Pri: Living On Earth

Climate and the Biden Transition / Beyond the Headlines / Lead in Hunted Meat / Midtown Coyote / Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings How the Biden transition team can best plan to fight climate disruption after four years of policy disruption while in incoming Administration also prepares to address the crises of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy, and equal justice. Also, millions of American families who eat game could get lead poisoning from the bullets that killed the animal. Patrons of some food banks are also at risk as hunters also donate some 2 million pounds of venison and other hunted meat to food banks across the U.S. each year, with no inspection in some states that detect lead contamination. And the author of "Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings" joins us to talk about how tree rings hold clues to the ancient climate on Earth, and human history too. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choic

Biden, Republicans and the Climate / Green Questions on the 2020 Ballot / Beyond the Headlines / Ice Hockey COVID Outbreaks / Tales of Two Planets: Stories of Climate Change and Inequality In A Divided World Some Republicans see opportunity for bipartisanship with a Democratic president, especially on the climate. How climate solutions can find support on both sides of the aisle if Congress remains divided amid a Biden presidency. Also, advice about getting through the Northern winter safely during the coronavirus pandemic. And a new anthology collects poems, short stories, essays, and reportage about the relationship between social inequality and the climate emergency. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arctic Sea Ice Overdue / Beyond the Headlines / All We Can Save / How Wildfires Benefit Wildlife / Remembering Mario Molina / Fall Gardening Tips An influential new collection of essays seeks to elevate women's voices in the climate movement and makes a strong case that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to addressing the climate crisis. Also, after record heat in the far north this summer, Arctic sea ice is unusually late to re-form this year. What this delay could mean for the Arctic ecosystem, volatile weather, and the climate system. And when the COVID-19 pandemic began, people found themselves stuck at home, and many turned to gardening as a way to pass the time. Tips from a gardening expert about how to continue this new hobby into the fall and winter months. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environmental Justice Debated / Climate and Senate Races in North Carolina and Georgia / Rapid Ice Melt and Rising Seas / Overcoming Climate Anxiety / Beyond the Headlines / Hiking in 6-Inch Heels The final presidential debate and US Senate races in North Carolina and Georgia underscore the growing climate concerns of voters. The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are melting at alarming rates thanks to climate change, and will continue to do so for decades even if the Paris Climate Agreement goals are met. Why their melting necessitates both climate mitigation and adaptation to protect vulnerable coasts. Also, climate disruption is causing deep anxiety, especially for the young people organizing to address it. A new book called A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety lays out strategies for addressing climate-fueled anxieties and moving beyond them to help Gen Z activists envision a resilient future. And a queer environmental activist finds his calling and breaks down barriers with an alter-ego dra

Prairie Senate Races Show Climate Divide / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Puffins Use Tools / China Leads on Climate / California's Electric Vehicle Future / EPA Devalues Science To Downplay Chemical Risk / BirdNote®: October Migrants / Urban Farming During COVID Studies show that children exposed in utero to the pesticide chlorpyrifos suffer brain damage. But in a new risk assessment the EPA is claiming that data is "inconclusive" because it protects the identities of study participants. Also, China takes the lead on climate as President Xi pledges that his nation will peak its carbon emissions before 2030 and hit net zero emissions by 2060, without revealing how it plans to reach those goals. Also, as the prairie states experience increasingly destructive weather linked to climate change, the Senate races in Iowa and Kansas reflect a sharp divide between the Democratic and Republican candidates' talk on climate change. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Ea

Judge Barrett and Environmental Law / Vice Presidential Debate on Climate / The Environment in Western Senate Races / Climate Change Disrupts Major Transportation Corridor / Beyond the Headlines / Enduring Against Seemingly Impossible Odds Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is a textualist who tends to interpret the law narrowly, meaning that if she is confirmed, she would generally rule against innovative environmental advocacy legislation. Also, Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris clashed on the debate stage over fracking, the Green New Deal, and whether climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. And in 1914, British explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men set sail for Antarctica. Disaster struck when their ship the "Endurance" became trapped in pack ice and later broke up, yet optimism and sheer perseverance carried all 28 men through what seemed impossible odds. How Shackleton used emotional intelligence to keep his crew going through and how we can

Maine Senate Race and the Environment / BirdNote®: Swallows on Wires / Climate on Chaotic Debate Stage / John Kerry Cochairs Biden Climate Plan / Black Lung and COVID-19 / Scylla and Charybdis on the Zambezi River / Beavers Return to England One of the key races in the 2020 elections is for the US Senate in Maine, where the environment is consistently rated as a priority issue for voters. Incumbent Senator Susan Collins is known for having a strong environmental record compared to her Republican colleagues, but many environmental groups focused on the campaign for a more environmentally-friendly Democratic majority in the Senate have switched their support to Democratic challenger Sara Gideon. Also, Democratic nominee for President Joe Biden is offering a $2 trillion climate plan as part of his "Build Back Better" economic recovery agenda. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, one of the plan's architects, discusses how it connects climate action to public health protection and economic recovery.

Key Southern US Senate Races and the Climate / Beyond the Headlines / A Win for Native American Sovereignty / BirdNote®: Eastern Whip-Poor-Will - Bird of the Night Side of the Woods / Megafire Hard Times / Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Environment Climate and the environment are controversial subjects in several closely-watched US Senate races in the South this fall. The South faces significant climate impacts, and residents are concerned, but candidates are taking low key approaches to the issue. Also, a recent Supreme Court ruling recognized Native Americans sovereignty over millions of acres of tribal lands in Oklahoma. What the ruling means after decades of ignored rights of Native American tribal members living in Oklahoma and the implications for Indian country as a whole. And in addition to championing women's rights, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a strong and sophisticated record of votes and written opinions regarding environmental law. Learn more about your ad

Black & Latinx Voters Lean Green / Beyond the Headlines / World's Largest Wetlands on Fire / BirdNote®: Thick-Billed Euphonia: Deceitful Mimic / Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America's Stolen Land As wildfires blaze across the West Coast of the U.S., Brazil grapples with its own fires in its massive Pantanal wetlands, the largest in the world, and in the Amazon rainforest. Also, every four years a 6,000-mile marathon run called Peace and Dignity Journeys unites Indigenous runners from all over North and South America, seeking to heal the wounds left from colonization and displacement. And surveys suggest Black and Latinx voters are more likely than white voters to view the environment and climate as their top concerns. What environmental advocates are doing to support strong Black and Latinx voter turnout this November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mastering Fire with Fire / Women Hotshot Firefighters / Wetlands Mitigate Hurricane Damage / Millions of Americans Lack Clean, Affordable Water / Beyond the Headlines / BirdNote®: New Zealand's Kakapo / Cutting Carbon for Healthier Kids Fires are inevitable in much of the West due to the region's ecology, but devasting megafires aren't. How fire itself can be used as a tool to manage wildfires and keep communities safe. Also, stories of the first women "hotshot" firefighters who led the way, and what it's like to do that demanding, dangerous work. And research now shows that a landmark program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic has helped lead to healthier kids, thanks to cleaner air. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00037. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-d

More Organics, Less Cancer / FaceTime: Bumblebees / Toxic Black Hair Products / Getting Hormones Out of Wastewater / HBO's "Ice On Fire" Offers Climate Solutions A major study finds a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer and lymphoma among high consumers of organic food. Also, Black women in America commonly use hair relaxers and leave-in conditioners to straighten and smooth their textured hair. But many of these products contain hormone-disrupting chemicals, linked with preterm birth, diabetes, and cancer. Plus, how wastewater treatment plants break down hormones in sewage so that they don't wreak havoc on the environment. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00036. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support!

Republican National Convention / Container Farming in the City / Saving West Africa's Last Rainforest Climate change was barely mentioned at the 2020 Republican National Convention but President Trump did brag of rolling back environmental regulations. Also, when an oil palm development in the poor West African country of Liberia uprooted indigenous communities, destroying their religious shrines and burial grounds, lawyer Alfred Brownell jumped into action. He was able to get the company to back off, but was forced to flee for his life. And some urban farmers are thinking sustainably and outside the box by bringing their farms inside the box in the form of shipping containers. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00035. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/d

Democratic National Convention / "Hadestown" Brings Climate Change To Broadway / Underland: A Deep Time Journey / Water Ranching in Mexico The 2020 Democratic National Convention featured voices from all across the country, some of whom highlighted climate change as a key concern for this election. But climate change appeared to take a backseat to other issues facing the nation. Also, for a couple of months each year, seasonal monsoons try to quench the thirst of the desert Southwest, but much of the water runs off. Now conservationists are changing grazing patterns and slowing down water run off to help more plants and animals flourish. And author Robert Macfarlane ventures into ice caves, braves underwater rivers, and crawls through catacombs to discover the "deep time" running beneath our feet. "Underland" and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00034. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories

Kamala Harris and Environmental Justice / Healthy People Equal Healthy Forests / Forests of Rain / Note on Emerging Science: Plastic-Eating Mushrooms / Cloning Giant Sequoias / 'Forest Bathing' for Health Former Vice President Joe Biden's choice of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate made history and highlighted the campaign's focus on environmental justice. Also, for many of those living in and near tropical forests, one of the only ways to get cash to pay for healthcare is by logging. Now a nonprofit is providing healthcare that patients can pay for with seedlings or manure. And Coast Redwood trees and Giant Sequoia are among the biggest and oldest individual living things on our planet, but were heavily logged decades ago. Scientists are helping restore these majestic, carbon-sequestering trees by cloning their DNA. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00033. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archiv

Bi-Partisan Victory for Great American Outdoors Act / Funding the National Parks, Finally / Beyond the Headlines / Fishing Fleet Threatens the Galapagos / BirdNote®: What Do Desert Birds Drink? / Healthy Buildings Boost Productivity / Trying to Train Crows For years national parks and public lands in the United States have been severely underfunded. The Great American Outdoors Act is set to help turn that around, with billions of dollars to address maintenance backlogs and support new conservation. Also, Ecuador is on alert after discovering a fleet of more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels near the Galapagos Islands. Ecuadorian officials worry that it could pose a danger to the delicate ecosystems of the world's second-largest marine reserve. And most of us spend 90% of our time indoors, where carbon dioxide levels and ambient chemicals can significantly impact our productivity and cognitive function. Organizations should take note and can see major dividends from improving office air quality, sa

Saving Forests Could Save Us from Diseases / Beyond the Headlines / Race and the Nature Gap / Parktracks: Sounds of the Kiowa Nation Buffalo Songs / Systemic Racism and Green Groups The environmental movement in America has deep ties to the nation's history of systemic racism and white supremacy. Now, as Americans confront racial injustice, powerful green groups like the Sierra Club are beginning to reckon with their own histories of hate and exclusion. Also, Americans of color experience nature deprivation at three times the rate of white Americans, according to a new report. Why systemic racism has limited access to nature for Black Americans in particular, and how conservation and sensitive planning can help narrow the nature gap. And with the COVID-19 pandemic estimated to cost several trillions of U.S. dollars, a new study suggests that spending just a tiny fraction of that to curb deforestation and the wildlife trade could prevent future costly diseases that jump from wildlife to humans.

Trump Rolls Back National Enviro Policy Act / Beyond the Headlines / "Goatscaping" for Chemical-Free Weed Control / Farmland Losing to Development / Crab-Eater Seals Take a Break / Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Blue Jay The Trump Administration has rolled back rules for a 50-year-old bedrock environmental law that requires careful study of possible impacts from major infrastructure projects. Also, a herd of hungry goats will happily mow down invasive blackberries, kudzu, and even poison ivy, for chemical-free weed control. "Goatscapers" on the job. And raising an injured baby blue jay named Jemima turned out to be one of the most challenging, and rewarding, experiences of wildlife rehabilitator Julie Zickefoose's life. In her book Saving Jemima, which she also illustrated, Zickefoose gives a peek inside the mind of her young charge learning how to be a blue jay and shares the balance of emotions involved in raising a wild bird for release. Find this week's transcript here: htt

Climate Disinformation on Facebook / Beyond the Headlines / Tracking Migratory Species from Space / Clean Energy in Space to Save Planet Earth / The Sirens of Mars The Mars Perseverance Rover is set to leave Earth in late July or early August with the mission of helping to find out if there is evidence of past or present life on Mars. We'll talk with an astrobiologist who is part of the mission team and also the author of the new book, "Sirens of Mars". Also, with an historic SpaceX launch and several Mars missions underway, 2020 is proving a pivotal year for space exploration. How innovations in space technology such as solar charging stations that beam energy back down to Earth, and mining hard rock materials in space, can be used to fight climate disruption. Plus, the field of wildlife tracking is getting a major upgrade thanks to a new initiative called ICARUS. It uses special equipment on the International Space Station to allow researchers to track much smaller species than ever before, in

Democratic Climate Action Plan / Beyond the Headlines / Guinea Fowl and Tick Control / BirdNote®: The Paradise-Whydah / Jane Goodall On 60+ Years of Conservation And Research The iconic Jane Goodall has spent her life advocating for the conservation of the natural world. Sixty years ago on July 14th, 1960, Jane arrived in what is now Gombe National Park, Tanzania, to begin her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees. She joins Living on Earth to discuss her career studying chimps, the work her organization is doing now, and more. Also, House Democrats have released a massive climate action plan that aims to end carbon pollution and build new clean energy and transportation systems, while also helping communities adapt to climate disruption. And as tickborne diseases like Lyme disease become more common in our warming climate, some homeowners in the thick of tick country are turning to guinea fowl to control the bloodthirsty arachnids. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/show

Siberian Heat Wave / Beyond the Headlines / EPA Approves GMO Mosquito Trials / Court Finds EPA Violated Pesticide Safety Procedures / Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature The town of Verkhoyansk, Siberia recently hit a record-high temperature of 100.4º F, though it is well north of the Arctic Circle. Why the Far North is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and the implications of this for the rest of the world. Also, EPA has given biotech company Oxitec the go-ahead to test the effectiveness of genetically modified mosquitoes in parts of Florida and Texas, generating environmental safety concerns. And observing the remarkable habits of solitary bees gave author Brigit Strawbridge Howard a way back into a childlike fascination with nature. She shares tips for helping diverse bee species thrive in your own backyard. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00027. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of arch