Environment

Katrina Sparked Push To Improve Hurricane Forecasting

10:50pm September 01, 2015

by Greg Allen

In the decade since Katrina, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service have invested in new satellites and computer modeling technology that have significantly improved their ability to forecast and track hurricanes.

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Obama Uses Alaska Visit To Focus On Climate Change, Native Issues

8:02pm September 01, 2015

by Mara Liasson

Environmentalists were disappointed when the administration approved offshore oil drilling in the Arctic. While in Alaska, Obama talked about climate change — drawing praise from that same community.

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Economic Concerns Fuel Campaign To Save The Sage Grouse

6:25pm September 01, 2015

by Nathan Rott

Many in the West are backing an effort to keep the greater sage grouse off the endangered species list. By saving the bird, they feel they can save the culture and customs of the West as well.

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There are about 400,000 greater sage grouse left on the landscape, spread across 11 Western states, from California to North Dakota. That's a fraction of what their numbers were just a century ago.

Fight To Save The Sage Grouse Finds Friends In All Corners Of The West

1:53pm September 01, 2015

by Nathan Rott

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether to list the greater sage grouse as endangered. Many groups, including some oil and gas firms and a conservation group, don't want that to happen.

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Delegates took their seats during the plenary session at the Bonn climate change conference on March 10, 2014. Negotiations resume this week; by the end of the year, the U.N. hopes to have forged a new global agreement.

How Are U.N. Climate Talks Like A Middle School? Cliques Rule

7:40pm August 31, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Tiny island nations, Latin American developing countries and even non-joiners like Switzerland have all found more power and influence in climate negotiations after forming or joining a group.

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What Do Low Oil Prices Mean For Unconventional Extraction Methods?

6:38pm August 31, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Barbara R. Shook, senior reporter-at-large at the Energy Intelligence Group, about how low oil prices need to go to make "unconventional oil" extraction too expensive.

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Firefighters extinguish hot spots after a wildfire, part of the Okanogan Complex, swept through the area on Saturday near Okanogan, Wash.

Worsening Wildfire Seasons Tax The Forest Service

1:58pm August 31, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

The agency says it's now spending record amounts on fire suppression, and these bills are coming at the expense of its other programs — many of which would help prevent future wildfires.

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President Obama is renaming Alaska's Mount McKinley in an effort to strengthen cooperation between the government and Alaska Native tribes. The peak is returning to its traditional name, Denali.

Obama To Rename Continent's Highest Peak From Mount McKinley To Denali

8:05am August 31, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

Efforts to change the mountain's name back to Denali date back to 1975. The White House says changing the name back "recognizes the sacred status of Denali to generations of Alaska Natives."

Professor Douglas Causey logs information as he tags and takes basic measurements of the birds he harvested in the Aleutian Islands on June 4. He is looking at the birds' blood and their diet, hoping to find out the ways the ocean is changing as it warms.

In The Stomach Of A Seabird, A Glimpse Of An Ocean Heating Up

1:43pm August 30, 2015

by Lauren Rosenthal

As the Pacific Ocean warms, the diet of Alaska's seabirds has been changing along with it. Now, on the eve of President Obama's visit to the state, researchers aren't the only ones paying attention.

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Strawberry pickers in Watsonville, Calif. Many farmworkers in the state are out of work because of the severe drought. Those who do have a job are often working harder for less money.

Farmworkers See Jobs, Earnings Shrivel In California Drought

3:52pm August 27, 2015

by Lesley McClurg

More than 21,000 are out of work this year from California's drought, a study says. The majority are farmworkers, and those lucky enough to have a job are often working longer hours for less money.

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