Environment

A red oak in Washington, D.C., that's estimated to have started its life in 1692 developed a fatal crack in its trunk.

Alive Since The 1600s, An Oak Tree Is Taken Down In Washington, D.C.

3:37pm June 29, 2017

by Bill Chappell

When the tree started growing around 1692, the Salem witch trials were being held in the American Colonies and Spanish colonists were retaking control of Santa Fe.

News Brief: Cardinal Denies Sexual Assault Charges, Travel Ban Details

7:44am June 29, 2017

Cardinal George Pell has been ordered to appear in an Australian court next month to face sexual assault charges. The Trump administration on Thursday will outline how the travel ban will work.

Queue Listen Now

Billy Crook's commercial crabbing boat, Pilot's Bride. He says it's looking like it's going to be a good year for crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay.

Chesapeake Bay Dead Zones Are Fading, But Proposed EPA Cuts Threaten Success

11:47pm June 28, 2017

After years of failed attempts at cleaning up the dead zones, the Chesapeake Bay, once a national disgrace, is teeming with wildlife again. But success is fragile, and it might be even more so now.

Queue Listen Now

A comprehensive study of air pollution in the U.S. finds it still kills thousands a year, and disproportionately affects poor people and minorities.

U.S. Air Pollution Still Kills Thousands Every Year, Study Concludes

8:28pm June 28, 2017

by Rob Stein

An analysis examining mortality among millions of Americans concludes that a tiny decrease in levels of soot could save about 12,000 lives each year.

Queue Listen Now

Beekeepers Feel The Sting Of California's Great Hive Heist

8:09pm June 27, 2017

by Ezra David Romero

This year authorities uncovered a "beehive chop shop:" nearly $1 million in stolen hives in a field in Fresno County. There's money to be made by renting out bees to orchards, and thefts are rising.

Queue Listen Now

An aerial view of the sequoia in Boise, Idaho, as workers prepared to transport it about two blocks. Heavy machinery had to be used to prune its roots and build a structure so they could move the roughly 100-foot tree, which was planted back in 1912.

What Does It Take To Move A 10-Story Tree A Couple Of City Blocks?

3:50pm June 25, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

That answer, as seen Sunday in Boise, Idaho: $300,000 and a lot of determination. St. Luke's Health System, which moved the historic sequoia, says it "was never even an option" to cut it down.

Rayne Charette repairs a broken cellphone at Brandin Limberhand's repair shop in Lame Deer. He and others who run the shop believe the tribe should focus on supporting entrepreneurs and leave the coal under the reservation in the ground.

People Of Coal-Rich Northern Cheyenne Torn Between Jobs And Sacred Culture

8:09am June 25, 2017

by Nathan Rott

Despite high unemployment and poverty, the tribe has never touched the billions of tons of coal underneath its land. But new opportunities from the Trump administration could change that.

An oil derrick stands out on the bitter, icebound terrain near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in 1974.

Alaska's 40 Years Of Oil Riches Almost Never Was

3:35pm June 24, 2017

by Elizabeth Harball

Oil began flowing down the trans-Alaska pipeline in 1977, transforming Alaska into a wealthy state. But if it wasn't for one man, the Prudhoe Bay oil field may not have never been found.

The cladding used in a 2016 refurbishing of Grenfell Tower in London helped last week's fatal fire spread. The combustible material is permitted in some parts of the U.S.

Some U.S. States Relax Restrictions On Cladding Suspected In Grenfell Tower Fire

12:30pm June 24, 2017

by Jeff Brady

Changes to building codes in some U.S. jurisdictions may allow the use of siding similar to that of Grenfell Tower in London. A fire at the apartment building killed at least 79 people last week.

The confluence of the St. Croix, top, and Mississippi Rivers, bottom, is seen from the air on May 31, 2012.

Environmentalists Rejoice: Court Says Land Regulation Doesn't Go 'Too Far'

10:48am June 24, 2017

by Nina Totenberg

The court upheld a regulation preventing a Wisconsin family from developing part of their land, denying them government compensation. The decision is a huge win for regulators and environmentalists.

Queue Listen Now