Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

More than 30 countries have banned cosmetics testing on animals, and while the practice hasn’t been banned in the U.S., Illinois is now the third state to enact “humane cosmetics” legislation. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.

As urban agriculture programs expand in Chicago and other cities, a new project aims to unearth data on one of the biggest potential obstacles to city-based farming efforts: soil contamination.

The move comes in the wake of near-record levels of flooding this spring that forced farmers to delay planting crops. 

What lies below the surface of the Chicago River today is not what it was a century ago, but pollution is still a problem. A Chicago nonprofit aims to offer real-time water quality data to the public later this year.

It’s been a rough few decades for the rusty patched bumblebee. Once widespread in Illinois and throughout much of the U.S., the species has lost nearly 90% of its population over the past 20 years.

As they set out to learn more about kids’ affinity for nature, a group of psychologists had a strong idea about what they would find. As it turned out, their assumptions were wrong. “We were incredibly surprised,” said the lead author of the study.

A lawsuit filed Friday aims to stop a plan by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that would lower fines for automakers that fail to meet fuel-economy standards. 

A new law in Illinois prohibits discharge of coal ash into the environment and establishes a regulatory framework to ensure that polluting companies finance the cleanup of coal ash waste, according to the Illinois Environmental Council.

A new study offers a framework cities can use to begin measuring the mental health benefits of nature, while helping municipal planners and policymakers integrate nature into their projects. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and four of his counterparts in the region are urging candidates in the 2020 presidential election to back a new plan aimed at protecting the Great Lakes.

Tens of billions of gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater runoff end up in the Great Lakes each year, polluting the water and prompting beach closings and swimming advisories. How new legislation aims to help.

The massive art project that got the attention of students across the globe is part of an educational initiative aimed at preserving oceans and the people who live closest to them.

Save a horse, ride a bike. That’s the message some Chicago animal welfare advocates are looking to send by sponsoring one of the pedicabs that shuttles riders along Michigan Avenue.

A new report raises some red flags about the potential health risks associated with swimming at local beaches.

As a heat wave moved across the Chicago area last week, polar and grizzly bears stayed cool at the zoo with fruit-filled blocks of ice weighing 300 pounds.

The festival had been scheduled for Aug. 23-24 at Montrose Beach, where a pair of endangered piping plovers established a nest this spring. 

The 151-year-old zoo will continue to offer free admission for the next 30-plus years after agreeing to an extended contract with the city.

Scientists are often the foremost experts in their fields of study, but they aren’t necessarily well versed in the tricky science of collaboration.

A bold plan to get hundreds of people into the Chicago River for a 2.4-mile swim remains docked for a year or so after organizers struggled to secure permits and coordinate with a number of city agencies.

Illinois residents experience roughly two days each year in which the heat index surpasses 105 degrees Fahreneit. Within roughly three decades, that number could rise to 26 days per year, according to a new report.

Dozens of people lined a wall overlooking the Humboldt Park Lagoon on Friday waiting for a glimpse of an elusive alligator that continues to evade authorities’ efforts to capture it.

Two sea otter pups rescued recently off the coast of California have a new home in Chicago where they are now “thriving,” according to the aquarium.

Environmental nonprofit Openlands created a new online tool to help Chicago-area residents easily identify ways to explore the outdoors in and around the city. 

As the search for the Humboldt Park Lagoon alligator continues, learn more about these fear-inducing creatures – and why they shouldn’t be brought home as a pet.

In the aftermath of two major earthquakes that shook southern California last week, officials in Illinois are urging residents to prepare themselves and their homes in the event of a similar incident.

New research by University of Chicago scientists shows that despite the positive intentions of conservationists who promote captive breeding for monarchs, the practice may not be producing the desired effect.