Environment

Herring are delicious, with flaky, mild meat and oil that sizzles on their skin when grilled over a flame. Chefs and ocean advocates have been promoting the environmental and health benefits of eating small fish like this. But the case of the San Francisc

Herring Headache: The Big Obstacles To Eating Small Fish In California

7:00am February 29, 2016

by Alastair Bland

Chefs and environmentalists have been promoting the benefits of eating fish lower down the food chain. But San Francisco's herring fishery shows some of the challenges to spreading that message.

Science

Deep Time

12:13pm February 27, 2016

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

SciWorks Radio is a production of 88.5 WFDD and SciWorks, the Science Center and Envir

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Monarch butterflies mass on a tree branch in the Cerro Chincua mountain at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Cerro Chincua, central Mexico.

Report: More Pollinator Species In Jeopardy, Threatening World Food Supply

3:55pm February 26, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

About 40 percent of invertebrate pollinator species such as bees and butterflies are facing extinction, according to the global assessment.

A farmer applies fertilizer to soybeans in Kasbeer, Ill. Scientists say one significant source of nitrogen pollution is fertilizer that leaks off of fields growing corn and soybeans to feed meat and dairy animals.

Why Your Hamburger Might Be Leading To Nitrogen Pollution

2:09pm February 25, 2016

by Julia Rosen

Many farmers who grow corn and soybeans to feed livestock use too much nitrogen fertilizer, which can cause a host of environmental problems. To fix them, scientists say we should eat less meat.

Whoops! 12 Tales Of Accidental Brilliance In Science

6:00pm February 24, 2016

by Adam Cole

You nominated 300 cool stories of scientific surprise for Skunk Bear's Golden Mole Award. Our shortlist has it all: circuits painted with light, imperceptible genitalia, and a terrifying frog.

The National Park Service says this year's wildflower bloom is the best one Death Valley has seen in years.

Death Valley's Harsh Desert Blanketed With Wildflower 'Super Bloom'

5:29pm February 24, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Death Valley, Calif., one of the hottest places in the world, is in bloom with more than twenty species of desert wildflowers. It's the biggest bloom the park has seen in a decade.

Actions In Amazon Rain Forest Contradict Brazil's Promise

6:53am February 24, 2016

Brazil is home to more than half of the rain forest and it contributes to carbon pollution. Steve Inskeep talks to journalist Juliana Barbassa about how plans to put a stop to deforestation are going.

This aerial photo shows the island village of Kivalina, Alaska, a community of 400 people that is already receding into the ocean as a result of rising sea levels.

Sea Levels Rose Faster Last Century Than In Previous 2,700 Years, Study Finds

1:53pm February 23, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

And researchers predict things are going to get worse — their findings suggest sea levels will rise between 1 to 4 feet by 2100.

Fueled by low gas prices and a stronger economy, Americans drove a record 3.15 trillion vehicle miles in 2015. But the additional driving may lead to more pollution and traffic gridlock.

Cheap Gas Means More Driving And Getting Stuck In Traffic

1:45pm February 23, 2016

by David Schaper

New federal numbers show that amid falling gas prices, Americans drove a record 3.15 trillion vehicle miles last year. This also means more pollution and traffic gridlock.

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Is The BP Oil Spill Settlement Money Being Well-Spent?

9:05am February 23, 2016

by Debbie Elliott

Gulf states are starting to spend the first of billions from BP's settlements and fines for the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history — but not all the money is being used for restoration.

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