Environment

Gasoline prices are displayed at a filling station in Philadelphia.

Gas Prices Pop Up Despite Historic Supplies Of Oil. Blame Spring

4:36pm March 02, 2016

by Marilyn Geewax

The Energy Information Administration says oil inventories are at "historically high" levels. Still, gas prices have been heading up because oil refineries are switching to more costly summer blends.

Ashara Manns says she has to plan her meals around how much bottled water she has.

Doctors In Flint, Mich., Push A Healthy Diet To Fight Lead Exposure

3:27pm March 02, 2016

by Rebecca Kruth

Even low levels of lead in children can cause learning or behavioral problems, the CDC says. But foods packed with calcium, iron and vitamin C can help reduce the absorption of lead in kids.

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Our 'Golden Mole' Winner Used To Paint Wasps For A Living

2:00am March 02, 2016

by Adam Cole

NPR's Skunk Bear blog received 300 nominations for our Golden Mole Award for Accidental Brilliance. We have a winner: Elizabeth Tibbetts found her luck, and scientific insight, in tiny insect faces.

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In recent years, a pesticide called flubendiamide has been used on about 14 percent of the nation's almonds, peppers and watermelons. Now the FDA wants to revoke the chemical's conditional approval.

In An Unusual Move, The EPA Tries To Pull A Pesticide From Market

9:54pm March 01, 2016

by Dan Charles

The pesticide got "conditional" approval eight years ago, but the EPA now says it could poison aquatic life. The move is raising hope among activists who want tighter regulation of pesticides.

Scott Kelly Reflects On His Year Off The Planet

6:11pm March 01, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

During his 340 days aboard the International Space Station, the astronaut documented his time there with hundreds of photos. Kelly says the perspective makes him feel like an environmentalist.

A bumblebee gathers pollen from a cherry blossom in a garden outside Moscow.

Is Nutritious Food In Peril, Along With Pollinators?

5:09pm March 01, 2016

by Dan Charles

A U.N.-sponsored report warns that disappearing pollinators, such as bees, could cut production of healthful foods like fruits and nuts. But the degree of damage is mostly a matter of speculation.

As part of a wider effort to reduce waste and energy consumption, Hamburg, Germany, has become the world's first city to ban the use of coffee pods in government-run buildings, offices and institutions like schools and universities.

Why This German City Has Banned Coffee Pods In Government Buildings

3:06pm March 01, 2016

by Esme Nicholson

Hamburg officials say single-use pods waste resources and aren't always recyclable. The city is believed to be the world's first to oust the capsules from schools, offices and other institutions.

Reclaimed land that was once mined for coal in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. When coal companies declare bankruptcy, funding for land reclamation becomes a question

When Coal Companies Fail, Who Pays For The Cleanup?

6:24pm February 29, 2016

by Leigh Paterson

The U.S. coal industry is fading. As more companies declare bankruptcy, they may not be able to pay for land restoration projects — and taxpayers could be left with the cleanup bill.

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A shopper's cart at WeFood. The supermarket sells items once destined for the trash bin at a discount.

Denmark's New Grocer Is Selling Expired Food, And It's A Hit

2:59pm February 29, 2016

by Sidsel Overgaard

Shoppers are flocking to a Copenhagen supermarket hawking perfectly edible but unsalable food items at a steep discount to the general public. It's the country's latest effort to fight food waste.

Mosquito larvae fill the cup of stale water that entomologist Luis Hernandez dips from a stack of old tires in a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico Races To Stop Zika's Mosquitoes Before Rains Begin

7:55am February 29, 2016

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an old foe, spreading yellow fever and dengue on the islands long before Zika gained a foothold. How do you stop an insect that can breed in a teaspoonful of stale water?

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