Environment

Bull trout are running out of time in Montana as their traditional waters heat up, biologists say. By moving more than 100 fish to higher elevations, fisheries scientists hope to save the species by seeding a new population in waters that will stay cooler

Scientists Try Radical Move To Save Bull Trout From A Warming Climate

7:46pm October 08, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

Bull trout are dwindling in Montana as their home waters warm and invasive fish devour them. Scooping up threatened fish and moving them higher up the mountain could backfire. Is the risk worth it?

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The debate about sustainable diets has focused on meat production, which requires lots of land and water to grow grain to feed livestock. It also contributes to methane emissions. But the Cabinet secretaries with final authority say the 2015 dietary guide

New Dietary Guidelines Will Not Include Sustainability Goal

6:10pm October 08, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

A government-appointed panel wanted the federal government's 2015 nutrition advice to consider a food's environmental impact. But the Cabinet secretaries with final authority say it won't happen.

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Oregon Officials Replace Human Lookouts With Cameras To Spot Wildfires

4:55pm October 08, 2015

by Amanda Peacher

Maintaining a fire tower lookout can be costly for wildfire agencies, but in the West, many towers are still staffed by seasonal employees. Now the Oregon Department of Forestry is phasing out human lookouts in exchange for highly sensitive cameras. These cameras have the potential to change the way fire departments detect fire nationwide.

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Coast Guard Suspends Search For El Faro Survivors

7:37pm October 07, 2015

by Greg Allen

The cargo ship sank last week in Hurricane Joaquin, in which 33 people were on board. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what happened to the ship.

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The city of Fort Bragg, Calif., has ordered restaurants to drastically reduce the amount of dishwashing by serving customers with disposable plates, cups and flatware.

California City Orders Restaurants To Use Disposable Plates, Cups

4:55pm October 07, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

Officials in Fort Bragg also ordered restaurants to serve water to customers only upon request. As part of a stage 3 water emergency, things like washing cars using city water are prohibited, too.

Students sort grapes at the University of California, Davis research winery. The winery is experimenting with various methods to conserve water. The hope is that commercial wineries will follow suit.

Science

California's Vineyards Pressed To Turn Less Water Into Wine

1:59pm October 07, 2015

by Alastair Bland

California wineries use between 2.5 and 6 gallons of water to make a gallon of wine, not including irrigation water and other needs. But drought is forcing the industry to conserve in new ways.

U.S. Coast Guard Continues Search For El Faro Survivors

2:45pm October 06, 2015

by Greg Allen

The search continues after El Faro, a 790-foot cargo ship, sank last Thursday in Hurricane Joaquin. One body has been found, but family members and search and rescue crews remain hopeful.

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Amy and Dave Freeman paddle into the Boundary Waters, starting their 365 days in the wilderness to raise awareness of mining plans in the region.

For Environmentalists, Mines Near Wilderness Are Too Close For Comfort

5:42pm October 05, 2015

by Kylie Mohr

A couple is spending 365 days in the nation's most visited wilderness area to raise awareness of a sulfide-ore mining plan they say will put the watershed ecosystem in danger. Some locals disagree.

EPA Issues New Standard Restricting Ozone Emissions

3:07pm October 05, 2015

The Environmental Protection Agency's new rule sets reduces the threshold for the particles that contribute to smog at 70 parts per billion, lower than than 75 ppb currently on the books. NPR's Ari Shapiro learns more from reporters Joe Wertz in Oklahoma and Mose Buchele in Texas.

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The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20, 2010, killed 11 people and resulted in the nation's largest offshore oil spill.

U.S. Settles Claims Against BP Over Deepwater Horizon Spill For $20 Billion

2:12pm October 05, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch calls the deal "the largest settlement with a single entity in American history."