Environment

Volkswagen CEO Resigns Amid Emissions Cheating Scandal

2:19pm September 24, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn abruptly resigned Wednesday, a few days after the company admitted it had rigged its diesel engine cars to pass emissions tests. The company faces multiple investigations and possibly billions of dollars in fines.

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Most fruits and vegetables — particularly after being cut — store better in an airtight container, Gunders says. And it's best to store them in see-through containers so we don't forget about them.

Don't Toss That Sour Milk! And Other Tips To Cut Kitchen Food Waste

10:57pm September 23, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

The typical American family tosses out some $1,500 of food yearly. From smarter fridge packing to sauteing soggy lettuce, a new book is full of tips to rescue edibles from landing in the trash.

Of the four sculptures that comprise The Rising Tide, two are businessmen or politicians — including this one with arms folded and eyes shut tight.

Set In Stone But Ever-Changing: Sculptures Reshaped By The Tides

2:25pm September 23, 2015

by NPR Staff

It's tough to see Jason deCaires Taylor's sculptures firsthand — unless you have scuba gear. Most of them rest under the sea. His latest work is fully visible only when the tide of the Thames recedes.

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Seattle Otter Treated For Asthma After Exposure To Wildfire Smoke

2:25pm September 23, 2015

It's not just humans that have been affected by wildfires this year. An otter called Mishka is being treated for asthma after being exposed to smoke by fires near Seattle.

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Lawsuits Will Be Next Battle In Sage Grouse Conservation Saga

12:06pm September 23, 2015

by Nathan Rott

The decision to keep the bird off the Endangered Species List is celebrated by those out West who worried it would cost them billions of dollars. But challenges to the decision are already emerging.

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Sage Grouse Does Not Need Protection, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Says

9:37pm September 22, 2015

by Grace Hood

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday the greater sage grouse does not need protections under the Endangered Species Act. The move is being celebrated by Western states and industry stakeholders because they say a listing would cost them billions of dollars in economic activity. But some environmental groups say the bird should be listed as endangered, and they plan to file lawsuits.

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Volkswagen Says 11 Million Cars Worldwide Have Emissions Cheating Software

9:24pm September 22, 2015

by Sonari Glinton

Volkswagen faces a growing scandal over how it used software to dodge clean air rules for diesel vehicles. The Justice Department opened a criminal probe and financial penalties are sure to follow.

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Wherever You Go, Your Personal Cloud Of Microbes Follows

8:38pm September 22, 2015

by Rob Stein

You're not just shedding microbes on every surface you touch. Research suggests you're actually walking around in an airborne plume of bacteria and other microscopic organisms that's unique to you.

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Stephen Jenner, from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, sprays an insecticide under an avocado tree where some Oriental fruit flies were found in Homestead, Fla.

This Pest Has Shut Down South Florida's $700 Million Fruit Industry

6:54pm September 22, 2015

by Greg Allen

Officials have quarantined 85 square miles of farmland in a fight to halt the spread of the destructive Oriental fruit fly. The freeze comes just as growers were starting to harvest tropical fruits.

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A male greater sage grouse inflates the yellow air sacs on his chest during a mating ritual at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming on Feb. 28.

Sage Grouse Bird Does Not Need Protection, U.S. Decides

10:14am September 22, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

The Interior Department said an unprecedented land conservation effort significantly reduced the threats to the greater sage grouse. At this time, the bird does not need to be listed as endangered.