Environment

Climate conference attendees in Bonn, Germany, see a representation of Earth's climate trends.

As Climate Negotiators Debate Nations' Pledges, Scientists Worry It's Not Enough

5:07am November 16, 2017

by Christopher Joyce

Delegates to the annual international climate meeting held by the U.N. are struggling to forge a unified approach to slowing climate change. Meanwhile, emissions of greenhouse gases keep rising.

MedStar Health clinic in Washington, D.C. An affiliated MedStar hospital is just one of many facilities throughout the U.S. that have been hit with shortages of certain medications because of recent hurricane damage to manufacturers in Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Damage To Manufacturers In Puerto Rico Affects Mainland Hospitals, Too

2:00pm November 15, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The island is a major center for drug and medical device manufacturing. After Hurricane Maria, those products, including small IV bags, are running short throughout the U.S.

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Belinda Batten of Oregon State University stands in front of a wave energy generator prototype.

Oceans May Host Next Wave Of Renewable Energy

11:23am November 15, 2017

by Jeff Brady

Researchers say there's huge potential for harnessing ocean waves to create electricity. The Energy Department is backing one effort in Oregon.

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Fall colors as seen in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

'Leaf Wonder' In A World Of Changing Forests

9:58am November 15, 2017

by David George Haskell

Together, aesthetic awareness and scientific analysis puts us in direct, sensory relationship with the forest and gives us the ability to understand what we see, says author David George Haskell.

"If I smell something out here, it's bad, and I can tell you during Harvey, it smelled real bad," said Juan Flores in Galena Park, Texas, about a leak that caused strong gasoline odors to waft through town.

Slow And Upbeat EPA Response To Hurricane Harvey Pollution Angers Residents

7:25pm November 13, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Harvey caused industrial facilities to release an extra 5.98 million pounds of air pollution. Some people who live and work near the plants are frustrated with the federal response.

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Air Pollution In New Delhi Forced Airlines To Ground Planes, Factories And Schools To Close

4:58pm November 13, 2017

NPR's Elise Hu speaks with Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi. She talks about how the air pollution is so bad, United Airlines had to cancel flights over the weekend, factories had to be shut down and schools had to close at one point.

Environment

Scientists Begin Tests In Wilmington To Study Human Impacts Of GenX

8:30am November 13, 2017

by Keri Brown

North Carolina State University is leading a project to find out the impacts of a little-studied chemical on human health.

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Michigan Pushes To Have Nation's Toughest Lead Water Rules

7:52am November 13, 2017

by Lindsey Smith

After the Flint crisis, GOP Gov. Snyder wants to adopt stricter rules regarding lead in water. He's pushing state regulators to change the federal rule because Republican state lawmakers won't do it.

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The Colorado River wraps around Horseshoe Bend in the in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, Ariz. on Feb. 11.

Environment

Instagram Crowds May Be Ruining Nature

7:52am November 12, 2017

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

When a particularly scenic shot gains traction on Instagram, visitors flood in. Travel photographer Brent Knepper tells NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro that can lead to permanent changes in the landscape.

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Gregory Reed tours a former school now becoming a lab for energy research in Pittsburgh. Reed says he's focusing on how microgrids can provide reliable, resilient and locally produced energy.

Pittsburgh's Microgrids Technology Could Lead The Way For Green Energy

1:11am November 12, 2017

by Daniella Cheslow

Pittsburgh wants to become a model for cutting edge energy supply. Researchers in the city are planning a network of microgrids.