Activists are ramping up actions against the Line 3 pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil through delicate wetlands and the treaty territory of the Anishinaabe peoples in northern Minnesota. And while that oil would be coming from Canada, President Biden is hoping he can use his executive power to pause oil and gas leasing on U.S. public lands and waters like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But this is being challenged in the courts. Also, increasingly the oil and gas we extract from th...
Jun 25, 2021•52 min
Juneteenth and African Foodways / One in Five Deaths from Fossil Fuels / Redlined Real Estate and 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 acr...
Jun 18, 2021•52 min
The Golden State Going Greener / Beyond the Headlines / The First All-Electric Ford Pickup / The EV RX / Backup: African Elephant and Chacma Baboon / Running Buffalo Clover / Roadsides as Vital Habitat California has often led the nation in environmental ambition, and now that his state finds itself with a big budget surplus Governor Gavin Newsom wants to invest 14 billion of it in climate initiatives, with a focus on vulnerable communities. We catch up with Jared Blumenfeld, California Secretar...
Jun 11, 2021•53 min
Corruption In Brazilian Government / The G7 Gears Up to Talk Climate / Climate Activists Take Board Seats at Exxon / Beyond the Headlines / One Step Further: The Story of Katherine Johnson Brazil's environment minister and nine other government officials face allegations of corruption, including profiting from illegal deforestation in the Amazon. But despite public criticism, the Brazilian government continues to endanger the environment. Also, climate activists take three seats on ExxonMobil's ...
Jun 04, 2021•55 min
Climate and Infrastructure / Beyond the Headlines / Youth Climate Plaintiffs Try Again / Audio Postcard: Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica / "Animal, Vegetable Junk" President Joe Biden's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure bill presents a rare opportunity to pass climate legislation through Congress. But it won't be easy and will require lots of political maneuvering. Also, back in 2015 a group of young people sued the United States for failing to protect the climate and therefore their rights to a l...
May 28, 2021•54 min
EPA Updates Signs of Climate Change / Beyond the Headlines / Rescuing the Planet / "Fight Card": Elk at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada / Brood X Emerges! / Cicada Cuisine Brood X is here at last: trillions of cicadas, underground for the last 17 years, are emerging in numerous Eastern and Midwestern states to transform, sing, and mate. Many will become a meal for birds, raccoons, squirrels and more. Also, eating cicadas isn't just for the birds. Insects are rich in proteins and nutrient...
May 21, 2021•54 min
Youth Activists Win Stronger Climate Action in Germany / French Climate Bill Disappoints Activists / Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Biochar and Irrigation / The Colorado River's Dwindling Water Supply After a trial brought forth by youth climate activists, Germany's highest court recently ruled that present government commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient to protect future needs. Also, humans have undoubted...
May 14, 2021•53 min
Fixing America's Water Crises / Beyond the Headlines / Young Climate Activists / Gardening for Abundance and Generosity / Secrets of the Whales In a bipartisan vote the U.S. Senate approves $35 billion to address the public health hazards of lead pipes and overflowing wastewater. Why water infrastructure improvements to protect public health are long overdue and where the money would be spent. Also, as northern springtime advances, gardeners look forward to carefully tending to what's growing in...
May 07, 2021•54 min
Methane and Swift Climate Action / Senate Votes for Strong Methane Rules / Biden, LOE and Dykstra / Getting Bushmeat Off the Table / "Planet" by Poet Catherine Pierce / Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in An Age of Extinction Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas that doesn't last long in the atmosphere, so reducing it can have almost immediate benefits for the climate. But weak Trump administration standards allowed the oil and gas industry to leak massive amounts of methane. Now the U.S. Se...
Apr 30, 2021•54 min
Greening the Economy / A Living Earth Called "Gaia" / Ecological Conversion and Solidarity As Living on Earth celebrates 30 years on the air, we share an Earth Day special that examines this decisive moment for the human species and our challenging relationship with our planet. We meet people who envision a future reshaped by an emerging energy system and new power structures, as we wean off of fossil fuels. Next we take a big-picture view of Earth as a complex and sustaining organism known as G...
Apr 23, 2021•54 min
Biden's Climate Summit / Beyond the Headlines / "Stooping" Turns Trash to Treasure / When a Gas Plant Moves in Next Door / BirdNote®: The Power Of Albatross Partnerships / Poetry in the Time of Climate Troubles President Biden has invited 40 world leaders to a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate this Earth Day, a key moment in the international effort to address climate change. Also, when people move out or clean up their apartments, many leave discarded items on the stoop or curb for others to cl...
Apr 16, 2021•55 min
Exploring the Parks: Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve / Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors / Exploring the Parks: Cactus and Snow in the Desert Sky Islands / Spring Awakening / A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration Some stereotypes about who can be "outdoorsy" can leave people of color out, but a pair of beloved Air Jordan "Bred" 11 sneakers is helping one environmental educator encourage young American people of color to feel that they belong in the outdoors. ...
Apr 09, 2021•54 min
Biden Boosts Offshore Wind / The Ocean as Solution, Not Victim / Restoring Life in the Oceans / Beyond the Headlines / Tips for the Casual Gardener Enric Sala's love for the ocean drew him into a career in marine biology. But as he studied damaged marine environments, he began to feel he was writing the "obituary of the ocean." Now he advocates for marine protected areas that support ocean biodiversity and bring big economic benefits. Also, President Biden recently announced a plan to dramatical...
Apr 02, 2021•53 min
Damaged Amazon Adds to Global Warming / Belo Monte Dam Disrupts Amazon Floodplain Balance / Horse of a Different Color / Beyond the Headlines / Prehistoric Magnetic Flip Shook Up Life on Earth / Not Just Maple Syrup: Birch, Beech and Other Sappy Trees The first broad study of all greenhouse gases in the Amazon rainforest reveals that the damaged ecosystem is now a net contributor to climate change, due mostly to warming and other human activities like logging, dam-building, and cattle ranching. ...
Mar 26, 2021•52 min
Madam Secretary Haaland / One in Five Deaths from Fossil Fuels / Note on Emerging Science: Oldest DNA Ever Sequenced / Families Sickened by Fracking / Beyond the Headlines / Carbon Bomb Fridges Ultrafine particulate matter produced from fossil fuel combustion is known to cause numerous health issues. A recent study finds that this pollution is responsible for one in five deaths worldwide, or about 350,000 excess deaths in the U.S. every year. Also, the fracking boom transformed rural towns from ...
Mar 19, 2021•52 min
Warming Planet Slows Ocean Currents / Beyond the Headlines / 30x30 To Save Species / Protecting Badger-Two Medicine And The Grand Canyon / Regenerative Farming for Soil Health / Regenerative Farming In Action The climates of North America and Europe depend on tropical heat circulated by massive system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean. But research shows that climate change is slowing this thermal conveyor belt, which is currently the weakest it has been in at least a thousand years. Also, Presi...
Mar 12, 2021•52 min
Radioactive Water Dilemma at Fukushima / The New Climate War / Hard Times for Ginseng Farmers / Beyond the Headlines / Nature and the Beat Despite rising global temperatures and an increase in climate disruption-related natural disasters, climate denial still runs rampant. Renowned climate scientist Michael Mann's latest book describes how fossil fuel companies have spent decades deflecting blame and responsibility in order to delay action on climate change. Also, ten years after the Fukushima D...
Mar 05, 2021•51 min
No Power For The People In Texas / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Wild Bees a Boost to Crops / A Civilian Climate Corps / Searching for Life on Mars The coldest air to visit Texas in a decade killed dozens, crippled the state's power grid and revealed the risks of extreme deregulation. How America's electric power system has grown more unstable in recent decades. Also, Washington Governor Jay Inslee shares a vision for a climate corps that could aid conservation, combat climate...
Feb 26, 2021•52 min
India Climate Activist Jailed / Beyond the Headlines / A New Leader for USDA / The Butterfly Effect: Insects and the Making of the Modern World Amid ongoing massive farmer protests, the Indian government is cracking down on activists including Disha Ravi, the young climate activist who founded Fridays for Future - India. How climate activism connects with the Indian farmer protests, and the government's attempts to silence activists and journalists. Also, President Biden's pick for Secretary of ...
Feb 19, 2021•52 min
India's Farm Crisis and the Climate Emergency / Beyond the Headlines / Angry Birds and the People's Climate Vote / Bottlenose Whales in the Arctic / Modernizing Mobility / BirdNote®: Here Come the Barred Owls / In Honor of Black History Month: Harriet Tubman and the Barred Owl India is experiencing dramatic climate impacts that are hitting farmers especially hard. On top of that, the Indian government recently passed legislation that could make it harder for farmers to get a fair price for their...
Feb 12, 2021•51 min
Biden's Pen and the Climate / Beyond the Headlines / GM in the EV Fast Lane / The COVID Biking Boom / An Owl-Inspired Hearing Test / Teddy Roosevelt's Conservation Legacy President Biden has signed detailed executive orders focused on protecting the environment and fighting against climate change, laying the groundwork for strong climate policy and green investment. And the private sector is already moving in that direction: General Motors recently announced a bold plan to phase out gas-powered ...
Feb 05, 2021•52 min
The Whole of Government For Climate Action / Resisting Line 3 Pipeline / COVID Risk for Tribal Cultures / Beyond the Headlines / Vista: A Break in the Storm / 'Becoming Wild' and Culture Among Animals The Biden Administration is making big and early moves to tackle the climate crisis and show the rest of the world and major investors that the U.S. is committed to decarbonization. Also, Native American communities have been hit especially hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly twice the morta...
Jan 29, 2021•52 min
U.S. Back in Paris Agreement / Biden Reverses Trump Rollbacks / Little Time Left to Save Right Whales / Beyond the Headlines / Ubuntu and Unity for Healing At his inauguration on January 20th President Biden called for unity at a time when America faces multiple crises. For a model of unity, Mr. Biden might look to the African concept of Ubuntu as a way to heal the many broken relationships in America. Also, hours after taking the oath of office, President Biden signed several executive orders t...
Jan 22, 2021•52 min
Merrick Garland and the Environment / Deb Haaland: 'Fierce for our Planet' / Interior's Next Frontiers / Beyond the Headlines / A Mayan Bee Guardian / Ice Visions President-elect Biden's Attorney General pick, Judge Merrick Garland, has ruled over many environmental rules and regulations while on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. What an AG Garland could mean for environmental policy and enforcement. Also, after four years in pursuit of extraction at the expense of conservation, the ...
Jan 15, 2021•52 min
Georgia's Green and Brown Voters / ANWR Oil Leasing / BirdNote®: The Oilbird's Lightless Life / Activism Cuts Plastic Waste in the Bahamas / Beyond the Headlines / Remembering Barry Lopez The Democratic victories for both of the Senate seats in Georgia's runoff elections are thanks in part to the state's environmental voters, who are more likely to be people of color and young, and to live in urban centers. Also, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge likely has billions of gallons of oil under it ...
Jan 08, 2021•52 min
Care for the Common Critter / 'It Could Be the Last One': Stories of People Helping Rare Critters / Wildly Magical: Animal Encounters in the Galapagos / Native American Stories of Human and Animal Kinship From one woman's dream of swimming with marine iguanas, to uncommon encounters with common rabbits, to a Native American tale of how the dog came to be our loyal companion, and much more, this Living on Earth holiday storytelling special features stories of how other species on this Earth touch...
Jan 01, 2021•52 min
The Power Of Stories / Native American Tales / Stories of the Night Sky and an English Wassail Native American myths and tales help us endure or even enjoy the short days and long nights of winter. Living on Earth's annual celebration of stories helps connect people with the natural world, and includes an Iroquois explanation of why the constellation Pleiades twinkles overhead and an Abenaki custom that asks forgiveness for any wrongs of the previous year. Seasonal stories and more, in this holi...
Dec 25, 2020•52 min
UN Moves Forward with Paris Climate Agreement / China's Bold Climate Action Plan / Keeping Coal from Going to the Bank / Microfiber Pollution: Note on Emerging Science: Denim / Beyond the Headlines / The Reindeer Chronicles: Working with Nature to Heal the Earth / Story Time Environmental destruction and habitat loss can feel overwhelming, but the trend can be reversed, as people around the world reclaim land and help mother nature heal herself. That's the focus of a new book called "The Reindee...
Dec 18, 2020•52 min
Africa's Low Covid Fatality Rate / Beyond the Headlines / Journeys North: The Pacific Crest Trail / Produce and Microplastics / 'Tis the Season for Green Gifts Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa has shown a surprisingly low fatality rate. Underreporting may not fully account for the discrepancy, so scientists are looking further to see if there may be other factors. Also, every year, several hundred intrepid hikers walk all the way from Mexico to Canada, on the Pacific Crest Trail....
Dec 11, 2020•52 min
The Pandemic And American Hunger / Beyond The Headlines / Ghanaian Climate Leader Wins Goldman Prize / Troubles For Science Research In The Pandemic / The Road To Darwin / Migrations: A Powerful Novel About A World Losing Life / BirdNote®: What In The World Is A Hoopoe? The 2020 novel Migrations is set in a future world where polar bears, chimpanzees and wolves are extinct, though not all is lost. For the novel's protagonist, this mass extinction is personal, sparking her perilous journey to fol...
Dec 04, 2020•52 min
