Pri: Living On Earth

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

Democrats Unveil CLEAN Future Act / Beyond the Headlines / How Wildfires Affect Water Quality / Regrowing Australian Forests / Sounds of Winter / Wine Regions Struggle with Climate Change / Feed Your Ex to a Bear for Valentine's Day Years of repeated bushfires linked to climate change have left some of Australia's iconic eucalyptus forests unable to come back on their own. Now humans are giving them a helping hand by carefully collecting and distributing their seeds. And as the climate changes, many traditional wine-growing regions are struggling with the heat and cooler regions, like the UK and China, are poised to fill in the gap. Also, in the face of the climate crisis, House Democrats released a draft of the CLEAN Future Act, a plan to put the United States on track for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 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-P13-00006. . . . *** LEARN

Decoding the Coronavirus / Beyond the Headlines / Trump Water Rule 'Ignores Science' / Freshwater Mussels: Hunted for Buttons, Stranded by Dams / BirdNote®: Canada Jays Save Food For Later / Our Wild Calling As a novel coronavirus began spreading from Wuhan, China in December 2019, scientists were able to isolate, sequence, and publish the complete genetic code of the virus in less than a month. Also, critics of the Trump Administration's new water rule, including EPA's own Science Advisory Board, say that it has no grounding in basic watershed science. And our modern lives have separated us from other species and contributed to "species loneliness", says Richard Louv, author of the new book Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives - and Save Theirs. 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-P13-00005. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everythi

Appeals Court Reluctantly Dismisses Youth Climate Case / Beyond the Headlines / A Plan to Avoid Extinctions / Mangroves Thriving in a Warming World / BirdNote®: Laysan Albatrosses Nest at Midway Atoll / Norway's Disappearing Winter / Redlining Linked with Extreme Urban Heat As many as 1 million species are at risk of going extinct in the coming decades. Now the UN has a bold plan to set aside half of the earth by 2050 to save biodiversity. Also, the discriminatory practice known as redlining is now linked with neighborhoods that experience extreme heat. And even Scandinavia, nearly synonymous with cold and snow, is heating up: Oslo, Norway is already experiencing 21 fewer days of winter than it did 30 years ago. Norway's disappearing winter 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-P13-00004. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've g

Democratic Debaters United on Need For Climate Action / Beyond the Headlines / Senator Lisa Murkowski Talks Up Public Lands / Trump Moves to Weaken NEPA / Note on Emerging Science: Plastic-Eating Mushrooms / After Coal: Stories of Survival in Appalachia and Wales At the final Democratic primary debate before the 2020 Iowa caucuses, the six candidates onstage all discussed their concerns about climate impacts and their plans to meet this existential challenge. Also, communities in Appalachia have been hit hard economically as coal production dropped. It's a story that has also played out in Wales in the UK. Now the "After Coal Project" is helping breathe new economic and cultural life into both communities. And Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, known for reaching across the aisle to broker bipartisan deals, sponsored the 2019 Dingell Act to protect and expand public lands. The Alaska Senator is entering her final year as Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. All that and

Australia's Wildfires Point to the Future / Climate Disasters Drive Refugee Crisis / McSweeney's '2040 AD' Climate Fiction Issue / Note on Emerging Science: Deep-Sea Serpents / Beyond the Headlines: The Year in Review / Climate and the 2019 Lexicon / BirdNote®: Encounter with a Cassowary Australia is in the throes of its worst fire season in modern history. As thousands of homes are incinerated and an estimated billion animals perish, the rest of the world is getting a glimpse of some of the troubles ahead on a warming planet. Also, a new "climate fiction" issue from the literary publication McSweeney's enlists notable authors to pen short stories envisioning climate disruption. And climate loomed large in the 2019 "word of the year" chosen by three prominent dictionary publishers. Living with climate disruption 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-P13-00002. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stor

The Rollbacks of 2019 / The Best Science and Nature Writing / Endangered Species Success Stories / Barren-Ground Caribou As we open a new year, Living on Earth looks back on key environmental developments of 2019. Last year saw the rollbacks of more than 80 environmental rules under the Trump Administration. Critics say these changes will harm more than the climate: they'll hurt business, the environment, and human health. Law professor Pat Parenteau joins us for an overview of some of the key regulatory rollbacks. And 2019 brought both good news and bad news for endangered species. While the Trump Administration finalized changes to the Endangered Species Act that could slow species' recovery, birds like the Kirtland's warbler, least tern and more have bounced back thanks to the ESA. And from a quirky little fish, to a couple of stonefly species that depend on melting glaciers to survive, a few more species received much-needed ESA protections. Also, the best science writing strives to entertain and

How the Border Wall Could Harm Wildlife / Bison and Sustainable Land Management / Science in Danger at the US-Mexican Border / Water Ranching in Mexico / BirdNote®: Lily-Trotters, Jesus Birds This week on the pod, a special series of stories Living on Earth's Bobby Bascomb reported from the US-Mexico border. In that increasingly fractured landscape, some species struggle to stay connected to populations north and south of the border. The walling off of Mexico from the US also presents a challenge for scientists doing research near the border. But the lands and people north and south of the border are united by species conservation efforts, and projects that seek to bring back wetland ecosystems and slow down water to help sustain plants and animals long after the seasonal monsoons. Bison could be part of the solution, since they evolved with a variety of grasslands including semi-arid ones, so some ranchers in Mexico are choosing to breed bison to help manage their land more sustainably. Stori