Environment

Environment

Carolina Curious: Are large trucks required to have a cover to prevent littering?

3:42pm September 28, 2023

For this installment of Carolina Curious, listener Cortney Chappell wants to know why sometimes large trucks don’t have a cover on the back to keep litter from falling out.

Maui residents grapple with rumors about the fire and aid as they try to rebuild

10:35am September 28, 2023

by Pien Huang

As if the most deadly wildfires in modern U.S. history hadn't been devastating enough, Maui residents were then hit with rumors and conspiracy theories, making some people hesitant to seek help.

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Louisiana asks for a federal emergency, saltwater threatens Mississippi River

4:28pm September 26, 2023

by Halle Parker

As saltwater creeps up the Mississippi River towards New Orleans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to transport huge barges of fresh water to maintain safe drinking levels.

An International Energy Agency report says countries are setting records building solar power projects like this one in Mona, Utah in 2022.

A new climate change report offers something unique: hope

3:49pm September 26, 2023

by Jeff Brady

Electric vehicles and solar power are growing quickly and offering hope the world could still meet climate change goals.

The waters of the Ha' Kamwe' hot springs are healing and sacred, says Ivan Bender, the caretaker of the Cholla Canyon Ranch, which belongs to the Hualapai Tribe. Less than a hundred yards away, an Australian mining company called Arizona Lithium has been exploring for lithium.

The U.S. needs minerals for green tech. Will Western mines have enough water?

2:42pm September 26, 2023

by Julia Simon

As the U.S. plans new mines for copper, lithium and other metals to use in green technologies, mining projects in the West could threaten scarce water supplies.

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Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb says in nature, the weaker animals are usually the ones killed by predators. That changes when cars are involved: "Roadkill is not only eliminating animals, it's in many cases eliminating those healthy animals that populations need to remain strong,"

Cars are a major predator for wildlife. How is nature adapting to our roads?

1:44pm September 26, 2023

by Terry Gross

Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb says cars are killing animals, while highways cut off them off from their food sources and migration paths. His new book is Crossings.

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$5 million gift will support environment and sustainability efforts at Wake Forest University

10:34am September 26, 2023

by Neal Charnoff

Wake Forest University has received a $5 million dollar gift to strengthen its work on environmental and sustainability issues.

In this Sept. 19, 2021 file photo, flames burn up a tree as part of the Windy Fire in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest, Calif.

Thousands of federal firefighters face a looming pay cut. How much is up to Congress

9:50am September 25, 2023

by Ximena Bustillo

The bipartisan infrastructure law granted federal firefighters a big pay bump. Amid a looming government shutdown, that wage increase will expire, leaving first responders unsure about their income.

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Siblings Sofia Oliveira, 18, and Andre Oliveira, 15, pose for a picture at the beach in Costa da Caparica, south of Lisbon, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023.

Young climate activists challenging 32 governments will get their day in court

4:34am September 25, 2023

by The Associated Press

Six young activists are due Wednesday at the European Court of Human Rights, where they're accusing 32 governments of violating their human rights for failing to adequately address climate change.

EIS officer Arran Hamlet walks into the Government Meadows site to conduct environmental sampling for norovirus.

Norovirus in the wilderness? How an outbreak spread on the Pacific Crest Trail

5:00am September 24, 2023

by Pien Huang

Having this virus is bad enough at home, where you might spend hours hugging the toilet. Imagine having it out camping. Investigators wanted to find out how backpackers were getting and spreading it.