• Drought Makes Half of All U.S. Counties Disaster Areas
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   Nation   |   August 2, 2012
• More than half of the counties in the United States have been designated as disaster areas mainly because of the ongoing drought that has been ravaging the nation, officials announced Wednesday as disaster designations were signed for 218 more counties in 12 states.

• Aging U.S. Power Grid Could Soon be Overloaded
• Source: The Washington Post   |   Nation   |   August 2, 2012
• The United States doesn’t yet face the critical shortage of power that has left more than 600 million people in India without electricity this week but the U.S. grid is aging and stretched to capacity.

• Judge Tosses Water Standard for Some Coal Mines
• Source: The Wall Street Journal   |   Nation   |   August 1, 2012
• A federal judge in Washington, D.C., Tuesday threw out tougher water-quality standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at curbing environmental damage from surface coal mines in Appalachia.

• Colleges Beef Up Sustainability Degree Programs
• BY: Elizabeth Daigneau   |   August 2012
• Nearly 60 percent of all new academic programs or training opportunities in 2011 focused on green careers, which are in demand now more than ever.

• Drones and iPads May Aid Power Failures
• Source: New York Times   |   Nation   |   July 30, 2012
• Facing more frequent storms that cripple electric distribution systems over big areas, utility companies are drafting iPads and military-style aerial surveillance robots to get the lights back on faster.

• Donors Who Bailed Out California Parks Want Their Money Back
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   July 27, 2012
• Saying they feel betrayed by the discovery of $54 million hidden in two state parks accounts, a growing number of groups that donated money to keep California state parks from closing this year now say they want a refund -- or at least a binding promise from lawmakers to spend the extra money on parks.

• New Gas Drilling Law Overturned in Pennsylvania
• Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   |   Pennsylvania   |   July 27, 2012
• Judges on the Commonwealth Court ruled that Pennsylvania cannot require municipalities to allow drilling in areas where it would conflict with their zoning rules, siding with several towns challenging the five-month-old law.
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• California Gov. Brown Proposes Massive $23B Water Project
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   July 26, 2012
• Brown plans to pursue a massive project to move water from the Sacramento area into the Central Valley and Southland and help restore the ravaged delta habitat.

• Oregon's 'Cool Schools' Program Fails to Live up to Hype
• Source: Oregonian   |   Oregon   |   July 24, 2012
• Gov. John Kitzhaber made a campaign promise that his "Cool Schools" program would put people back to work doing energy upgrades on classroom buildings. Nearly two years later, it turns out that the program is really a modest expansion of what already existed, only with a catchy new name.

• Solar Energy Gets Boost in New Jersey
• Source: AP/Philadelphia Inquirer   |   New Jersey   |   July 24, 2012
• Gov. Christie signed legislation aimed at encouraging the continued growth of New Jersey's solar industry while protecting ratepayers from increased costs.

• Wildfires Threaten Water Supplies
• BY: Tom Arrandale   |   July 23, 2012
• More than 60 million people get their water from national forests. But ash and debris from big fires can make the water undrinkable.
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• Hidden California State Parks Funds Incite Outrage
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   July 23, 2012
• California state parks Director Ruth Coleman resigned and her second-in-command was fired after officials discovered the department has been sitting on "hidden assets" totalling nearly $54 million.
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• Milwaukee is 1st to Add Green Infrastructure Requirement to Wastewater Permitting
• Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel   |   Milwaukee, Wis.   |   July 23, 2012
• A draft state wastewater discharge permit for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is the first in the U.S. to add this regulatory wrinkle: requiring rooftop plantings and installation of other "green infrastructure" - not sewer pipes or storage tunnels - to collect and absorb storm water.

• Widespread Drought Threatens Crops
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Nation   |   July 18, 2012
• As drought grips 80% of the country, the devastation to corn and other breadbasket crops this year could surpass last year's record claims for weather-related crop losses.

• Report: State Fracking Regulation Laws Need Overhaul
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   July 17, 2012
• Most states aren’t doing enough to ensure the water safety and health of communities near gas wells where hydraulic fracking takes place, according to a new report by a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group.