Environment

Calif. Lawmakers Extend Cap-And-Trade Program Through 2030

7:49am July 25, 2017

David Greene talks to Gov. Jerry Brown about the program which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions while issuing permits for emission of pollutants which companies can sell.

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The moon is pictured in this image from December 6, 2006. A new study shows the moon's interior might contain water.

A New Study Shows The Moon's Interior Could Contain Water

3:31pm July 24, 2017

by Christianna Silva

Sick of your crowded neighborhood pool? A new study shows there might be quite a bit of water on a more isolated place — the moon.

When it comes to convincing climate change deniers, Al Gore says, "Mother Nature is more persuasive than the scientific community."

Despite Climate Change Setbacks, Al Gore 'Comes Down On The Side Of Hope'

2:36pm July 24, 2017

by Steve Inskeep

Even though President Trump promised to pull the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, Al Gore still sees an "excellent chance" of meeting the accord's commitments to reduce global warming.

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Inside The Global Seed Vault, Where The History And Future Of Agriculture Is Stored

1:45pm July 24, 2017

Seeds on Ice author Cary Fowler describes the underground tunnel near the North Pole, which stores and protects a collection of 933,000 samples of different, unique crop varieties.

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As the drought has extended into yet another rainy season, some herders walk for hours to get to this dam.

As The Climate Changes, Kenyan Herders Find Centuries-Old Way Of Life In Danger

8:47pm July 23, 2017

by Eyder Peralta

Nomadic herders in Kenya's northwest are having to move farther afield as sustained drought fundamentally changes the landscape. The result: no grasses for their herds.

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Researchers Map More Of The Ocean Floor In Search For Missing Plane

8:05am July 23, 2017

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 did not turn up a plane, but it did uncover a detailed view of the ocean floor — volcanoes, shipwrecks, and mountains to rival Mount Everest.

Sharing Resources Across Countries To Fight Wildfires

8:08am July 22, 2017

Fires are burning in British Columbia. Scott Simon talks to Alan Goodwin of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, a program that shares firefighters with other countries.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in various stages of development displayed in Brazil in 2016.

To Shrink Mosquito Population, Scientists Are Releasing 20 Million Mosquitoes

4:51pm July 21, 2017

by James Doubek

Scientists plan to release millions of sterile, male bacteria-infected mosquitoes in California, to breed with wild females. They're hoping for a "steep decline" in the species that carries Zika.

World Faces Global Sand Shortage

7:49am July 21, 2017

The world is running out of sand. So much so that some countries have banned exports of sand, and there is a thriving black market for it. David Greene talks to freelance journalist Vince Beiser.

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Al Gore is back with "An Inconvenient Sequel."

Al Gore: Climate Change Issue Will Be A 'Much Bigger Political Plus' For Democrats

7:49am July 21, 2017

by Steve Inskeep

Former Vice President Al Gore tells NPR the partisan divide over climate change is fading. Politicians, he says, are told by their pollsters to focus on other issues, but "that's changing."

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