climate

Wilma Banks, who lives in the neighborhood of New Orleans East, sits on her bed next to her nebulizer and CPAP machine. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, when much of New Orleans was left without power, she wasn't able to power up the medical devices and

Entergy Resisted Upgrading New Orleans' Power Grid. Residents Paid The Price

8:28pm September 22, 2021

Entergy failed to rebuild a stronger system after hurricanes repeatedly damaged its electric grid. Then Hurricane Ida knocked out power for more than a week in the middle of a heat wave.

How Brazil's Severe Drought Affects The Entire World's Coffee Supply Chain

5:08pm September 22, 2021

by Philip Reeves

Attributed to climate change, Brazil's historic drought is devastating its coffee farmers, who's crops supply much of the world.

China says it will stop financing new coal-fired power plants in other countries, but coal use is expected to keeping rising within its borders.

Science

Ahead Of Climate Talks, China Vows To Stop Building Coal Power Plants Abroad

8:30pm September 21, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

The announcement provides needed momentum for global climate change negotiations in November, but coal power is expected to keep growing within China itself.

The U.S. Department of Labor building on March 26, 2020, in Washington, D.C.

The Biden Administration Is Adding Worker Protections To Address Extreme Heat

3:44pm September 21, 2021

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it will push to protect workers against rising temperatures, including a federal rule to safeguard workers from heat-related illnesses.

A patchwork of national and state regulations require utilities to trim around their power lines. More than a dozen of the country's largest utilities told NPR that falling trees and branches represent a leading cause of outages.

Climate Change Is Killing Trees And Causing Power Outages

1:13pm September 21, 2021

by Julia Simon

Fungi, parasites, root rot: Climate change is increasing the risk of trees weakening and dying. Falling trees have increased power outages nationwide, which threaten public health and safety.

A Hotter Climate Means Falling Trees — And More Power Outages

5:53pm September 20, 2021

by Julia Simon

Power outages are a growing problem in a hotter climate, and it's not just from bigger storms. Rising temperatures are also damaging trees, making them more likely to fall on power lines.

One thorny issue facing President Biden at the U.N.: the defense deal he announced with Australia and the United Kingdom, which left France so angry that it pulled its ambassador from Washington.

Biden Says 'America's Back.' The World Has Some Questions

12:40pm September 20, 2021

by Ayesha Rascoe

President Biden gives his first address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. He may find some skepticism for his pitch to work together on COVID-19 and climate after some recent decisions.

A helicopter drops water on the Windy Fire burning in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest, Calif., on Sunday.

California Firefighters Scramble To Protect Sequoia Groves

10:25pm September 19, 2021

by The Associated Press

Flames have already scorched a grouping of sequoias that mark the entrance to the groves, where the base of the world's largest tree has been wrapped in protective foil.

Nick Prior adds a keeper to the box for his grandfather Verge to band its claws. Nick hopes to continue the family tradition but isn't sure lobstering is sustainable as a career.

Maine's Next Generation Of Lobstermen Brace For Unprecedented Change

7:00am September 19, 2021

by Shannon Mullen

Maine's vital lobster industry is facing big challenges: new regulations; fewer young people entering the business; and threats to its thriving lobster population, including climate change.

Sequoia trees stand in Lost Grove along Generals Highway as the KNP Complex Fire burns about 15 miles away on Friday, in Sequoia National Park, Calif.

California Wildfires Make A Run Toward A Giant Sequoia Grove

10:31pm September 18, 2021

by The Associated Press

A shift in the weather accelerated the fires in the Sequoia National Park on Friday. The flames scorched a grouping of sequoias that mark the entrance to a grove of 2,000 sequoias.