Environment

Tea pickers stand in the scorching sun, hand-plucking the tea leaves for about eight hours a day.

Tea Farmer In India Leads Charge For Organic, Evades The Charge Of Elephants

5:03am February 06, 2018

by Julie McCarthy

In the biggest tea-producing region of India, hazards range from red spider mites to wild elephants. One brave grower faces them head on, all while spurring a movement to grow tea organically.

After Deadly Mudslides In California, Residents Are Trying To Plan For Next Time

4:22pm February 05, 2018

by Stephanie O'Neill

Mudslides and debris flow in Southern California killed more than 20 people in January. Public safety officials say people in flow-prone areas throughout the western U.S. need to spend more time preparing for the possibility of these natural disasters.

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Jason Czapla, principal engineer for Controlled Thermal Resources, surveys the site where the company's Hell's Kitchen Plant will be built.

The Forgotten Renewable: Geothermal Energy Production Heats Up

12:49pm February 05, 2018

by Benjamin Purper

Experts say the American West is full of geothermal reservoirs whose energy could power millions of homes. But extracting that energy isn't easy.

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Cape Town Copes With Water Crisis

5:12pm February 04, 2018

The South African city of Cape Town is set to run out of water in April. NPR's Michel Martin talks to local business owner Nina Elvin-Jenson about how she's dealing with the water restrictions.

The Theewaterskloof Dam is at just 13 percent capacity and is full of sand and dried tree trunks. About 85 miles north of Cape Town, the dam supplies both city and local farmers.

South African Farmers Lose Crops And Workers Amid Crippling Drought

10:15am February 04, 2018

by Peter Granitz

Agriculture generates hundreds of millions of dollars per year for this nation. But with water being diverted to Cape Town and expected to run out in April, farmers are preparing for the worst.

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The White House will withdraw its controversial nominee, Kathleen Hartnett White, to lead the Council on Environmental Quality.

White House To Withdraw Controversial Nominee For Top Environmental Post

9:04am February 04, 2018

by Emma Bowman

The White House will pull nominee Kathleen Hartnett White to lead the Council on Environmental Quality. White has drawn criticism for her comments on climate change.

Patients seeking cancer treatment in the U.S. Virgin Islands must now go to the mainland. The Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas remains closed because of extensive damage to areas like the CAT scan suit

In The U.S. Virgin Islands, Health Care Remains In A Critical State

8:09am February 04, 2018

by Greg Allen

In September, two Category 5 hurricanes devastated the region. Now, its hospitals can no longer provide major surgery, cancer treatment or specialized care, forcing daily staff cuts and revenue loss.

Vegetable chips made by Forager and granola from Pulp Pantry. They're among several companies using the fruit and vegetable fiber left over from juicing in new food products.

From Scraps To Snacks: Pulp Left Over From Juice Bars Is Reborn In New Foods

3:07pm February 02, 2018

by Grace Hwang Lynch

Juicing is all the rage – and produces lots of leftover fruit and vegetable bits. Once thrown out as compost, that fiber is now sneaking its way into snacks, breakfast foods and even burgers.

Frank Gehrke of California's Department of Water Resources checks the snowpack depth with Courtney Obergfell and Michelle Mead of the National Weather Service.

California Appears Headed Back To Drought

9:48pm February 01, 2018

by Richard Gonzales

Less than a year ago, California declared an end to a five-year drought, but a lack of winter precipitation is bringing new worries.

Barrels of fish sit on a dock after being unloaded from a boat in Songkhla, Thailand, in February 2016.

Was Your Seafood Caught With Slave Labor? New Database Helps Retailers Combat Abuse

4:37pm February 01, 2018

by Clare Leschin-Hoar

Many seafood lovers use the Monterey Bay Aquarium's ratings to choose sustainable fish. Now it has rolled out a tool to help corporations assess the risk of human trafficking in seafood supply chains.

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