Environment

The San Vicente reservoir in San Diego County stores water from as far away as the Colorado River. Pumping water into a smaller reservoir in the surrounding mountains could store excess solar power until it's needed, when the sun sets.

Environment

'Water batteries' could store solar and wind power for when it's needed

10:31am October 14, 2022

by Dan Charles

San Diego has an ambitious plan to store renewable energy, using extra solar power to pump water up a mountain. This old-style "water battery" technology could be set for a revival.

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Cattle graze near a fire in Amazonas, Brazil, on Sept. 22. A new report analyzed years of data on wildlife populations across the world and found a downward trend in the Earth's biodiversity.

Animal populations shrunk an average of 69% over the last half-century, a report says

6:47am October 14, 2022

by Joe Hernandez

A new report from the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London analyzed years of data on wildlife populations across the world and found a downward trend in the Earth's biodiversity.

An array of photovoltaic panels are pictured at a solar power park in Kozani, Greece on April 6, 2022. Greece's power transmission operator says it recently hit a new benchmark, using exclusively renewable energy for a brief time.

Greece says its entire electrical grid ran on 100% renewables for the first time

3:17pm October 13, 2022

by Bill Chappell

Renewable energy sources covered Greece's electricity demands for about five hours last Friday, the operator of the country's power grid said.

Environment

Environmental officials look at ways to reduce pollution in Yadkin River, High Rock Lake

2:57pm October 13, 2022

by Keri Brown

State environmental officials recently approved the Y

Invertebrates Winner: The big buzz. South Texas, USA. The world's bees are under threat from habitat loss, pesticides and climate change. With 70% of bee species nesting underground, it is increasingly important that areas of natural soil are left undisturbed.

See the buzzworthy winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

9:20am October 13, 2022

This year's top prizes went to a teen from Thailand and an American who is just the fifth woman to win in 58 years. Karine Aigner spoke with NPR about the significance of the photo and the award.

Environment

Urgent action is required if losses to nature are to be reversed, WWF report shows

5:10am October 13, 2022

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist at the World Wildlife Fund, about the organization's new Living Planet Report that shows a huge drop in global wildlife population.

This year's 25 MacArthur Fellows will each receive $800,000, a "no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential," according to the MacArthur Foundation website.

An ornithologist, a cellist and a human rights activist: the 2022 MacArthur Fellows

1:01pm October 12, 2022

by Elizabeth Blair

This year's MacArthur Fellows include scientists, artists and historians. The so-called MacArthur "geniuses" receive unrestricted grants of $800,000 for their "exceptional creativity" and "promise."

Bear 435 Holly is photographed at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

Fat Bear Week emerges from scandal to crown a new champion Tuesday

12:46pm October 11, 2022

by Bill Chappell

The park says its virtual ballot box was stuffed in Sunday's semifinal, won by the mammoth 747 — who faces a young upstart female named 901 in the final.

Cypress trees, some dead and some living, stand in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Fargo, Ga. Proulx writes about the swamps of Okefenokee in her book.

In 'Fen, Bog & Swamp,' Annie Proulx pens a history of wetland destruction

8:40am October 11, 2022

by Julie Depenbrock

Writer Annie Proulx may be best known for her works of fiction. But her latest book is a thoroughly researched and reported look at the role that wetlands play in our ecosystem.

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Dairy cows graze on a farm near Oxford, in the South Island of New Zealand on Oct. 8, 2018.

Environment

New Zealand angers its farmers by proposing taxing cow burps

12:06am October 11, 2022

by The Associated Press

New Zealand's government on Tuesday proposed taxing the greenhouse gasses that farm animals make from burping and peeing as part of a plan to tackle climate change. Farmers quickly condemned the plan.