Balance Costs Against Clean-Air Gains. The Maryland Senate and House are grappling with legislation to reduce emissions that contribute to smog and mercury pollution. [News Source]

Farm bills not just for farmers. We need to loosen the corporate grip on agriculture and revamp a system that has forced many farmers out of farming, ravaged the free market in food, encouraged an environmentally destructive agriculture, and promoted cheap calories that feed our obesity epidemic. [News Source]

Developers are all wet in Supreme Court case. Water and air don't pay any attention to state boundaries, and all of those tiny, unconnected wetlands across the continent play a role in everything from water recharge systems to wildlife production. [News Source]

There’s a better way to farm. The popularity and growth of commercial farming in Santa Cruz and neighboring counties has led to a 20-fold increase in nitrogen levels in local waterways over the past 50 years. [News Source]

Our area should lead in combating global warming. By recognizing our contribution to global warming and working to limit overall greenhouse gas emissions, we can provide ourselves additional protection from catastrophic hurricanes. [News Source]

N.M. deserves thanks for fight on air quality. New Mexico was one of 14 states that sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for rule changes that violate the Clean Air Act,and prevailed in a March 17 federal court ruling. [News Source]

Preserving parkland. For decades, the Adirondacks have been under siege from wind-blown pollution from coal-burning power plants in the Midwest. [News Source]

Study: Poor air quality in British bars. Researchers with portable air monitors visited 64 bars in England and found the bars -- especially the ones that serve the poor -- had poor air quality. [News Source]

Sunflower plant cleanup will go at faster pace. The environmental cleanup of the defunct Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant will resume later this spring and proceed at a relatively quick pace, said the man who is heading the effort for the plant’s new owners. [News Source]

Many Americans exposed to carcinogens, EPA says. The EPA says any cancer risk over 1 in a million is cause for concern, but acknowledges most Americans live in areas where the risk is between 1 and 25 in a million. [News Source]

Smog-producing cars could pay off for select owners. Hand-picked Southern California car owners may soon receive an unusual offer in the mail: Crush their smoggy clunker in return for $1,000. [News Source]