Environment

Hurricanes Lester, Madeline and Gaston (from left to right) are seen from the International Space Station on Aug. 30.

WATCH: International Space Station Flies Over 3 Hurricanes

10:30am August 31, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Two hurricanes in the Pacific — Lester and Madeline — are threatening Hawaii. Meanwhile, Gaston is crossing the open Atlantic. The space station got a good view of all three of them on Tuesday.

Bruce Hincks of Meadowood Farm walks through his patch of brussels sprouts in Yarmouth, Maine. Hincks, who has been farming for 40 years, said that this is the worst season, in terms of drought and heat, that he has seen in 10 or 12 years.

Northeast Farmers Grapple With Worst Drought In More Than A Decade

3:10pm August 30, 2016

by Jill Kaufman

This year, many fields are bone dry — and that has many farmers in the region thinking about how to manage their land, their animals and the water that is there.

Officials found the toxin microcystin in the blue-green algae present at Discovery Bay, Calif. For people exposed to the toxin, symptoms include dizziness, rashes, fever, vomiting and in more unusual cases, numbness.

Poisonous Algae Blooms Threaten People, Ecosystems Across U.S.

7:36pm August 29, 2016

by Lesley McClurg

Serious algae outbreaks have hit more than 20 states this summer. Algae blooms aren't unusual. But the frequency, size and toxicity now are worse than ever, and changes in climate are partly to blame.

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Officials from the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate discovered hundreds of dead reindeer on a mountain plateau after a lightning storm.

323 Reindeer Killed In Lightning Storm In Norway

3:11pm August 29, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

The reindeer died on a mountain plateau in central Norway. "I don't remember hearing about lightning killing animals on this scale before," says a Norwegian environmental official.

Worried About A Bleak Future, Climate Change Activists Hesitant To Have Kids

11:14am August 29, 2016

by Jennifer Ludden

Given the increasingly dire predictions about the future, being a climate activist is stressful. Some say it's making them stress over something else — whether or not to have children.

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Residents of Valdivia, Chile, inspect an enormous crack caused by the Great Chilean Earthquake on May 22, 1960.

When The Biggest Earthquake Ever Recorded Hit Chile, It Rocked The World

10:26am August 29, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

In 1960, all of Chile shook violently for more than 10 minutes. That quake along the western coast of South America was so big, it changed the way people see the world.

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Controversy Over Drinking Water Safety In N.C. Private Wells Drags On

7:12am August 29, 2016

by David Boraks

In North Carolina's capital Raleigh, sparks have been flying between scientists and politicians over possible carcinogens in the public water supply, from nearby coal ash pits.

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National Day Of Mourning Commences In Italy After Earthquake

8:44am August 27, 2016

Funerals are being held today for some of the more than 260 killed in the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that shook central Italy reducing many villages to rubble. Relief efforts are underway.

The Crystal Serenity, pictured here in Seward, Alaska, is the largest cruise ship to traverse the Northwest Passage, traveling from Alaska to New York City.

In Warmer Climate, A Luxury Cruise Sets Sail Through Northwest Passage

6:38am August 27, 2016

by Rachel Waldholz

Climate change is opening up the Arctic to luxury cruises, including an Alaska-to-New York voyage. The vacation destination takes advantage of warming oceans but raises safety and ethical concerns.

Rough seas prevented the NOAA's Okeanos Explorer from collecting data in the the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in February.

Protected Marine Area Near Hawaii Is Now Twice The Size Of Texas

12:22pm August 26, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was created by President George W. Bush. Now President Obama is quadrupling it in size — making it the biggest marine reserve in the world.