Environment

Was It Worth It For Lesotho To Sell Its Water To South Africa?

6:11am June 08, 2016

by Robert Smith

What happens when a country decides to sell its water then hits a drought? Our Planet Money team takes us to a country in Africa that might have given away its most valuable resource.

Landowners And Federal Officials Dispute Red River's Boundaries

5:27am June 08, 2016

by Wade Goodwyn

The federal government is changing the border between Texas and Oklahoma. What's going on? That's what landowners along the Red River want to know.

A weekday work session on the Student Organic Farm at Iowa State University has members weeding a perennial bed.

A Student-Run Farm Cultivates Passion For Sustainable Agriculture

2:01pm June 07, 2016

by Amy Mayer

The Student Organic Farm at Iowa State sends out CSA boxes to the local community — and of course, it gives students a chance to enjoy the (fresh, organic) fruits of their own labor.

On some sunny, spring days, California has more electricity than it can use, like from this solar farm in Fresno.

Who's In Charge? Getting Western States To Agree On Sharing Renewable Energy

7:15pm June 06, 2016

California has so much solar energy that some days, there's too much. One solution is to join forces across state borders. But in the West, that's sparking some not-so-neighborly opposition.

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Seth Barker of Maine Fresh Sea Farms checks a seaweed line. People have foraged wild seaweed off the Eastern Seaboard for centuries. But now a much more active effort to grow seaweed in the U.S. is afoot.

Seaweed On Your Dinner Plate: The Next Kale Could Be Kelp

3:47pm June 06, 2016

by Fred Bever

Why are chefs adopting sea greens in their cuisine? They're tasty and nutritious, and growing them is good for the planet. Maine's budding seaweed business is boosting an endangered coastal economy.

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Environment

Fish And Wildlife Service May Appeal Judge's Ruling On Cormorants

2:59pm June 06, 2016

by Peter Payette

A federal judge says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overstepped its bounds when it allowed some migratory birds to be killed in large numbers across the eastern United States.

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Buildings are seen shrouded in smog from the 102nd floor of Seoul's Lotte World Tower in December 2015.

Korea's Air Is Dirty, But It's Not All Close-Neighbor China's Fault

12:39pm June 03, 2016

by Elise Hu

South Korea likes to point the finger at China for its pollution woes, but that's not the whole story. New research is examining how much Korean smog is caused by neighbors and how much is home-grown.

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Appraisers Fred Oster, left, and David Bonsey, review a 1920 French violin at an Antiques Roadshow event in Los Angeles in 2005. Many stringed instruments throughout history have been made using small amounts of ivory.

New U.S. Ban On Ivory Sales To Protect Elephants

7:26pm June 02, 2016

by Chris Arnold

New regulation will ban almost all sales of African elephant ivory in the U.S. The changes will allow sale and transport of musical instruments, guns and other items made with small amounts of ivory.

Environment

North Carolina Zoo Reviews Policies After Gorilla Is Killed In Cincinnati

2:37pm June 02, 2016

by Eddie Garcia

The news of a gorilla killed at a Cincinnati zoo has captured the attention of the nation.

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National Park Enlists Predator Beetle To Stop Hemlock-Killing Insect

5:04am June 02, 2016

by Nathan Rott

The forests at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are sick, infected by invasive bugs and plants. The park's vegetation crew is like the nursing staff, protecting native plants and treating trees.