Environment

Supreme Court Case Could Reshape A Significant Environmental Law

6:27am November 06, 2019

by Ryan Finnerty

A dispute over wastewater and coral reefs in Hawaii could have a major impact on the reach of the Clean Water Act. The Supreme Court hears arguments in the case Wednesday.

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How The U.S. Withdrawing From The Paris Climate Agreement Affects Other Countries

5:10pm November 05, 2019

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Todd Stern, former special envoy for climate change, about what the U.S. withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement means for the U.S. and other countries involved.

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Harry Nevak (left) starts filling his boat in Newtok with his family's belongings in order to move them over to Mertarvik.

Residents Of An Eroded Alaskan Village Are Pioneering A New One, In Phases

4:22pm November 05, 2019

by Greg Kim

As climate change eroded the village of Newtok, its residents started making plans to move it. Many years and millions of dollars later, they are beginning the process of relocating across the river.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch Honored At Kentucky Center For African American Heritage

Environment

Visiting The Smithsonian With Lonnie Bunch

2:43pm November 05, 2019

The historian previously served as the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Russian research vessel Akademik Fedorov helped search for the MOSAiC ice floe. It made its way through the ice of the central Arctic Ocean.

Searching For Solid Ice As Scientists 'Freeze In' To Study A Warming Arctic

12:44pm November 05, 2019

by Ravenna Koenig

A ship of researchers is crossing the Arctic for a year attached to an ice floe. But finding the right chunk of sea ice was a challenge, in part because warmer temperatures are making it thinner.

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A vineyard worker drives a grape harvester tractor in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France, where climate change is raising new challenges for winemakers.

Climate Change Is Disrupting Centuries-Old Methods Of Winemaking In France

11:04am November 05, 2019

by Eleanor Beardsley

Drier, hotter weather — as well as drastic episodes of rain, hail and cold — has affected alcohol levels, weeds and harvest. The government is trying to help, but can France adapt quickly enough?

Environment

U.S. Begins To Formally Withdraw From Paris Climate Agreement

6:26am November 05, 2019

NPR's David Greene talks to Andrew Light, a former State Department climate official who helped develop the Paris climate agreement. The U.S. withdrawal from the pact will be completed in a year.

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News Brief: Impeachment Transcripts, Election Day, Climate Pact Withdrawal

5:50am November 05, 2019

The first transcripts from the impeachment inquiry are now public. Four states are choosing governors and state lawmakers. The U.S. formally tells the U.N. it's leaving the Paris climate accord.

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Advocates Try To Raise Environmental Awareness In Lebanon

5:08am November 05, 2019

by Ruth Sherlock

From its seas, to rivers, to its air quality, Lebanon is ruining itself. Scientists say the country should be a cautionary tale of what happens when governments prioritize business over environment.

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Coal ash swirls on the surface of the Dan River following one of the worst coal-ash spills in U.S. history into the river in Danville, Va., in February 2014. The Environmental Protection Agency wants to ease restrictions on coal ash and wastewater from co

Trump Administration Proposes Relaxing Rules On Waste From Coal Plants

6:30pm November 04, 2019

by Reid Frazier

The Environmental Protection Agency would give coal plants more time to close unlined coal ash ponds, and ease rules on wastewater. Opponents say that prolongs the risk of toxic spills.