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic may have unintended consequences to the environment, as one European environmental group pointed out in a video that has surfaced on social media showing divers removing masks and gloves from the ocean. 

'Ultra rare' metallic blue bee spotted in Florida

Researchers in Florida have rediscovered an “ultra-rare” metallic blue bee that hadn’t been spotted in years – so long that experts weren’t sure it still existed.

A cataclysmic eruption: Looking back at Mount St. Helens 40 years later

The eruption was the worst volcanic disaster in the history of the conterminous United States, according to the United States Geological Survey.

NOAA projects 2020 is on track to be Earth's warmest year on record

There’s a 75% chance that 2020 will become the hottest year on record and a 99.9% chance that it will end up in the top five, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported.

Ten years after BP spill: Oil drilled deeper; rules relaxed

Ten years after an oil rig explosion killed 11 workers and unleashed an environmental nightmare in the Gulf of Mexico, companies are drilling into deeper and deeper waters, where the payoffs can be huge but the risks are greater than ever.