In The World's 'Sixth Extinction,' Are Humans The Asteroid?
Scientists think an asteroid killed the dinosaurs. In today's extinction, humans are the culprit.
Environment
Climate Change To Make Lightning More Common, Study Says
Researchers writing in the journal Science say that if the rate of global warming goes unchecked, the frequency of lightning strikes will increase by 50 percent.
What We Learn When Find Silence
From NPR's Guy Raz, host of the TED Radio Hour: the story of environmentalist John Francis, who took a 17-year vow of silence — and what he learned about the power of quiet.
Starfish Illness Harms Other Sea Creatures
Starfish in the Pacific northwest are being decimated by what's called wasting disease. Researcher Drew Harvell tells NPR's Scott Simon that warming seas are making it worse.
Shrinking Glaciers Could Squeeze Washington's Water Supply
Washington state is home to more glaciers than any other state in the lower 48. And they're receding faster than ever before.
Turkey Looks For Energy In An Abundant Resource: Pistachio Shells
Converting the shells into biogas could provide most of the heat for a planned city of 200,000, engineers say. There's precedent in Australia, where macadamia nut shells are generating power.
With Drought The New Normal, Calif. Farmers Find They Have To Change
Three years of severe drought in California is forcing farmers and ranchers to make some tough choices. In some cases, they're rethinking everything about their business and finding new opportunities.
WATCH: How Carbon Dioxide Travels Around The Globe
A NASA computer model visualizes in detail where carbon dioxide is released, how it moves across the globe and how it's affected by the seasons.
What You Need To Know About The Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
The long-delayed project is a jobs generator to some and an ecological disaster to others. Ahead of a key Senate vote, we revisit what the Keystone XL pipeline would do and why it's so contentious.
Senate Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline Bill, In A Close Vote
The controversial project to expand an oil pipeline running from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico has failed to get the approval of Congress.