Environment

Antibiotic- and growth-hormone-free cattle gather at a farm in Yamhill, Ore. Despite farmers pledging to reduce or stop antibiotics use, a new report finds that sales of antibiotics for use on farms are going up.

Despite Pledges To Cut Back, Farms Are Still Using Antibiotics

6:48pm December 22, 2016

by Dan Charles

Many meat producers say they are reducing their use of antibiotics. Yet the latest government statistics show that sales of these drugs for farm use continue to grow.

Snow fell in and around the town of Ain Sefra, Algeria, on Monday.

Rare Snowfall Blankets Dunes in The Sahara

4:14pm December 22, 2016

by Maggie Penman

An amateur photographer in Algeria captured beautiful images of a rare phenomenon this week: the red and white swirl of snow dusting sand dunes in the Sahara.

About a quarter of California's electricity comes from renewable sources, like this wind farm outside San Diego.

Renewable Energy Sector Remains Optimistic Amid Trump Policy Outlook

7:56am December 22, 2016

Despite the fossil fuel-friendly cabinet shaping up under President-elect Donald Trump, renewable energy companies aren't as pessimistic as you might think. They say market forces are on their side.

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North Pole Temperatures Expected To Rise 50 Degrees Above Normal

4:43pm December 21, 2016

Temperatures at the North Pole are expected to be 40 to 50 degrees higher than normal on Thursday. Zack Labe, a doctoral student at the University of California Irvine, explains what's driving the temperatures up.

YouTuber Cory Williams reacts to the strange sound made by his local frozen lake.

Why Does A Frozen Lake Sound Like A Star Wars Blaster?

11:07am December 21, 2016

by Adam Cole

Visitors to icy lakes are sometimes treated to the sounds of a space age battle. Why? NPR's Skunk Bear takes on the cold case in their latest video.

Environment

Obama Blocks Offshore Drilling In Atlantic, Arctic Areas

7:52am December 21, 2016

by Jeff Brady

President Obama has placed large sections of the Arctic and the Atlantic Oceans off limits to oil drilling. The oil industry wants President-elect Trump to overturn the order when he takes office.

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Obama Administration Issues Offshore Drilling Ban In Arctic And Atlantic

10:54pm December 20, 2016

by Jeff Brady

The White House ordered an indefinite ban on offshore oil drilling in large parts of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Officials say President-elect Trump will not be able to automatically overturn it.

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Walruses rest on the shores of the Chukchi Sea, the vast majority of which was designated off-limits to drilling on Tuesday.

Obama Designates Atlantic, Arctic Areas Off-Limits To Offshore Drilling

6:07pm December 20, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

"These actions, and Canada's parallel actions, protect a sensitive and unique ecosystem that is unlike any other region on earth," the White House said in a statement.

Darnell Earley, former emergency manager of Flint, Mich., at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in March.

2 Former Flint Emergency Managers, 2 Others Face Felony Charges Over Water Crisis

4:19pm December 20, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

"All too prevalent in this Flint Water Investigation was a priority on balance sheets and finances rather than health and safety of the citizens of Flint," Michigan's attorney general stated.

Example #3: This book, from Jamaica, looks at the science of climate change.

Grading The World's Textbooks: Making Progress But Needs Improvement

3:02pm December 20, 2016

by Diane Cole

A UNESCO survey shows that school books often minimize, brush aside or misrepresent important issues, from gender equality to environmental protection.