Environment

It's Becoming Increasingly Hard For California Homeowners To Get Insurance

5:56pm January 12, 2018

by Nathan Rott

Insurance companies are increasingly dropping homeowners in California because of wildfire risk. There's concern the problem will grow worse after this year's destructive fire season.

Queue Listen Now

Waves crash onto the beach near Brighton Pier in England, in January 2007. Gale force winds and heavy rain brought disruption to large parts of the country. Severe weather events like this one may be linked to more frequent fluctuations in the polar jet s

Scientists Say A Fluctuating Jet Stream May Be Causing Extreme Weather Events

4:54pm January 12, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

A new study says unusual patterns of the polar jet stream circling the Northern Hemisphere may have led to dramatic weather in Europe and North America.

California Woman Shares Story Of Mudslide Survival

4:18pm January 12, 2018

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Rita Bourbon, who survived the California mudslides in her home, but sadly found her neighbor's body in her backyard.

A firefighter searches for people trapped in mudslide debris on Jan. 10 in Montecito, Calif.

Southern California Hillsides Remain Vulnerable After Deadly Mudslides

2:47pm January 12, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

Deadly mudslides occured in Santa Barbara County, Calif., after heavy rain pushed debris down fire-scarred hillsides. If it rains again, more debris could be swept down the mountains.

Tim Kruger: How Do We Slow Climate Change Before It's Too Late?

9:35am January 12, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

To tackle climate change, geoengineer Tim Kruger is developing technology that could remove large quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere. But he says it takes unprecedented cooperation to make it work.

Queue Listen Now

How Firewood Is Faring In Vermont After Severe Cold Spell

5:13pm January 11, 2018

When New England experiences severe cold weather, rural homes quickly burn through a precious wintertime commodity: firewood. After the latest cold spell, NPR looks at how Vermonters' woodpiles are faring, and what the rest of the the winter will hold.

Search Continues In California For Missing People After Mudslides

4:38pm January 11, 2018

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Capt. Sara Rathbun of the Los Angeles County Fire Department's search and rescue team about the mudslides in Santa Barbara, Calif. The mudslides have killed at least 17 people.

Queue Listen Now

Sockeye salmon swim to spawning grounds.

Government Scientists Say A Controversial Pesticide Is Killing Endangered Salmon

3:14pm January 11, 2018

by Dan Charles

The insecticide chlorpyrifos, already under attack for its risk to small children, may be killing salmon as well. The National Marine Fisheries Service is recommending restrictions on its use.

Garbage lies north of Beirut in 2017, after it washed away from a nearby seaside dump. Beirut and its suburbs generate some 3,000 tons of garbage per day.

Environmentalists Warn Of Mediterranean Pollution From Lebanon Land Reclamation

11:35am January 11, 2018

by Ruth Sherlock

A land reclamation project that uses vast amounts of garbage extends hundreds of feet into the sea. "We are fishing plastic," says a fisherman. The country has long struggled to manage its waste.

A head of poor-quality malt barley taken directly from a field in Power, Mont. Heat and a lack of water resulted in small and light kernels. Grain rejected for malt barley often ends up as animal feed.

Montana Barley Fields Become Front Line For Climate Change And Beer

10:02am January 11, 2018

by Jackson Mitchell

Barley, the "king of malt," needs a precise recipe of water and sunshine to thrive — too much of either will cause it to wither and die. And amid a changing climate, that's exactly what's happening.