Environment

A bumblebee collects pollen from a flower. New evidence suggests climate change has left bumblebees with a shrinking range of places to live.

Buzz Kill For Bumblebees: Climate Change Is Shrinking Their Range

2:31pm July 13, 2015

by Dan Charles

Wild bees are some of nature's busiest pollinators of crops and flowers. But new evidence suggests a warming climate is squeezing the bounds of where bumblebees can live.

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Wildfires In Canada And Alaska Drive Thousands From Homes

1:57pm July 11, 2015

by Nathan Rott

Thousands of fires are burning in the continent's northwest, sending smoke as far as Tennessee. Some blame a brewing El Niño for the unprecedented start to the season; others point to climate change.

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Five 2,500-gallon water tanks wait to be unloaded at the nonprofit Self-Help Enterprises near Visalia, Calif. So far about 140 tanks have been distributed to homes, but at least 1,000 more are needed in Tulare County alone.

California's Driest Region Finds Short-Term Drought Aid

8:22pm July 10, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Progress is being made toward bringing water to thousands of Central Valley residents in underserved communities where wells have run dry. The question is how long this solution will last.

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Tom Selleck Accused Of Stealing Water For California Ranch

3:03pm July 10, 2015

TV star Tom Selleck has been accused of stealing water amid California's drought from a neighboring water district. Los Angeles Times reporter Matt Hamilton has been reporting on the the mystery of Magnum PI's water supply.

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Pope Francis speaks to crowds gathered Sunday in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

The Pope Is About To Weigh In On Climate Change. Not Everyone Is Happy

1:31pm July 10, 2015

by Scott Neuman

A number of conservative politicians have cast a dim eye on Pope Francis' statements on climate change. A teaching document coming out Thursday aims to make the environment a moral imperative.

Study Finds Most Ants In A Colony Are Slackers

6:26pm July 09, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Anna Dornhaus, associate professor with the University of Arizona's ecology and evolutionary biology department, about its study on slacker ants.

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Environment

Lake Mead's Drought Conditions Make Diving For B-29 Wreckage Easier

8:23am July 09, 2015

by Will Stone

The lake is home to the underwater wreckage of a B-29 bomber, which crashed on a secret mission during World War II. The drought is making it easier for scuba divers to explore the submerged ruins.

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Environment

ProPublica Documents The West's Water Crisis In 'Killing The Colorado'

8:23am July 09, 2015

Renee Montagne talks to Propublica's Abrahm Lustgarten about the Colorado River's falling water levels, and how flawed water policies and mismanagement are to blame — in addition to the drought.

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Lake Mead is at its lowest levels since it was built in the late 1930s.

As Lake Mead Levels Drop, The West Braces For Bigger Drought Impact

6:32pm July 07, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Near Las Vegas, levels in the nation's largest reservoir have dropped 140 feet since 2000. Water deliveries to Nevada, Arizona and California may soon be rationed — and farmers would feel it first.

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Budget Cuts Force Colorado National Forest To Rely On Volunteer Labor

6:32pm July 07, 2015

by Marci Krivonen

Uniformed volunteers are working visitors centers and monitoring trails in the busiest national forest in the country. The White River National Forest in Colorado is increasingly relying on free labor as federal budget cuts continue. The volunteers are doing what forest service staff used to do, including maintaining trails and educating visitors about bear safety.

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