Environment

The champagne grape harvest in northeastern France, like this one near Mailly-Champagne, started early this year due to lack of rain.

Champagne Makers Bubble Over A Bumper Crop Caused By European Drought

5:51am September 13, 2018

by Eleanor Beardsley

A record heat wave ruined crops across Europe this summer, but not all crops. Champagne growers are ecstatic over a bumper crop of grapes this year. Vintage 2018 is expected to be one of the best.

Queue Listen Now

Environment

Mexico City: Thirsty And Sinking

7:34pm September 12, 2018

by Carrie Kahn

Mexico City is draining even more water from the ancient lake bed on which the city sits, causing it to sink. Climate change, political inaction and poor infrastructure are intensifying the problem.

Queue Listen Now

Trump Lauds Government Response To Hurricane Maria

7:11pm September 12, 2018

by Adrian Florido

President Donald Trump praised the government's response to Hurricane Maria, prompting an outcry among many in Puerto Rico.

Queue Listen Now

The Latest On Hurricane Florence

5:12pm September 12, 2018

by Sarah McCammon

Governors in five states have declared states of emergencies ahead of Hurricane Florence's arrival on the Eastern Seaboard. Officials have ordered the evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people.

Queue Listen Now

FEMA Under Trump

5:12pm September 12, 2018

by Brian Naylor

With Hurricane Florence about to make landfall, FEMA is going to be tested once again. Is it prepared under President Trump?

Queue Listen Now

North Carolina Prepares For Hurricane Florence

5:12pm September 12, 2018

Nearly 3,000 National Guard soldiers are being activated in North Carolina, where the governor warns that time to prepare is running out. He says residents should plan on losing power for days.

Queue Listen Now

A satellite image from Monday shows Hurricane Florence as it travels west and gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes Isaac and Helene have also formed off the coast of West Africa.

Are Hurricanes Getting Worse?

1:03pm September 12, 2018

Whenever a hurricane is on the way, the same questions tend to resurface. Are storms really becoming stronger and more frequent? And is climate change playing a role? NPR's Rebecca Hersher explains.

Manure lagoons on hog farms like this one in eastern North Carolina flooded after Hurricane Floyd swept through in 1999, creating environmental and health concerns for nearby rivers. Farmers are worried that the scenario will repeat after Hurricane Floren

Hog Farmers Scramble to Drain Waste Pools Ahead Of Hurricane Florence

8:55pm September 11, 2018

by Dan Charles

Hurricane Florence is heading toward a part of North Carolina where pigs far outnumber people. Farmers and environmentalists are worried about the fate of hundreds of open-air manure lagoons.

Queue Listen Now

A nearly 2,000-foot-long tube is towed offshore from San Francisco Bay on Saturday. It's a giant garbage collector and the brainchild of 24-year-old Boyan Slat, who aims to remove 90 percent of ocean plastic by 2040.

A Massive Floating Boom Is Supposed To Clean Up The Pacific. Can It Work?

5:54pm September 11, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

The giant, U-shaped tube is designed to form a garbage-corralling barrier propelled by wind and waves. Its creator hopes to remove half the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five years.

California's New Clean Energy Goal Could Be Difficult To Reach

4:35pm September 11, 2018

by Lauren Sommer

A new California law mandates that the state move to 100 percent clean energy for electricity in the state by 2045. But getting rid of fossil fuel power will be a challenge.

Queue Listen Now