Environment

Shamim Banno, 55, walks up the Harchi Valley after she finished milking her cow. Farmers in the Harchi Valley in Pakistan's highlands have enjoyed a close relationship with their glacier that snakes between two mountain peaks.

'Maybe It Will Destroy Everything': Pakistan's Melting Glaciers Cause Alarm

3:27pm November 21, 2019

Pollution and global warming are causing glaciers to melt and form unstable lakes in the north of the country. NPR visits a valley where farms were destroyed by glacial floods.

Southeast Asia's Largest Lake Is Under Threat And So Is The Greater Mekong Ecosystem

5:51pm November 19, 2019

by Michael Sullivan

Southeast Asia's biggest lake is in serious trouble. Drought, dam building and overfishing have brought the Tonle Sap to a tipping point. And as the lake goes, so goes the greater Mekong ecosystem.

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Volunteers set up a footbridge across Venice's flooded Riva degli Schiavoni embankment on Nov. 13.

After Venice Floods, Volunteers Wade In To Help Salvage What They Can

7:17pm November 18, 2019

by Sylvia Poggioli

The Italian city is reeling from a week in which floodwaters damaged the city's cultural legacy, as well as homes and businesses. Volunteers are helping salvage precious books, among other items.

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The Challenges Scientists Face While Working In The Arctic Ocean

5:59pm November 18, 2019

by Ravenna Koenig

The Arctic Ocean is a stunning place that not many get the chance to see. But if you're a scientist there to do field work, that beauty comes with some pretty unique challenges.

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A burned trunk stands amid the devastation left after wildfires tore through parts of Brazil's Amazon rainforest earlier this year. During the yearlong period ending in July, deforestation claimed a span of the Amazon 12 times the size of New York City.

Amazon Rainforest Sees Biggest Spike In Deforestation In Over A Decade

2:29pm November 18, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

Not since 2008 has the Amazon been destroyed at a faster rate, according to Brazilian authorities. They say an area more than 12 times the size of New York City was deforested in the span of a year.

A "Sonoma Sustainable" sign hangs along a road in the Russian River Valley near Healdsburg, Calif.

Wine Moguls Destroy Land And Pay Small Fines As Cost Of Business, Say Activists

1:09pm November 18, 2019

by Alastair Bland

In California, fines are being levied against winemakers who violate environmental laws, but activists say they are a drop in the bucket compared to the damage.

Darlene Yazzie typically hauls water from a windmill 5 miles from her house for her sheep. Officials tell her it's unsafe for humans but OK for livestock.

Many Native Americans Can't Get Clean Water, Report Finds

12:59pm November 18, 2019

by Laurel Morales

A new report from DigDeep and the U.S. Water Alliance found race is the strongest predictor of water and sanitation access. This has implications for public health.

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Environment

How Virtual Reality Can Help People Better Understand Climate Change

7:19am November 18, 2019

by Nathan Rott

As communities plan for sea level rise, it can be hard to convince residents of the dramatic changes in store. A California scientist is testing one possible answer: virtual reality.

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Living Near The Future Pipeline

7:52am November 17, 2019

A Keystone pipeline spill is causing alarm among landowners who live in the proposed path of a new pipeline. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Jeanne Crumly of Page, Neb.

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Connecticut Plane Crash Sparks Toxicity Fears Over Firefighting Foam

5:23pm November 16, 2019

by Patrick Skahill

Last month, authorities in Connecticut extinguished a fire resulting from a plane crash with FAA-required foam. Now, other federal agencies are concerned the foam might pose health risks.