Environment

California Wildfires Continue To Threaten Life And Property

4:27pm November 12, 2018

by Mandalit del Barco

Two massive wildfires continue to threaten California's Ventura and northwestern Los Angeles county. Driven by high winds and dry conditions, they've forced evacuation of 75,000 homes.

Queue Listen Now

At Least 25 Killed In California Wildfires

5:32pm November 11, 2018

Wildfires have killed at least 25 people in California, including at least 23 in the northern part of the state, where thousands of homes have also been destroyed.

Queue Listen Now

Chico Battles 'Most Destructive Fire' In California History

5:32pm November 11, 2018

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with the mayor of Chico, Calif., Sean Morgan, about the wildfires sweeping the region.

Queue Listen Now

Federal Jury Rules That Company Failed To Keep Workers Safe During Coal Ash Clean-Up

4:27pm November 09, 2018

A federal jury in Tennessee this week ruled in favor of blue-collar workers after a coal ash spill clean-up left many of them dead and sick. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Jamie Satterfield, who has been following the legal battle since last year.

Shawnee Rae, age 8, among a group of Native American activists from the Sisseton-Wahpeton tribe protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline in Watertown, S.D. in 2015.

In A Setback For Trump, Judge Blocks Keystone XL Pipeline Construction

11:10am November 09, 2018

by Emily Sullivan

Judge Brian Morris wrote the State Department's analysis of the pipeline's potential environmental impact fell short of a "hard look" on several items, including greenhouse gas emissions.

Swordfish like this one, sunning itself off the coast of Ventura, Calif. have traditionally been caught in drift gillnets. But ocean activists say the method is unsustainable because it captures too many other sea creatures.

California May Soon Unravel Controversial Nets Used To Harvest Swordfish

6:32pm November 08, 2018

by Alastair Bland

Some of the last drift gillnet fishers in the world capture swordfish off the coast of California. But their days may be numbered as lawmakers seek to phase the nets out.

Kristy Taylor baits her hook while fishing on the Two Hearted River in Michigan. She's part of a steelhead fishing class put on by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in an effort to inspire more women to fish.

Luring More Women To Fishing In The Upper Great Lakes

4:01pm November 06, 2018

by Morgan Springer

A new study finds an uptick in the number of women who are fishing in the Upper Great Lakes region. Younger women especially seem drawn to a sport that is traditionally male-dominated.

Queue Listen Now

Rancher Dave Creveling believes the cost of a new Washington state carbon fee would be passed along to rural people like him if voters approve it.

Washington State Could Become The First To Charge A Carbon Fee

3:04pm November 05, 2018

by Ashley Ahearn

A proposed fee of $15 per ton of carbon emissions in Washington state has several exemptions for large emitters, and has rural voters afraid they'll end up paying.

One of the BillerudKorsnäs packaging redesign projects replaced the plastic casing around camping gear with cardboard.

Environment

Beyond Plastic Bans: Creating Products To Replace It

8:13am November 04, 2018

by Cassandra Profita

Beyond straw bans, there's mounting pressure on companies to not use plastic packaging. That's creating a budding market for alternative products.

The climate change lawsuit inspired this rally in Seattle, along with ones in Portland and Eugene, Ore.

Young Activists Can Sue Government Over Climate Change, Supreme Court Says

4:30pm November 03, 2018

by Jacob Pinter

The 21 plaintiffs, many of whom are minors, say government policies infringe on their rights. "We need to as a country, do much bigger things," Leigh-Ann Draheim, the mother of one plaintiff said.