PennEnvironment

As the AI data center boom brings an increase in energy demand, hyperscalers have been turning to natural gas as a "short-term" solution to meet their energy needs. But, recent data shows that natural gas might be here to stay (threatening our health and planet). Read more from Kathryn Clay with Washington Post

https://wpintelligence.washingtonpost.com/topics/energy-climate/2026/09/09/natural-gas-is-winning-ais-power-race/

John Kalisz-Tonsor and Daniel Gomez have lived in Braddock for years, not far from Nippon/U.S. Steel's Edgar Thomson Plant. They and their neighbors already live with the plant's daily emissions, and now Nippon/U.S. Steel are proposing a new hot strip mill at the same site.

This is part of a storytelling series where residents living near industry describe what life there is actually like: the air pollution, the noise, the health toll, and what more pollution could mean for a community that's already carrying more than its share. Breathe Project Allegheny County Health Department

Braddock Parents: What Does a Hot Strip Mill Mean for My Kids' Future? "How does it impact the long term experience of my kids?" Two Brad...

It's official: this summer was the hottest on record for the contiguous US.

According to the latest data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average temperature this past summer was the highest its ever been since record keeping started 132 years ago.

Across the country, and across the Commonwealth, folks felt the dangerous effects of high temperatures: heat stroke, dehydration, and more.

Our reliance on fossil fuels like oil and gas is driving this increase in average temperatures. The good news is that we have alternative energy sources available, like wind and solar, that don't pollute our air or contribute to climate change, never run out, and show up for free every day. Check out NOAA's findings to learn more about extreme weather across the country.

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202608

Take action to protect our wild forests!

https://saveroadlessforests.com

"Meteorological autumn began September 1. Philadelphia did not get the memo.”

Severe storms hit Philadelphia earlier this month , causing power outages, public school closures, and a 3-hour delay during a Bruno Mars concert. In parts of the city with combined sewer systems, i.e. systems where stormwater and sewage flow through the same pipes, heavy storms can lead to even more drastic consequences. In these cases, raw sewage mixes with storm water and is discharged into waterways like the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, as well as low-lying streets, basements, and floor drains. Philadelphia neighborhoods like Passyunk, Point Breeze, and Grays Ferry, are structurally more vulnerable during street flooding, and are at high risk for these sewage overflows.

Read more from Joshua Mitchell with .

Labor Day Storms Stretch Into Thursday: Philadelphia Sewer Risk Compounds 102°F Heat Advisory Philadelphia severe weather reaches a new peak Thursday, September 3, as dual-round “bookend” storms flank a 102 degrees F heat advisory and South Philadelphia’s combined sewer system faces overflow conditions that will back raw sewage into neighborhood streets -- a risk driven by a strengthen...

ICYMI: Our recent report found bacteria contamination in rivers and streams across the Commonwealth. Read more in Lock Haven Express-

Report finds bacteria from f***l matter affecting Pennsylvania rivers and streams A report found rivers and streams across Pennsylvania are testing positive for harmful levels of the bacteria E. coli, which spreads through f***l matter. The nonprofit PennEnvironment found that at 55% of 653 monitoring sites, levels of E. coli reached potentially unsafe levels for swimmers in 2024...

Did you know that low-producing gas wells are responsible for half of Pennsylvania's total methane emissions?

Methane emissions from the oil and gas industry are warming our planet and hurting our health. We need to do more to protect Pennsylvanians.

Fortunately, a lot of the emissions from low-producing wells are the result of maintenance and mechanical issues that could easily be avoided with additional site inspections and oversight- if the oil and gas industry is required to do so.

We appreciate that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is pursuing strong protections that would reduce this harmful pollution in the Commonwealth. At the same time, we encourage the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to keep existing protections in place.

https://www.edf.org/media/new-study-low-producing-oil-and-gas-wells-drive-roughly-half-well-site-methane-pollution

Want to know how to get the lead out of school drinking water? The answer is surprisingly simple: filter first! And we can do it here in Pennsylvania.

The PA Legislature should pass SB 759 as quickly as possible to install lead filters in Commonwealth schools and make sure our kids have clean, safe water to drink!

Filter First: A Cost-Effective Path to Safe Drinking Water in Schools Across the country, lawmakers are searching for effective ways to protect children from lead in drinking water.

💡Did You Know? 💡

Methane is a potent climate pollutant that makes up 70-90% of "natural gas."
Despite this, Americans perceive the phrase “natural gas,” or even “natural methane gas,” much more favorably than they do “methane gas.”

How much does natural gas benefit from its name, which includes the word “natural?” Find out more from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/should-it-be-called-natural-gas-or-methane/

For folks in/near Beaver County: this coming Thursday, 9/17, join a community educational event about clean energy, energy storage, and Beaver County’s energy future. Join in to learn how battery storage can strengthen the electric grid, improve reliability, and put former industrial land back to productive use. This in person event starts at 6:30 pm at Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls, 1301 7th Ave, Beaver Falls, PA 15010.

Learn more here- https://www.mobilize.us/greenlightaction/event/1010295/

Beaver County Clean Energy Info Session · Greenlight Action Join us for a community educational event about energy storage and Beaver County’s energy future. Learn how battery storage can strengthen the electric grid, improve reliability, create local economic benefits, and put former industrial land back to productive use. Come ask questions, get the fact...