Environment

News Brief: Rainforest Fires, G-7 Summit, Iran's Economy

11:20am August 23, 2019

Wildfires are spreading in Brazil's Amazon rainforest. The G-7 summit opens Saturday in France. And Iranians answer this question: Who do you blame for Iran's economic troubles?

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In Brazil, Tens Of Thousands Of Fires Ravage Amazon Rainforest

6:41am August 23, 2019

NPR's David Greene talks to Jake Spring, a reporter for Reuters, about much of Brazil's Amazon rainforest being ravaged by fire. There's been an 80 percent increase in fires over the last year.

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Unsafe Lead Levels Detected In Drinking Water In Newark, N.J.

5:33am August 23, 2019

by Gwynne Hogan

Residents of Newark are receiving bottled water after elevated lead levels were detected in their drinking water. But there's confusion over who should get the bottled water.

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How The Issue Of Climate Change Is Shaping The Democratic Primaries

5:19pm August 22, 2019

by Scott Detrow

Climate activists have been pushing the Democratic party to hold a debate on their issue. Most candidates have clear plans to combat climate change, with Bernie Sanders releasing his on Wednesday.

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Satellites Show Thousands Of Fires Sweeping Through Brazil's Amazon Rainforest

4:36pm August 22, 2019

by Philip Reeves

Fires are always burning in the Amazon. But wildfires have surged 83% since this time last year, according to Brazil's space agency. Satellites have spotted more than 9,500 wildfires this past week.

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The Sunrise Movement has organized protests like this one in July in Philadelphia to pressure the Democratic National Committee to hold a primary debate focused on climate change.

Activists Push Democrats On Climate Change, A New Priority For Party's Base

2:43pm August 22, 2019

by Jeff Brady

The Sunrise Movement is holding rallies and registering voters, aiming to boost turnout among young voters. For the first time, polls show climate change is a top priority for the party's base.

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A guard sits in his truck at the entrance to the Darby Coal Mine in Holmes Mill, Kentucky, on May 20, 2006 - the day an explosion in the mine killed five miners. The owners of the mine later failed to pay nearly $3 million in penalties for mine safety vio

Environment

Mines No Safer Despite $1 Billion In Fines, Federal Audit Says

11:09am August 22, 2019

A Labor Department audit found no correlation between the federal system that fines mining companies for unsafe conditions and safety in mining operations.

Several of the fires burning in the Amazon rainforest can be seen even from space, as evidenced by this satellite image provided by NASA this month. Brazil's National Institute for Space Research said the country has seen a record number of wildfires this

Tens Of Thousands Of Fires Ravage Brazilian Amazon, Where Deforestation Has Spiked

11:32pm August 21, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

Researchers say there's been a huge rise in the number of fires compared with last year. That's likely linked with a similar leap in deforestation since President Jair Bolsonaro took office.

Environment

How Arctic Fires Are Impacting Earth's Atmosphere

6:04pm August 21, 2019

More than two million acres of forest have burned in Alaska this year. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with climate change researcher Nancy Fresco about the impact these fires have on the Earth's atmosphere.

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Kevin Carducci is part owner and plant manager of Omni Recycling. He says it costs the business $1 million a year to get rid of the plastics that can't be recycled.

More U.S. Towns Are Feeling The Pinch As Recycling Becomes Costlier

5:06pm August 21, 2019

by Rebecca Davis

The U.S. recycling industry is facing a quandary: Too much of the plastic we use can't be recycled, and taxpayers increasingly are on the hook for paying for all that trash to hit the landfills.

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