Pri: Living On Earth

A Texas Town Refuses Fracking Expansion / Beyond the Headlines / Bill McKibben on the Divestment Movement / Eye Contact with a Wild Elephant / BirdNote®: Salmonberry Bird The fossil fuel divestment movement is making inroads at major institutions, including Ivy League schools, massive pension funds and more. Author and climate activist Bill McKibben reflects on what the divestment movement has achieved so far and how it all began. Also, why racial justice goes hand in hand with the fight for a cleaner environment, and the big takeaways that the coronavirus pandemic has for the climate crisis. And citizens of Arlington, Texas have taken a historic stand by refusing to expand a fracking complex located next to a preschool that serves primarily Black and Latino children. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00026. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more

Juneteenth and African Foodways / The Racial Gap of Pollution Responsibility / Redlined Real Estate & Extreme Urban Heat / Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors / Farming While Black: A Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land June 19th marks the holiday known as Juneteenth, when African Americans gather to celebrate emancipation of ancestors from slavery with picnics and cook outs. The voyage from Africa isn't often on people's minds, but it is in their stomachs, by way of the foodways from across the Atlantic. Fast-forward to today, to the farmers who are working to cultivate justice, root out racism, and find liberation on the land, by reconnecting people of color to the earth. And systemic racism has set Black Americans up for far greater exposure to pollution, and extreme heat brought by climate change. Both environmental concerns have been primarily caused and exacerbated by white Americans, yet it's Black communities that bear the brunt of the harm. Dismantling racism, celebrating Junetee

Race and Environmental Justice / Beyond the Headlines / COVID-19 and Healthy Buildings / Red-Billed Oxpeckers and Black Rhinos / Coronavirus Reduces Rhino Poaching / Climate Liability Cases Seek Big Damages from Big Oil / Lyme Disease Risk is High in City Parks, Too Environmental pollution and exposure to climate risks like heat waves are closely linked with systemic racism. Yet national environmental organizations have long sidelined Black organizers working for environmental justice. Also, the pandemic continues to spread, with over 7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide by June 12, and research has shown that much of this spread has happened indoors. What we can do in our own homes, buildings, and even cars to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus. And several coastal counties and cities in California are suing Big Oil to seek compensation for the steep costs of adapting to sea level rise. Now the litigation is one step closer to trial. Find this week's transcript here: https:

#BlackBirdersWeek / Beyond the Headlines / Border Wall Threatens Sacred Native Lands / Reopening National Parks / Poetry of "The Park" A group of Black scientists, birders, and nature enthusiasts recently convened on social media to create the first ever Black Birders Week. It's giving a voice to birders of color everywhere, who face prejudicial suspicion and policing while pursuing their passion. Also, the Tohono O'odham Nation has been confined to a tiny fraction of the lands it once held in the desert Southwest. Now the Trump Administration's border wall expansion threatens to further damage and restrict their access to sacred and archeological sites. And now more than ever, public parks are providing some relief for those self-isolating in cities. But some have been closed for fear of overcrowding and even without a pandemic, some public spaces may not be truly open to all. A new book of poetry called "The Park" uses the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris as a lens to peer into inequality and exclus

Hurricanes and COVID-19 / Beyond the Headlines / Outdoor Learning Safer in the Pandemic / The Pear Tree / Climate and Marine Disease / Why Fish Don't Exist The year 2020 could be the warmest ever and its Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be busier than average. The US may face three or more extremely dangerous storms at a time when FEMA is already swamped with pandemic relief and working through a backlog from other natural disasters throughout the country. Also, as some schools and pre-schools prepare to reopen, some educators are considering the health and educational benefits of outdoor learning to help lower the risk of Covid-19 transmission. And Lulu Miller of NPR's "Invisibilia" joins us to discuss her new book, "Why Fish Don't Exist", which follows the astonishing story of fish scientist David Starr Jordan. He discovered thousands of new fish species around 1900, and kept going even as he faced repeated disasters that threatened to obliterate his life's work. But his stubborn optim

Democrats Launch Climate Change Task Force / Beyond the Headlines / Backyard Tigers in America / The Farmer The Grain The Miller The Sea / Animal City: The Domestication of America Former Vice President Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee following Senator Bernie Sanders' April departure from the race. Despite stark ideological differences, the two have formed several unity task forces on topics ranging from immigration to climate change. Also, more tigers live in captivity in the United States than in the wild, and private ownership of big cats is often completely legal due to a lack of federal oversight. And American cities were once home to large numbers of livestock: cows grazing Boston Common, pigs roaming through what's now downtown Manhattan. Wild and domesticated animals in our past and present 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-P13-00021. . . . LEARN MOR

Trump Stalls Clean Energy Loans / Beyond the Headlines / World's Largest Parrot: Note on Emerging Science / Food Waste Increase in the Pandemic / Tips for Low-Waste Living / The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis Paris Climate Agreement lead UN diplomat Christiana Figueres recently wrote the book "The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis" and speaks about how making the urgently needed transition away from fossil fuels could also help rebuild economies broken by Covid-19. Meanwhile, $43 billion in loans for clean energy innovators that was set aside by the Obama Administration has barely been touched. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, discusses the holdup. And sustainable living can be as much about returning to old, thrifty traditions as it is about innovative technologies. How to make your own food scrap soup, orange peel cleaners and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript her

Coronavirus Shocks US Food System / Beyond the Headlines / The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court The coronavirus has disrupted the economy, with grocery shortages and news of massive food dumping some of the most visible effects. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and other books, on how the pandemic exposes the vulnerabilities in the American food supply. Also, the Supreme Court's 2007 landmark decision in Massachusetts v. EPA requires the government to regulate climate changing gases. The gripping behind-the-scenes story of Massachusetts v. EPA and the people who doggedly led the case to victory against the odds. That 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-P13-00019. . . . 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 contr

Farmworkers and the Virus / A Migrant Farmworker Shares COVID-19 Fears / Beyond the Headlines / Supreme Court Clean Water Win / Note on Emerging Science: The Days the Earth Stood Still / Zoos and Aquariums Online / Behind the Quarantine at the New England Aquarium / Sap-Iens: Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers Farmworkers are considered essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and without them there will be food shortages. Migrant farmworkers face special risks as more than half of them are undocumented and many lack access to healthcare. We'll hear from a longtime California farmworker about his fears and frustrations about working with little protection in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, in a key decision for environmental law, by a 6-3 vote the US Supreme Court has created a major precedent that strengthens the Clean Water Act. And while zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers have had to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have gone online to continue their mission with

Reflecting on 50 Years of Earth Day / Celebrating 30 Years of 'Living on Earth' / Beyond the Headlines / 50 Years of Environmental Law / Stories and Poetry for Earth Day This year, Earth Day turns 50. And from humble beginnings Earth Day has grown into the world's largest secular holiday, celebrated around the world each year by more than a billion people. Activists, scientists, poets and pastors alike share their reflections for this special Earth Day. 1970 also saw the birth of major environmental laws including the Clean Air Act and NEPA. In the 50 years since, environmental law has brought improved air and water quality, but gaps in environmental protection remain. And this Earth Day also marks 30 years since the launch of the "Living on Earth" program! Host Steve Curwood reflects on the challenges and rewards of covering environmental news. Celebrating 50 years of Earth Day and 30 years of LOE, and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: h

Dangerous Heat in the Gulf of Mexico / Beyond the Headlines / Earth Day Turns Fifty / Springtime Birding with David Sibley April 22nd, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, when some 20 million Americans peacefully rallied for protecting the planet. Denis Hayes, coordinator of that very first Earth Day, discusses how this year's grand Earth Day plans have adapted to the coronavirus disruptions. Also, on Easter Sunday, dozens of tornados tore through the southeast United States, resulting in the deaths of over 30 people. These deadly storms came as water in the Gulf of Mexico was three degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the long-term average. Why warmer Gulf water fuels strong tornados, thunderstorms, and hurricanes. And now that the seasonal great avian migration is underway, wildlife refuges provide the perfect place to listen and watch for birds on a fine spring morning. Springtime birding with David Sibley and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this w

Air Pollution Worsens COVID-19 / Beyond the Headlines / Poetry Month: "One Log Per Visit, Never The Same Log Twice" / A Backyard BioBlitz / Erosion: Essays of Undoing COVID-19 appears to be deadlier to people with years of exposure to high air pollution, strengthening the case for cleaning up dirty air that already kills millions around the world every year. Climate mitigation could be a big benefit of the solutions, since much of the pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Also, writer Terry Tempest Williams' latest book grapples with the erosion of democracy, science, compassion, and trust, as her beloved Utah red rock landscape faces oil and gas extraction, and the planet faces destructive warming. And every year, citizen scientists around the world participate in brief, intensive surveys of biological diversity called BioBlitzes. A backyard BioBlitz in the era of social distancing and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https:

Economic Recovery, the Virus and Climate / Beyond the Headlines / Science Denial and the Pandemic / BirdNote®: Trogons Nest with Wasps / Home Bound Gardening The world is now facing the coronavirus pandemic crisis as well as the climate crisis. And while COVID-19 has brought economic carnage, it also presents an opportunity to build back the U.S. economy cleaner than before, says Rep. Kathy Castor. The Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis talks about how Congress can respond to the pandemic crisis with climate change in mind, and why the world's pandemic response gives her hope about addressing the climate crisis. Also, the coronavirus pandemic appears well-managed in countries that acted swiftly, with the science of epidemiology as their guide, while others have seen a spiking death rate. Why governments sometimes fail to follow the science when responding to major crises like pandemics and climate change. And the joys of tending a garden in the midst of a pandemic, from gro

Warming Oceans And Toxic Shellfish / Beyond the Headlines / Major Ocean Currents Drifting Poleward / Misfit Produce at Your Doorstep / BirdNote®: Canada's Boreal Forests / The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age The current moment is highlighting the perils of not planning ahead for challenges such as pandemics, or climate disruption. How we can tackle shortsightedness in our personal lives and in society, to plan better for the future. Also, many coastal native Alaskans rely on harvested shellfish as part of their subsistence lifestyle. But mussels and clams can carry a lethal dose of a natural toxin, and as ocean waters warm, the algae that produces that toxin is thriving year-round. And the warming oceans are also causing vital ocean currents to drift poleward, potentially disrupting the supply of nutrients for fisheries, and changing regional climates. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/s

Wildlife Trafficking and the Novel Coronavirus / The Next California / Benefits of Free Transit / Beyond the Headlines / Nature in the Time of COVID-19 Wildlife trafficking is a highly lucrative form of organized crime, with deadly consequences. That's because in addition to threatening ecosystems, it plays a key role in spreading diseases including the novel coronavirus. Also, around the world, people are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home. But that doesn't mean we can't take the time to connect with nature, says "Last Child in the Woods" author Richard Louv. And a growing trend to make public transportation free has come to Lawrence, Massachusetts, the first minority-majority city in New England and the first in the state to provide free bus service through a pilot program. All that 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-P13-00012. . . . LEARN MORE about t

Cheap Oil and the Climate / Beyond the Headlines / Court Blocks Drilling in the Amazon / Trump EPA Races to Finish Rollbacks / Removing Dams in the Ohio River Watershed / Finding a Rare Mouse-Deer Amid the novel corona virus pandemic, oil prices had the largest one-day plunge since 1991, with major implications for the shale industry, national security and clean energy. How a Green New Deal could help alleviate the economic stresses of the boom-bust oil price cycle. Also, the Trump administration is rushing to wrap up its weakening of environmental rules, including methane regulations and auto efficiency standards, but they're proving difficult to justify. And a proposed oil drilling project in the Peruvian Amazon threatened to damage the ecosystem that isolated indigenous peoples there depend on. So an indigenous coalition went to court to try to block the project, and they recently won the lawsuit. What the case could mean for indigenous rights. All that and more, in this episode of Living

Joe Biden's Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution / Beyond the Headlines / Facing the Corona Virus Challenge / Harvard Students and Faculty Call for Divestment / The Wizard and the Prophet In this week's episode, former Vice President Joe Biden is running for President on a platform of bringing a divided nation together, on key issues including the environment. He's offering a Green New Deal for clean energy jobs and more. Also, why the US is behind in the race to contain the novel coronavirus that has been spreading throughout the world. And students and faculty at Harvard are calling on the university to divest its $41 billion endowment from fossil fuels. All that 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-P13-00010. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming

Food and Drug Admin. Disputes BPA Health Risks / Elizabeth Warren's Climate Plan / Investors Eye Climate Risk / 'Parasite' As Climate Fiction / Beyond the Headlines / The Book of Delights This week on Living on Earth, scientists charge the FDA with stacking the deck against findings that link the chemical BPA to harmful health effects, ranging from birth defects to cancer. And even "BPA-free" alternatives may pose a risk. Also, from healthcare to climate change, Elizabeth Warren has a plan for that. Her $11 trillion climate platform includes plans for a Green New Deal, environmental justice, and ocean health. Plus -- for a year, poet Ross Gay took a moment almost every day to write about something that delighted him, even in the most unexpected places. These essays comprise his most recent volume, The Book of Delights. All that 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-P13-00009. . . . *** LE

Bernie Sanders on Climate / Beyond the Headlines / BirdNote®: Left Foot or Right? Handedness in Birds / The Place Where You Live: Tianmushan, China / China's Single-Use Plastics Ban / Armistice for Hippos and Crocs / Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America This week on Living on Earth, much of the anti-climate policy efforts in the U.S. can be traced back to one powerful man, Charles Koch, who sits at the helm of a fossil fuel-based corporate empire. The new book "Kochland" describes how Charles Koch and his massive company have profited from secrecy and worked to thwart climate policy and stamp out the moderate wing of the Republican Party. Also, Bernie Sanders rallygoers share their thoughts on the Democratic presidential candidate's version of the Green New Deal. And we head to China to discuss its recent single-use plastics ban, and for our latest instalment in the Living on Earth - Orion Magazine series, the Place Where You Live. All that and more,

Trump Admin Leaves Clean Energy Funding Unspent / Beyond the Headlines / Bill Weld's Climate Plan / The Place Where You Live: Petaluma, CA / UN and Protections for Climate Refugees / PFAS Chemicals Likely in All Major Water Supplies / Dueling Dinosaurs Ignite Battle Over Fossil Ownership The Trump Administration is under review by a House oversight panel for withholding funds that Congress designated for clean energy projects. Also, PFAS chemicals, common in nonstick consumer products, are also now ubiquitous in drinking water supplies. And Republican Presidential candidate Bill Weld is looking to bring environmental priorities, including more stringent regulations, back to the Grand Old Party. All that 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-P13-00007. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos