Pri: Living On Earth

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

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