https://baselineearth.com Air, water, climate, wildlife, weather, and the forces shaping our planet. Explained in plain English. No spin. No jargon. en-us Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://baselineearth.com/articles/us-drought-april-2026 https://baselineearth.com/articles/us-drought-april-2026 Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Weather Over half the U.S. is in drought. 148.8 million people are affected across 45 states. The Southeast is the hardest hit, with record-dry conditions not seen since tracking began in 2000. Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are experiencing the driest stretch since 1895. https://baselineearth.com/articles/arctic-meltwater-cloud-seeding-particles https://baselineearth.com/articles/arctic-meltwater-cloud-seeding-particles Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT New Research Researchers found meltwater pools on Arctic sea ice contain about 10 times more cloud-seeding biological particles than the seawater below. As melt seasons get longer, more of these particles could enter the atmosphere, potentially changing cloud behavior in ways climate models can't predict. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-national-fuel-waiver-summer-gasoline https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-national-fuel-waiver-summer-gasoline Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Air Quality A war in the Middle East shut down the Strait of Hormuz and gas prices are surging. EPA's response: suspend summer clean-gasoline rules nationwide — including local standards that protect cities with the worst air — so one cheaper type of gas can be sold everywhere. Temporary, but renewable. https://baselineearth.com/articles/california-seabird-starvation-warm-ocean https://baselineearth.com/articles/california-seabird-starvation-warm-ocean Mon, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Water Thousands of young seabirds are washing up dead on California beaches. It's not bird flu — they're starving. A massive marine heatwave has warmed the ocean 3-4°F above normal, pushing bait fish deeper than the birds can dive. https://baselineearth.com/articles/pfas-drinking-water-rule-explained https://baselineearth.com/articles/pfas-drinking-water-rule-explained Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Water EPA set the first-ever federal limits on PFAS in drinking water. The limits for PFOA and PFOS are staying at 4 parts per trillion. But the compliance deadline was pushed to 2031, and EPA plans to rescind limits for 4 other PFAS. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-rescinds-endangerment-finding https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-rescinds-endangerment-finding Sun, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Policy & Law In 2009, EPA determined greenhouse gases endanger public health. That finding was the legal basis for every federal climate regulation. EPA rescinded it. It takes effect April 20. Multiple lawsuits filed. Headed to the Supreme Court. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-proposes-coal-ash-rule-rollback https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-proposes-coal-ash-rule-rollback Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Policy & Law EPA is proposing to weaken rules on how coal ash is stored and disposed of. Industry saves $174-262M/year. Environmental protections go down. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-ethylene-oxide-sterilization-rollback https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-ethylene-oxide-sterilization-rollback Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Air Quality Ethylene oxide causes cancer and sterilizes half of America's medical devices. EPA tightened the rules in 2024. Now EPA wants to roll them back, saying the rules threaten the supply chain. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-sued-pm25-designations https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-sued-pm25-designations Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Air Quality EPA set a tighter air quality standard for dangerous tiny particles in 2024. The law said they had to identify which areas have dirty air by February 2026. They missed the deadline. 18 groups are suing. https://baselineearth.com/articles/cleveland-ozone-attainment https://baselineearth.com/articles/cleveland-ozone-attainment Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Air Quality After years of failing federal ozone standards, the Cleveland area now meets the limit. Cleaner cars, a coal plant closure, and tighter rules cut emissions enough to pass. https://baselineearth.com/articles/kansas-carbon-capture-well-permit https://baselineearth.com/articles/kansas-carbon-capture-well-permit Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Climate An ethanol plant in Kansas got a permit to pump CO2 underground instead of releasing it into the air. Up to 150,000 tons per year, monitored for 50 years after they stop. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-soot-rule-court-battle https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-soot-rule-court-battle Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Air Quality EPA made the soot limit tougher in 2024 to save lives. The new administration asked a court to throw it out instead of going through the normal process. https://baselineearth.com/articles/oil-gas-methane-rules-reconsidered https://baselineearth.com/articles/oil-gas-methane-rules-reconsidered Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Air Quality EPA kept its methane leak rules but made it easier for oil and gas companies to burn off excess gas instead of capturing it. Takes effect June 8. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-delays-pfas-reporting https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-delays-pfas-reporting Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Policy & Law Companies were supposed to tell EPA what PFAS chemicals they've been making and where they end up. That deadline has been pushed back for the third time. https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-are-chemtrails-actually https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-are-chemtrails-actually Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Myth Buster They're ice crystals from jet exhaust hitting cold air. Same science as seeing your breath in winter. No evidence of chemical spraying exists in any air monitoring data. https://baselineearth.com/articles/is-your-tap-water-safe https://baselineearth.com/articles/is-your-tap-water-safe Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Water Your water company tests your water and publishes a yearly report. You can find it online. Here's how to read it. https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-is-the-epa https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-is-the-epa Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Policy & Law EPA sets and enforces rules for clean air and water. Created in 1970 by a Republican president. Eliminating it would require an act of Congress. https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-is-superfund https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-is-superfund Mon, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Land & Soil Superfund cleans up the most toxic sites in America — old factories, dumps, and mines. Over 1,300 sites on the list. Cleanup takes years. The polluter is supposed to pay, but often taxpayers do. https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-is-ground-level-ozone https://baselineearth.com/articles/what-is-ground-level-ozone Mon, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Air Quality Ground-level ozone forms when car exhaust and factory pollution react with sunlight. It damages your lungs, worsens asthma, and is linked to premature death. https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-microplastics-drinking-water https://baselineearth.com/articles/epa-microplastics-drinking-water Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Water EPA put microplastics on a watch list for drinking water. It's a first step, not a regulation — no water utility has to change anything yet. https://baselineearth.com/articles/do-wind-turbines-kill-birds https://baselineearth.com/articles/do-wind-turbines-kill-birds Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Myth Buster Turbines kill about 234,000 birds/year. Cats kill 2.4 billion. Buildings kill 600 million. Turbines are far down the list. https://baselineearth.com/articles/is-global-warming-real https://baselineearth.com/articles/is-global-warming-real Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT Myth Buster Yes. The Earth is warming. This is measured by thermometers, satellites, and ice cores. The cause is greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels. This is not controversial among scientists.