Environment

'New Yorker' Article Sparks Upsurge In Earthquake Survival Kit Sales

6:33pm July 22, 2015

After a frightening article a few weeks ago in The New Yorker magazine about a potentially devastating earthquake in the Pacific Northwest, there's been a run on survival supplies there. NPR talks to the maker of survival kits about his business.

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In Lake Mead, Lower Water Levels Make Exploring B-29 Wreckage Easier

10:28am July 22, 2015

by Will Stone

The reservoir outside Las Vegas is home to the wreck of a B-29 bomber that crashed in 1948. The region's drought has lowered water levels so much that scuba divers can now explore the wreck.

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A Strengthening El Nino Could Mean Wet Winter On The West Coast

6:23pm July 21, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block speaks to Mike Halpert, deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center, about a strengthening El Nino season.

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Los Angeles Angels Experience First Rainout At Home In 20 Years

6:37pm July 20, 2015

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were supposed to play the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night. Instead, the Angels experienced their first rainout at a home game in 20 years.

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The Smuttynose Towle Farm brewery in Hampton, N.H., has an invisible but tight envelope that keeps the interior temperature consistently cool or warm, prevents energy loss and ultimately saves money.

Survival Of The Greenest Beer? Breweries Adapt To A Changing Climate

11:35am July 20, 2015

by Andrea Shea

Breweries are grappling with more weather extremes — heat waves, snowy winters, heavy rains and drought. Many are coming up with creative ways to adjust to their changing environments.

You don't have to be outdoors to be hurt or injured by a nearby lightning strike, like this one in New Mexico. The pain for survivors can be lifelong.

'When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors' To Best Avoid Lightning's Pain

10:19am July 20, 2015

by Jeff Brady

Deaths in the U.S. from lightning strikes are up in 2015, compared with recent years. A convertible won't save you. Get inside at the first rumble of thunder, and stay away from plugged-in appliances.

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Floodwaters from rising sea levels have submerged and killed trees in Bedono village in Demak, Central Java, Indonesia. As oceans warm, they expand and erode the shore. Residents of Java's coastal villages have been hit hard by rising sea levels in recent

Science Confirms 2014 Was Hottest Yet Recorded, On Land And Sea

10:16pm July 19, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

The international report card is out and confirms the hottest average on record — for a third time in 15 years. More than 400 scientists contributed data, finding a spike in sea and air temperatures.

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As California Drought Wears On, LA Starts To Lose Its Trees

9:35am July 19, 2015

by Gloria Hillard

California's drought and mandatory conservation measures are taking a toll on Los Angeles' green spaces. First to go were lawns, and now people are not watering their trees.

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Birds, Bees And The Power Of Sex Appeal: The Ribald Lives Of Flowers

6:33pm July 18, 2015

by NPR Staff

They're billboards for sexual favors, says ecologist Stephen Buchmann. But get your minds out of the dirt: We're talking pollination — and it's played a surprising role in global trade and history.

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Paradise Fire Presents A Difficult Puzzle For Washington Firefighters

7:39pm July 17, 2015

by Ashley Ahearn

Over 1,600 acres of old-growth rainforest have burned in Washington's Olympic National Park. As Ashley Ahearn of KUOW reports, the wildfire is expected to persist through the rest of the summer.

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