Environment

What happened to the EPA investigation into Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley'?

6:19pm October 21, 2023

by Halle Parker

The podcast Sea Change from WWNO and WRKF, looks at the EPA investigation into whether Louisiana discriminated against Black communities living in the 85-mile-long corridor known as "Cancer Alley."

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Many homes are destroyed in wildfires due to wind-driven embers that get caught in the landscaping. California is now drafting rules that would limit vegetation within five feet of a house.

Environment

With wildfires growing, California writes new rules on where to plant shrubs

4:51pm October 20, 2023

by Lauren Sommer

The plants and mulch within five feet of a home pose a major risk for spreading wildfire. California now has the tricky task of convincing homeowners to get rid of the greenery.

This massive collection of seeds could help fight climate change

6:03pm October 18, 2023

by Ida Lieszkovszky

Workers at an Ohio arboretum are collecting thousands of seeds to help restore forests and fight climate change.

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Rivers of meltwater carve into the Greenland ice sheet. Melting at the ice sheet's surface can spur more melt, creating a dangerous feedback loop.

A new study points to a key window of opportunity to save Greenland's ice sheet

4:23pm October 18, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

Even if the planet warms more than 2 degrees Celsius, the ice sheet can be protected if temperatures cool back down quickly enough.

The historical range of the Bachman's warbler included Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Environment

21 species have been declared extinct, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says

8:05pm October 17, 2023

by Ayana Archie

The species, including birds, mussels and a bat, have been moved off the threatened and endangered list. They join 650 other species that have gone extinct in the U.S.

Hundreds of active oil wells sit in densely populated and mostly low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles. A new report details why equity should be central to climate and energy policy in the U.S. to address historical practices.

Major U.S. science group lays out a path to smooth the energy transition

5:26pm October 17, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine says putting equity at the center of climate and energy policy will help speed along necessary fossil fuel emission cuts

A 1992 analysis by Duke University and EPA researchers found that children in a home with a gas stove have about a 20% increased risk of developing respiratory illness. A 2022 analysis showed 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the U.S. can be attributed to gas stove use in homes.

How gas utilities used tobacco tactics to avoid gas stove regulations

10:21am October 17, 2023

by Jeff Brady

Gas stoves emit potentially harmful pollutants, but utilities and their trade group avoided regulation with tactics perfected by the tobacco industry to cast doubt on science showing health problems.

An aerial view of a stuck boat on a dried out lake in Bolivia. A new report finds that September 2023 was the hottest September on record. South America - which is coming out of its winter - also saw record high temperatures.

Environment

It's the warmest September on record thanks to El Niño and, yes, climate change

6:46am October 14, 2023

by Julia Simon

A new government report finds that September 2023 was the hottest in the agency's 174-year global climate record. Climate change and El Niño are driving the heat.

Shein promotes clothes under $30, $20 or even $5, mostly made in China and shipped directly to shoppers.

America can't resist fast fashion. Shein, with all its issues, is tailored for it

8:14am October 13, 2023

by Alina Selyukh

With clothes cheaper than a latte, built for today's microtrends, Shein courts the same young women who launched the renaissance of thrifting and resale. Legal complaints about the company are many.

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Farmer Rob Stone (R) and Gregory Gingera, a canola breeder at Corteva Agriscience, walk through Stone's field in Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada in May. Canadian farmers are looking for ways to deal with recurrent drought, including planting earlier and using seeds that are more resistant to heat.

Climate rules are coming for corporate America

5:01am October 12, 2023

by Michael Copley

U.S. regulators are finalizing rules that will make publicly traded companies disclose information about climate change. Other jurisdictions have been announcing similar requirements.