Environment

Environment

It's Not Just Cars, Delivery Trucks Are Going Electric Too

7:40am March 16, 2021

by Camila Domonoske

There's been much buzz around electric vehicles lately. From Amazon to FedEx, delivery companies are updating their fleets, and going electric has an outsize impact on pollution and climate change.

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Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., is sworn in before her Senate confirmation hearing to be interior secretary last month. Her confirmation makes her the United States' first Native American Cabinet secretary.

Deb Haaland Confirmed As 1st Native American Interior Secretary

8:36pm March 15, 2021

by Nathan Rott

Her historic confirmation is also symbolic, as the agency was long a tool of oppression against Indigenous peoples. Haaland will be key to President Biden's ambitious efforts to combat climate change.

One Of The Heaviest Snowstorms On Record Hits Rocky Mountains

4:26pm March 15, 2021

by Sam Brasch

Residents of Colorado and neighboring states are digging out after one of the heaviest snowstorms on record. But it won't make more than a dent in alleviating the region's severe drought.

A woman cycles along a street during a sandstorm in Beijing on Monday.

Desert Dust Sweeps Into Beijing, Causing China's Worst Sandstorm In 10 Years

10:43am March 15, 2021

by Scott Neuman

Residents in the capital woke up to a choking orange hue in the air on Monday, as airborne dust from the Gobi Desert sent the air-quality index to hazardous levels and forced flight cancelations.

Bill Gates On New Book: 'How To Avoid A Climate Disaster'

5:05pm March 14, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates about his latest book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.

5 Tips To Ditch Fast Fashion And Cultivate A Sustainable Closet

1:48pm March 14, 2021

Fast fashion takes a toll on the environment and on workers. Here's how you can shop more sustainably and build a closet with a better impact.

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Repairing Damage And Public Trust 10 Years After Japan's Triple Disaster

4:15pm March 11, 2021

by Anthony Kuhn

A decade later the triple disaster, Japan is still recovering from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. Repairing the damage and the public's trust in government could take generations.

This prototype of a new USPS mail delivery truck is part of a recent contract to upgrade the Postal Service's fleet of delivery trucks. Only about 10% of the new vehicles will be electric, despite pressure from the president and Congress to do more.

When It Comes To Clean Energy, USPS Delivery Trucks Don't Yet Answer The Mail

11:23am March 10, 2021

by Brian Naylor

The U.S. Postal Service announced a half-billion-dollar contract to replace its aging fleet, but only a fraction will be electric-powered.

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Thousands of snow geese take flight near Conway, Wash. in 2019. The Biden administration is reversing a policy under President Trump that drastically weakened protections for most U.S. bird species.

Biden Moves To Make It Illegal (Again) To Accidentally Kill Migratory Birds

5:55pm March 09, 2021

by Nathan Rott

The changes will restore protections that were taken away under former president Donald Trump. But they will take time, and wildlife advocates say many bird species already face a risk of extinction.

Post Office Can't Afford To Replace Entire Aging Gas-Powered Fleet With EVs

7:43am March 09, 2021

by Brian Naylor

The U.S. Postal Service announced a half billion dollar contract to replace some of its older vehicles, but only a fraction will be electric powered. Environmentalists are disappointed.

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