The Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail offers a truly immersive nature experience
Aquatic biologist Andrea Leslie says snorkeling gives people a chance to learn about the fantastic world underneath the water’s surface in a safe way.
Environment
Why isn’t extreme heat considered a disaster in the U.S.?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has never responded to deadly or damaging extreme heat. Environmental groups and labor unions are asking for that to change.
How millions of mosquitoes could save Hawaii's endangered birds
To a lot of people, mosquito bites are annoying. But to the rare Hawaiian honeycreepers, they're deadly. Scientists in Maui are racing against time to save them ... and discovering some pretty crazy innovations along the way. Like, releasing-mosquitos-incapable-of-breeding level innovations.
Bill Gates is going nuclear: How his latest project could power U.S. homes and AI
The billionaire philanthropist tells Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep his new TerraPower nuclear plant is safer than traditional builds. He’s putting his own money behind the project.
Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders
Joro spiders are spreading across the east coast. They are an invasive species that most likely arrived in shipping containers from eastern Asia. Today, we look into why some people find them scary, why to not panic about them and what their trajectory illustrates about the wider issue of invasive species.
Questions? You can also email those to shortwave@npr.org.
Questions? You can also email those to shortwave@npr.org.
Greensboro community meeting turns contentious over proposal to use local landfill
Greensboro residents voiced frustration with city officials about a proposal to move contaminated soil from Bingham Park to a local landfill at a community meeting on Wednesday.
Hawaii's birds are going extinct. Their last hope could be millions of mosquitoes
Hawaii's unique birds, known as honeycreepers, are being wiped out by mosquitoes carrying avian malaria. The birds' last hope could be more mosquitoes, designed to crash their own population.
Bill for `forever chemicals' manufacturers to pay North Carolina water systems advances
An effort to order manufacturers of "forever chemicals" to help North Carolina public water systems pay for upgrades to remove contaminants that a company discharged has been renewed in the General Assembly. The House Environment Committee voted Tuesday for the measure pushed by Republican lawmakers from the Wilmington area.
Here's why an Arizona medical examiner is working to track heat-related deaths
No one across the U.S. is consistently tracking climate-fueled deaths. One medical examiner has a new protocol on heat-deaths.
Piedmont Land Conservancy gains 127 acres for nature preserve near Pfafftown
The move keeps the land out of the hands of developers in a growing part of the county near a leg of the planned western loop of the Northern Beltway.