Tornado Clusters and Climate Disruption / Beyond the Headlines / Oceans Losing Oxygen / Note on Emerging Science: Matchmaking for a Frog Named "Romeo" / Cloning Giant Sequoias / In Search of the Canary Tree In this episode, climate disruption -- and resiliency. Outbreaks of tornado clusters are being stoked by climate change, with 40 on the day that the strongest one devastated Lee County, Alabama. Meanwhile, warmer water holds less oxygen than cooler water does, so as climate change warms the o...
Mar 08, 2019•51 min
Lake Erie Wins Legal Rights / Beyond the Headlines / Volkswagen Goes All-Electric / Science Note: Using Mushrooms to Save The Bees / A Great Egret's Mating Dance / Remembering Dick Wheeler and the Great Auk In this episode, the citizens of Toledo, Ohio have taken a major step to protect Lake Erie, the main source of their drinking water. They voted by a wide margin to grant the Lake Erie Watershed legal rights, so that people can bring lawsuits on behalf of the lake itself. Also, as Volkswagen c...
Mar 01, 2019•51 min
Wall Street and the Green New Deal / Beyond the Headlines / Listening to Forests Can Aid Conservation / California Tree Deaths Could Hurt Forests on the East Coast / Confronting Climate Change Through Sound / Saltwater Beavers Bring Life Back to Estuaries / BirdNote®: Anna's Hummingbirds Winter in the North This week on Living on Earth, critics of the Green New Deal are quick to point out its significant costs. But the federal government may not need to finance it alone: investors might be entic...
Feb 22, 2019•51 min
Senate Passes Bipartisan Public Lands Bill / Understanding the Green New Deal / Beyond The Headlines / Monarch Butterflies Rebound / The Border Wall's Wildlife Impacts / Refugees Cultivate Healing Through Gardening In this episode, biologists warn that President Trump's plan to build a wall along the U.S.--Mexico border could have disastrous consequences for rare borderland species like jaguars and pygmy owls. In other news for cross-border species, biologists are celebrating a boost to eastern ...
Feb 15, 2019•51 min
Toxicants in Diapers and Sanitary Pads / A Green New Deal For All / Bangladesh's Climate Migration Crisis / Beyond The Headlines / Neighborhood Burn Squads Fight Fire With Fire A new study finds that single-use diapers and sanitary pads contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds, chemicals that are known to cause a variety of health complications including birth defects and endocrine disruption. Also, climate impacts like sea level rise, extreme storms, and droughts are creating a migrati...
Feb 08, 2019•51 min
Inslee's Climate-focused White House Bid / Heat Wave Scorches Nature Down Under / BirdNote®: Palm Cockatoo Gets The Girl / Beyond the Headlines / Eminent Domain and the Landowners Who Wouldn't Back Down Washington Governor Jay Inslee hasn't yet officially announced his candidacy in the 2020 presidential campaign, but he's working to position himself as the climate candidate if he does run. Gov. Inslee joins Living on Earth to discuss pairing economic prosperity with environmental policy. Also, A...
Feb 01, 2019•51 min
Climate Migrant Caravans / Climate and the Majestic Gyrfalcon / Climate Disruption and the Poor / Beyond the Headlines / Healing Our Land and Communities Through the Power of Food / BirdNote®: Where Are They Now? This week, we delve into the link between climate change and the recent wave of migrant caravans coming from Central America. Many of the migrants are fleeing their homes in the wake of crop failures, the result of a massive drought that has lasted for five years. Also, without the fina...
Jan 25, 2019•51 min
Defending Public Lands / Beyond the Headlines / Ocean Warming Speeding Up / Youth Activists Call for a Minnesota Green New Deal / Brazil's President Targets Amazon / An Amazon Tribe Turns to Modern Technology to Save Their Trees In this episode we hear how protections for the Amazon Rainforest and its indigenous peoples are being weakened by Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro. And new data shows the Earth's oceans are warming much more rapidly than previously reported. That means rising sea ...
Jan 18, 2019•51 min
Capitol Hill Panel on Climate Crisis / Beyond The Headlines / Lead in Newark's Water / 'Forest Bathing' for Health / The Conservation Costs of Shutdowns Florida Democrat Kathy Castor tells Living on Earth that the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis she's chairing will press for climate change to be taken into account for all House legislation. Concerns abound about the impacts of government shutdowns on national parks and forests. Examples range from the National Mall to Joshua Tree, w...
Jan 11, 2019•51 min
A Greener U.S. Congress / Kerala's Ambitious Organic Pledge / Pesticide Peril in Paradise Democrats now hold a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in nearly a decade. Under Speaker Nancy Pelosi the House leadership now recognizes the science of climate change and has created a new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Also, locals call the lush tropical Indian state of Kerala "God's own country". But food there is laden with chemicals and cancer rates are rising. So the...
Jan 04, 2019•51 min
Rebuilding Puerto Rico's Battered Farms / "Pa'lante": Puerto Rican Resilience After Maria / Volunteers Test Drinking Water in Puerto Rico / Repairing Puerto Rico's Corals Puerto Ricans continue to rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which killed thousands and wiped out basic services. Now a new and more resilient Puerto Rico is emerging: from a nascent local food movement, to citizen scientists testing water for safety, to Puerto Ricans restoring their island's coral reefs. How P...
Dec 28, 2018•51 min
Christmas Candles / Mary's New Year's Eve / Superbowl Sundae / A Green Message for the Next Generation / A Mainer's Family Traditions At this coldest, darkest time of year, draw near the fire and the radio, join with family and friends, and savor the warmth and joy of good company, good food, and good stories. It's Living on Earth's story telling special - with some joyous tales, environmental insights and musical surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 21, 2018•51 min
Rules To Save The Climate / Beyond The Headlines / Climate Action Off Track / Most Republicans Believe In Climate Change / Creating The Earth And Moon UPDATE: Rules for reporting climate protection progress were adopted at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, as almost all 190-plus countries in the climate treaty called for stronger international commitments on climate action. But the United States joined a faction promoting global warming coal. Also, while nearly 80% ...
Dec 14, 2018•51 min
Meet Deb Haaland, Native American Congresswoman / Beyond The Headlines / The Environmental Voting Gap / The Right To Repair / Is Shopping In A Store Greener Than Buying Online? / Green Gifts For The Holiday Season / Smeagull The Seagull: A True Story New Mexico's 1st Congressional District is sending Deb Haaland to Capitol Hill in January. A Democrat, she's one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress and campaigned on climate change and other environmental issues. Also, some 2...
Dec 07, 2018•51 min
Trump Climate Change Report / Saving The Sumatran Rhino / Climate Dangers of Palm Oil / BirdNote®: Long-Lived Wisdom, The Albatross / Beyond The Headlines / New England's Stone Walls The latest National Climate Assessment brings the most serious warning yet about present and future climate impacts in the U.S. But the Trump Administration is downplaying the findings of its own agencies as it continues to pursue rollbacks of climate protection regulations. Also, with fewer than 80 Sumatran Rhinos ...
Nov 30, 2018•51 min
Keystone XL Blocked Again / Beyond The Headlines / Emerging Science Note: Coral Reefs Wrecked By Rising Seas / Fighting Climate Change, Naturally / Let The Leaves Be And Feed The Birds / BirdNote®: How Much Do Birds Eat? / Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land In a major setback for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, a federal judge has halted the project, citing poor environmental reviews. Also, it turns out that a lazy fall yard-work ethic can hel...
Nov 23, 2018•51 min
The Climate For Wildfires / Beyond The Headlines / Beyond Gas For Cooking / A Tasty Vegan Thanksgiving / Rewilding The English Countryside Fueled in part by climate change, California's 2018 wildfire season is the most deadly on record. And mega-fires are becoming increasingly common in California and elsewhere. Also, a vegan Thanksgiving feast may not have turkey or gravy, but meat and dairy substitutes and some creativity in the kitchen can make for a delicious meal all the same. And a gas pip...
Nov 16, 2018•51 min
Democratic Wins And The Environment / A Blue-Green Wave / Trump Boosts Offshore Wind Power / The Place Where You Live: Glacier National Park / How To Be A Good Creature / BirdNote®: How Free Is A Free-Range Chicken? The Democratic Party has regained control of the House of Representatives, and environmental advocates see the chamber as a crucible for oversight of President Trump's environmental rollbacks, as well as forging bipartisan environmental legislation. Also, new offshore wind projects c...
Nov 09, 2018•51 min
Your Health And Fluoride / Getting Hormones Out Of Wastewater / Beyond The Headlines / Brazil To Increase Amazon Deforestation / The Red-Tailed Hunter / Exxon Mobil Sued For Fraud / Investigative Reporting In Coal Country / Birdnote®: Two Phoebes Share The American West Most cities in the United States add fluoride to the water supply in an attempt to prevent tooth decay. But recent studies show a correlation between drinking water containing fluoride and health issues such as weight gain, fatig...
Nov 02, 2018•51 min
More Organics, Less Cancer / Beyond The Headlines / Gaza Water Crisis / Acquitted For Climate Convictions / BirdNote®: Saw-whet Owls Hoot And Hoot A major study finds a significant reduction in the risk of cancer among high consumers of organic food. Also, in the Gaza Strip, where every three out of four people are refugees, clean water is scarce, and there's a worsening health crisis for Gaza's children. And two recently acquitted protestors who temporarily shut down oil pipelines call for more...
Oct 26, 2018•51 min
Red Tide Boosts Blue Wave / Beyond The Headlines / A Warmer World Supercharged Hurricane Michael / Fly-fishing Saved From Pollution / Barbara Kingsolver, Unsheltered / Vegan Generation Gap A surge of toxic red and green algae blooms is fueling anger at Florida Republican Governor and Senate Candidate Rick Scott and could affect the November election outcomes. Also, how unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico fed Hurricane Michael's rapid intensification and essentially doubled its destructiv...
Oct 19, 2018•51 min
Kavanaugh On Environmental Law / Beyond The Headlines / Global Warming Is Heating Up / Bringing Back Butternut Trees / Night Moves / BirdNote®: Starlings Say It With Flowers / John Kerry: 'Respect Democracy - By Going Out And Voting' After being confirmed by a narrow margin, Brett Kavanaugh is now a Supreme Court Justice. We take a look at why he's likely to shift SCOTUS towards narrower interpretations of environmental law, which would limit the government's authority to regulate pollutants lik...
Oct 12, 2018•51 min
EPA Raises Risks To Children's Health? / Beyond The Headlines / Cool Fix For A Hot Planet: A Tiny, Carbon-Sucking Fern / Failed Tsunami Warnings / Walrus Changes His Mind / Hemlock Trees On Hospice / John Kerry Looks Back - And Ahead / BirdNote®: Chipping Sparrows: Song Learning Starts Early John Kerry is on a mission to get out the vote. As America and the world face pressing issues like climate change, he says there's a dire need for elected officials who are willing to face the future head-on...
Oct 05, 2018•51 min
Billion Dollar Losses Related to Roundup / Beyond the Headlines / Birdnote®: The Cuban Tody, A Caribbean Jewel / Rebuilding Puerto Rico's Battered Farms / The Tangled Tree Even before Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico imported nearly all of its food. Now, as locals rebuild their lives, an agricultural revival is bringing fresh fruits and veggies back to the island. Also, Bayer faces billions of dollars in potential court damages, after a jury finds Bayer-owned Monsanto knowingly sold a cancer-causing...
Sep 28, 2018•51 min
Wastes Flood The Carolinas / Science Note: Hurricanes, Lizards and Leafblowers / "Pa'lante": Puerto Rican Resilience After Maria / Beyond The Headlines / Women Climate Scientists Threatened and Harassed / An App For Urban Foraging Hurricane Maria brought great hardship to the residents of Puerto Rico and killed thousands. Now survivors are forging ahead with a spirit of resilience as they prepare for future hurricanes. Also, floods brought by Hurricane Florence inundate hog and poultry farms, sp...
Sep 21, 2018•51 min
California Moves Toward Carbon-Free Economy / Resilience In Puerto Rico's Tropical Forests After Hurricane Maria / Beyond The Headlines / Rising: Dispatches From The New American Shore California commits to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045, and as the Global Climate Action Summit kicked off, citizens took to the streets to call for swifter action. Also, Hurricane Maria stripped Puerto Rico's trees of their leaves, but forests that evolved in the hurricane belt have ways to cope with the dama...
Sep 14, 2018•51 min
Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Blocked / Beyond the Headlines / Volunteers Test Drinking Water in Puerto Rico / Crop Pests in a Warmer World / Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers Canada's Federal Appeals court has ruled that the Trudeau government improperly reviewed the controversial Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion, likely delaying the project past Canada's elections in 2019. Also, meet the citizen scientists who got to work testing Puerto Rico's water sources for safety in the wa...
Sep 07, 2018•51 min
Gulf Orphans / Sexual Misconduct in the US Forest Service: One Woman's Story / BirdNote®: Blakiston's Fish Owl / Conch at the Edge / The Place Where You Live: Rose-Hill, Mauritius Western wildfires are growing more intense with global warming, and more women are joining the US Forest Service to help fight these fires. But a deep-seated macho culture in the agency means they often face hostility and harassment, and retribution if they complain. Also, a team of rescuers wades through chilly northe...
Aug 31, 2018•51 min
Thousands of Lead-Poisoned Communities / Science Note: The Power of Dust / Obesity and House Dust / Bitcoin, The Energy Hog / Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind Lead is a deadly neurotoxin that's especially harmful to children's brains, and though it's banned in paint and gasoline, it's still found at dangerous levels in many communities. And another danger might be lurking under your bed - in dust bunnies. House dust can include chemicals that trigger the growth of mouse fat...
Aug 24, 2018•51 min
Flying Insects Crash / Emerging Science Note: Brazilian Peppertree / Trees On the Move / The Early Bird Breeds Fast / Baby Tern Goes Exploring / The Hidden Life of Trees / The Place Where You Live: Bear Creek, WI and St. Paul, MN Flying insects may plague us in the summer, but they're vital food sources for birds and bats, and they pollinate most of our crops. Yet 75% of them have vanished in the last quarter-century, with potentially disastrous consequences. Also, the big old oak in your backya...
Aug 17, 2018•51 min
