Environment

Rough seas prevented the NOAA's Okeanos Explorer from collecting data in the the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in February.

Protected Marine Area Near Hawaii Is Now Twice The Size Of Texas

12:22pm August 26, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was created by President George W. Bush. Now President Obama is quadrupling it in size — making it the biggest marine reserve in the world.

Environment

Volkswagen Has Tentative Deal To Compensate U.S. Dealers In Emissions Scandal

8:34pm August 25, 2016

by Sonari Glinton

The negotiations follow VW's installation of software in its diesel vehicles that cheated on pollution tests. The dealers' sales plummeted on the news. VW will give them cash payments under the deal.

Native Americans Protest New Oil Pipeline In North Dakota

7:24pm August 25, 2016

by Amy Sisk

Native Americans and environmentalists are protesting a pipeline slated to carry a half a million barrels of crude daily from North Dakota to Illinois. But the oil industry says the pipeline is safe.

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Fish Killing Disease Shuts Down Stretch Of Yellowstone River In Montana

5:05pm August 25, 2016

by Eric Whitney

Results are in from a preliminary investigation into the fish killing disease that's caused the unprecedented closure of a long stretch of the Yellowstone River in Montana.

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What would the world look like if we never had oil?

Oil #5: Imagine A World Without Oil

4:49pm August 24, 2016

Last of five episodes. We follow the Planet Money oil to a gas station. And we ask: What would our world look like if there were no fossil fuels?

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Tropical Storm Colin brought big waves to Fort Myers Beach in Fort Myers, Fla., in early June. Given the threat of serious flooding, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in the area.

Climate Change Complicates Predictions Of Damage From Big Surf

4:31pm August 24, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Earth's changing climate has made the quest to understand wave behavior more important than ever, scientists say. Rising seas, storm surge and dune and reef erosion all shape Florida's Gulf Coast.

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Early morning haze colors Mount Katahdin and its surrounding mountains as seen in 2014 from a height of land along Route 11 in Patten, Maine. The viewpoint is part of the Katahdin Woods & Waters scenic byway.

In Maine, Land From Burt's Bees Co-Founder Is Declared A National Monument

3:12pm August 24, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Roxanne Quimby donated nearly 88,000 acres of land — once used to harvest timber for paper mills — to the federal government. Now it's the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

The ancient Sulamuni temple is surrounded by a cloud of dust as a magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Bagan, Myanmar, on Wednesday.

Earthquake Rattles Myanmar And Neighboring Countries

1:26pm August 24, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

People as far away as Thailand, India and Bangladesh felt the magnitude 6.8 quake. Historic pagodas in the city of Bagan appeared to be damaged, and at least three people reportedly died.

Obama tours a flood-damaged Baton Rouge neighborhood.

President Obama Tours Flood Destruction In Louisiana

7:34pm August 23, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

Obama visited a neighborhood in East Baton Rouge Parish more than a week after flooding hit southeastern Louisiana, killing at least 13 people and damaging or destroying more than 60,000 homes.

Persistent Drought Kills Millions Of Trees In California Forests

4:47pm August 23, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Years of drought have strained California's forests, killing millions of trees and fueling wildfires.