Environment

In this aerial photo, a collapsed factory is seen with workers searching for survivors in Mayfield, Ky., on Saturday, after tornadoes came through the area the previous night.

Over 80 killed in tornadoes in central U.S.; Biden declares emergency in Kentucky

11:11pm December 11, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

A severe storm system caused scores of deaths and injuries and significant damage at a Kentucky candle factory, an Amazon facility in Illinois, a nursing home in Arkansas and many homes and buildings.

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There are too many bison in Yellowstone. Some will be relocated to tribal nations

8:20am December 11, 2021

by Scott Simon

Yellowstone's bison population is booming and will be culled. Scott Simon talks to Troy Heinert, executive director of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, about how tribes are involved.

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Decades-long dispute between Mi'kmaq community and commercial lobstermen escalates

5:09pm December 10, 2021

by Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi

The waters of Nova Scotia, Canada, hold one of the world's most lucrative lobster fisheries. A conflict over how to balance native treaty rights with commercial fishing rules is coming to a head.

New sounds show how life is back in recovered corals reefs

5:02pm December 09, 2021

A new study shows that restoring coral reefs can bring ecosystems back to life — and with them, their sounds.

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By the time it was contained, the Caldor fire had destroyed more than 1,000 structures, damaged 81, injured at least five people and forced some 50,000 people to evacuate from the Lake Tahoe area.

A father and son were arrested in connection with California's massive Caldor Fire

2:45pm December 09, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

David Scott Smith, 66, and Travis Shane Smith, 32, are accused of "reckless arson" in connection with the Caldor Fire, which burned more than 220,000 acres across three California counties this fall.

A swarm of more than 50 earthquakes has been detected off the Oregon coast in the past 24 hours, prompting seismologists to reassure Pacific Northwest residents that they're not in danger. The Blanco Transform Fault Zone is very active, but it poses littl

50 earthquakes hit off the Oregon coast, but scientists say they're no great shakes

3:37pm December 08, 2021

by Bill Chappell

A swarm of earthquakes led some people to worry that the seismic activity might portend The Big One. But seismologists say that given the location of the quakes, there was no cause for alarm.

Calif. rules to protect outdoor workers from smoke are rarely enforced, probe finds

6:53am December 06, 2021

by Farida Jhabvala Romero

California has strict protections for farm workers who labor outside when air quality is poor. But the state's worker safety agency rarely cites employers not in compliance with those regulations.

The holiday shopping season doesn't have to be unsustainable.

Environment

There is an environmental impact each time you hit 'buy now.' Here's an alternative

8:05pm December 05, 2021

by Michael Levitt

Overconsumption from the holiday shopping season can have negative an environmental impact. But there are ways to make gift giving more sustainable.

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Des Moines, Iowa, is in a stinky situation

8:09am December 05, 2021

by Ayesha Rascoe

Ayesha Rascoe asks Des Moines city official SuAnn Donovan about an ongoing battle against bad odors in the city's downtown.

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Communities of color face disproportionate exposure to pollution

8:09am December 05, 2021

by Ayesha Rascoe

Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Michael S. Regan, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, about the Biden administration's approach to environmental justice.