Environment

In Florida's Lake Okeechobee, huge blooms of blue-green algae have become an annual occurrence. The Army Corps of Engineers is testing methods based on wastewater treatment to remove the green slime, which can produce toxins that threaten drinking water s

A New Old Way To Combat Toxic Algae: Float It Up, Then Skim It Off

10:30am July 29, 2019

by Greg Allen

Massive blooms of blue-green algae are choking Florida's waterways. On Lake Okeechobee, the Army Corps of Engineers is testing methods based on wastewater treatment to remove the green slime.

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Environment

There Are More Fireflies In Chicago Than Usual This Year. Here's Why

9:48am July 28, 2019

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro asks Doug Taron of the Chicago Academy of Sciences why Chicagoans are seeing more lightning bugs this year.

Environment

Hydroelectric Dam Project Could Threaten Tanzanian Game Reserve, Conservationists Say

8:00am July 28, 2019

by Halima Gikandi

The president of Tanzania has ordered that a major game reserve be split in two, and has banned hunting in the larger part of the reserve.

Can Fast Fashion And Sustainability Be Stitched Together?

6:33pm July 27, 2019

Spanish retailer Zara pledges to use nearly all sustainable materials by 2025. But is it possible for a fast-fashion brand, that churns out 500 new designs per week, to truly be sustainable?

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For the second time in a month, an intense heat wave has hit Western Europe, particularly France. In Toulouse, temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit by 10 p.m. This heat wave is characterized by unusually high temperatures at night.

Opinion: Is Anything More Urgent Than The Temperature Of Our Planet?

4:54pm July 27, 2019

by Scott Simon

Our Earth is in the middle of what may be the hottest summer on record. Scorching new records were set all over Europe this week. What could be more urgent news than the temperature of our planet?

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Deserted Oil Tanker Off Yemen's Coast Could Create An Environmental Disaster

5:45pm July 26, 2019

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Doug Weir of the Conflict and Environment Observatory about a deserted oil tanker described as a "floating bomb" that's currently anchored off the coast of Yemen.

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Public Meetings To Outline Duke Energy Coal Ash Settlement Details

4:39pm July 26, 2019

by Associated Press

The details of a Duke Energy coal ash settlement will soon be laid out

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Friday News Roundup - International

2:08pm July 26, 2019

The U.K. has a new prime minister.

A common guillemot (Uria aalge) brings a sprat to feed to its chick. The laying dates of this species were followed for 19 consecutive years on the Isle of May, off the coast of southeast Scotland. According to a new paper in Nature Communications, many b

Birds Are Trying To Adapt To Climate Change — But Is It Too Little, Too Late?

10:24am July 26, 2019

by Pien Huang

By breeding and migrating earlier, some birds are adapting to climate change. But it's probably not happening fast enough for some species to survive, according to new research.

More precipitation fell in the continental U.S. in the 12 months ending in May 2019 than ever recorded. Records go back more than 120 years. Blue areas had more groundwater than usual for May. Orange and red areas had less.

Small Towns Fear They Are Unprepared For Future Climate-Driven Flooding

4:59pm July 25, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

The central U.S. just experienced the most widespread river flooding ever recorded there. Flood defenses in major cities largely performed well, but many smaller communities were simply overwhelmed.