sustainability

In August, Planned Parenthood opened a clinic in Pittsburgh, Kansas — just five miles from the Missouri border. But workers don't expect demand at the clinic to decline after Missouri voted to lift it's current abortion ban. Plus: Midwest builders are using wood in a new, climate-friendly way to construct high rises.

Kernza is a perennial grain that can produce an annual crop, even as it stays in the ground for up to four years. Its deep root system make it a sustainable crop, but the grain doesn't have many markets.

The Heartland Conservation Alliance is working with local organizations to eradicate invasive Bush Honeysuckle on 40 acres along the Blue River. The non-native Honeysuckle grows so thick it blocks sunlight, keeps animals from foraging and limits bird and wildlife biodiversity.

Kansas City is finishing its campaign of installing LED streetlights that they say promote green sustainability. But activists say it's just a band-aid on the city's bigger climate problem. Plus: Why Kansas musician Freedy Johnston returned to his small hometown to paint a mural.

In Kansas City, the federal sustainability funds could help boost composting efforts, add bike trails, plant more trees, expand electric vehicle charging, and tackle energy efficiency projects.

Kansas News Service environmental reporter Celia Llopis-Jepsen spent two years researching and reporting the first episode of Up From Dust. The newly launched podcast tells the stories of the Kansans who are addressing environmental crises.

Students across the Kansas City region have lost a lot of school days because of snowy conditions and below-zero temperatures. That's left families scrambling to find child care, and schools figuring out how to make up that educational time. Plus: Middle-schoolers from across Missouri competed to design the city of the future.

Environmental justice efforts have gained renewed relevance as a result of unprecedented funding offered by the Biden administration. Tom Jacobs of the Mid-America Regional Council is working to bring that funding to Kansas City.

Evergy's climate plan scored just 9 points out of 100 this year, down from 18 last year. The drop comes from Evergy's decisions to push back the closure of coal plants in Kansas City and Lawrence, and its proposed expansion of natural gas power.

Americans are becoming less and less likely to believe our fellow citizens are trying to do the right thing, and that has added to the crisis facing rural health care. Plus: Are Midwest homes prepared for more scorching summer days?

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are part of an emerging “extreme heat belt” that could deliver more scorching days within 30 years. So far, there’s no unified plan to make our dwellings safe in the dangerously high temperatures to come.

The Kansas Corporation Commission approved a set of energy efficiency programs for Evergy customers last week. The state currently ranks 49th nationwide for its energy efficiency policies and programs, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.