A truck drops off a load of garbage at the South Kent Landfill in Byron Township, Mich., on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. (Mike Clark / The Grand Rapids Press via AP, File)

Methane is a big contributor to climate change, leading to about a 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 degrees Celsius) increase in temperature since the 19th century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Carbon dioxide has caused about 50% more warming than methane.

This Jan. 5, 2020, photo shows a bald eagle in Philadelphia. (AP Photo / Chris Szagola, File)
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NextEra Energy subsidiary ESI Energy pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act during a Tuesday court appearance in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was charged in the deaths of eagles at three of its wind farms in Wyoming and New Mexico.

Artist Ben Miller with his painting of the Chicago River, created on the Riverwalk, April 3, 2022. (Courtesy of Friends of the Chicago River)
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Artist Ben Miller cast a portrait of the Chicago River using just fishing gear. Here’s the big reveal.

(Nicholas Doherty / Unsplash)

According to the latest report on climate change, we’re still not doing enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions. There’s a way forward, but action can’t wait, scientists say.

Ben Miller, demonstrating his technique of fly cast painting. (The Rhythms of the River / Manabu Inada)
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Artist Ben Miller uses a unique technique called fly cast painting. He’ll be demonstrating it Sunday on the Riverwalk as he creates a portrait of the Chicago River.

An abandoned rail spur on 59th Street is inching toward becoming the elevated Englewood Nature Trail. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

The city’s commitment of $6 million to the Englewood Nature Trail is part of a total of $15 million announced by the mayor to jump-start a number of “green infrastructure” projects throughout Chicago.

A still image of Wednesday’s solar flare, March 30, 2022. (NASA)

The Sun put on a spectacular show Wednesday, emitting a “significant solar flare,” according to NASA. Now scientists are bracing to see what the resulting space weather will have in store for Earth.

Brookfield Zoo’s porcupette, born March 19. (Jim Schulz / CZS-Brookfield Zoo)

Brookfield Zoo is celebrating the arrival of an adorable baby porcupine. We had to know: How do mama porcupines give birth safely? 

Wind turbines produce power during sundown in Emlichheim, Germany, Friday, March 18, 2022. (AP Photo / Martin Meissner, file)

Scientists say global emissions need to drop 45% by the end of the decade compared to 1990 levels. But recent data show they are going up, not down, in part due to rising energy demand and the expansion of fossil fuel use.

Rush Street has proposed a Rivers Casino as part of the under-construction 78 development on vacant land between the South Loop and Chinatown along the Chicago River. (Provided)
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If a casino is coming to the riverfront, publicly accessible open green space should be a priority, as well as considerations for wildlife habitat, environmental advocates say. And the buildings themselves should be held to the highest standards of sustainability and climate resiliency.

(Rebecca Peterson-Hall / Unsplash)

Earth Hour started as a simple “lights out” message to draw attention to climate change but has become a global call for environmental action.

The Field Museum’s historic egg collection is shedding new light on climate change. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

A new study led by the Field Museum shows that a number of bird species are laying their eggs nearly a month earlier than 100 years ago, likely due to climate change.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is particularly deadly for chickens. (William Moreland / Unsplash)
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The strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza circulating in the U.S., the first since 2016, doesn’t appear to pose a threat to humans, but is highly contagious among birds and often fatal.

(WTTW News)
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If last week’s gas giveaway is any indication, people can expect to be idling in their cars for upwards of an hour or more Thursday as they wait their turn at the pump for Willie Wilson’s $1 million giveaway. 

(Karsten Würth / Unsplash)
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The measure ratifies decisions made by Treasurer Melissa Conyears Ervin after her 2019 election to stop new investments in oil and gas firms while moving $70 million in investments from 225 fossil fuel companies. 

The sun sets due west on the spring equinox, set for March 20, 2022. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Equinoxes are always extra special in Chicago, thanks to the city’s grid. The sun rises due east and sets due west on the equinox, creating a phenomenon known as “Chicagohenge“ (in reference to Stonehenge), when the sun is strikingly framed by the city’s skyscrapers. The official start of astronomical spring takes place Sunday at 10:33 a.m.