Climate

June 6, 1944 the Allied Forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and took the Nazis by surprise in the largest sea-to-land invasion in history. This would be remembered as D-Day and would ultimately lead to the end of World War II in Europe. However, this planned attack wouldn't have been possible without deep knowledge of ocean tides! We get into the whole story, including why tides sit at the intersection of astronomy and marine ecology — and why understanding tides are key to a greener future.

Want to hear us cover more science history? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

Researchers says the movies of the last decade are a missed opportunity, as very few of them address the urgency of climate change. They surveyed 250 of the most popular movies between 2013 and 2022.

Summer is supposed to be for vacation and more relaxation, right? Well, for climate watchers, this season goes by a more sinister name. Brittany and NPR climate correspondents Lauren Sommer and Nate Rott get into what changes in summer weather mean for how and where we live.

Then, it's prom season and high schoolers are showing out! But styles have changed since the days of poofy dresses and bedazzled purses: prom fashion has reportedly become more adult. For many young people, prom reflects their ideas of glamour, so does this shift say something new about the fantasies of girlhood? Brittany sits down with writer Hilary George-Parkin who wrote about the blurring of age in fashion.

Because of a change in the climate, giant sequoias have become more vulnerable to insects, disease and wildfire.

Craig Messinger was a longtime eyeglass salesman in the Philadelphia suburbs. The beloved father drowned in his car in 2021 at the age of 70, during a flash flood. His daughter remembers him, and reflects on how climate change played a role in his death. This is part of a series of short obituaries for people who have died in recent climate-driven disasters.

The summer of 2023 saw skylines choked by Canadian wildfire smoke, coral cooked in hot tub-warm ocean water and a month straight of 110-degree Fahrenheit high temperatures in Phoenix.

Scientists say 2024 will likely bring another hotter-than-normal summer and, with it, the potential for more climate-driven disasters.

NPR's Rebecca Hersher says forecasters predict an extremely active Atlantic Hurricane season.

And NPR's Kirk Siegler reports on a shortage of federal wildland firefighters ahead of a high-risk wildfire season.

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