Ithaca, N.Y., will require that 50% of the money spent on its energy transition and on major infrastructure projects is directed toward those residents most at risk from climate change.
Wildlife ecologists have seen white-tailed deer expanding their range in North America over many decades. And since the early-2000s these deer have moved north into the boreal forests of western Canada. These forests are full of spruce and pine trees, sandy soil and freezing winters with lots of snow. They can be a harsh winter wonderland. And ecologists haven't known whether a warmer climate in these forests or human land development might be driving the deer north. A recent study tries to disentangle these factors – and finds that a warming climate seems to play the most significant role in the movement of deer.
Human Rights Watch accuses Kenyan authorities of not responding adequately to ongoing floods that have killed more than 170 people since the start of the rainy season.
For the first time in over 200 years, certain parts of the country are experiencing a rare emergence of two periodical cicadas — those big, droning insects that mostly live underground until they finally, very audibly, do not.
A United Nations official said negotiators have a "clear path to landing an ambitious deal" on plastic pollution. But environmentalists say the plastic industry is undermining an effective agreement.
Today, we're going full nerd to talk about a new board game — Catan: New Energies. The game's goal is simple: Build and develop a modern-day island without catastrophically polluting it. Although the concept mirrors the effects of climate change, those words don't actually appear in the game. NPR correspondent Nate Rott talks to Emily about the thinking behind the new game and how the developers hope it can start conversations around energy use and pollution.
Have questions or comments for us to consider for a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!
A trial for a mass environmental injury case begins in Hawaii on Monday, more than two years after a U.S. military facility poisoned thousands of people when it leaked jet fuel into drinking water.
An organic seed company was distressed to learn it had marketed a GMO purple tomato by mistake. The incident raised alarm about the impact of new GMO plants.
Ten years ago, Flint, Mich. switched water sources to the Flint River. The lack of corrosion control in the pipes caused lead to leach into the water supply of tens of thousands of residents. Pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha recognized a public health crisis in the making and gathered data proving the negative health impact on Flint's young children. In doing so, she and community organizers in Flint sparked a national conversation about lead in the U.S. water system that persists today.
Today on the show, host Emily Kwong and science correspondent Pien Huang talk about the state of Flint and other cities with lead pipes. Efforts to replace these pipes hinge on proposed changes to the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule.
Have questions or comments for us to consider for a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Weather Service are pushing out tools releasedthis week to help limit heat-related injuries.
Fifteen years after the EPA said greenhouse gasses are a danger to public health, the agency finalized rules to limit climate-warming pollution from existing coal and new gas power plants.