Environment

Troy Capps found deer antlers in central Oregon's backcountry. Capps is a co-founder of Oregon Shed Hunters, a group that promotes ethical shed hunting.

Volunteer Rangers Work To Rein In Antler Poachers

10:40am June 20, 2015

by Courtney Flatt

The popularity of antlers as rustic décor is threatening deer and elk in the Pacific Northwest. The animals can naturally shed antlers, but some people harass or kill animals to get at prized racks.

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Proposed Oil Refinery Could Help Washington State Meet Clean Fuel Standards

8:13pm June 19, 2015

by Conrad Wilson

The push for cleaner fuels in Oregon and Washington could bring the region more crude oil and a new refinery along the Columbia River. It would be the first refinery on the West Coast in 25 years.

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Customs officers in Hong Kong stand guard near several tons of ivory tusks seized during an anti-smuggling operation in 2012. The tusks and other ivory items had been shipped inside two containers from Tanzania and Kenya.

DNA Tracking Of Ivory Helps Biologists Find Poaching Hotspots

5:40pm June 19, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

To stop elephant slaughter in Africa, zoologist Sam Wasser spent years extracting DNA from elephant dung and tissue. Much of the world's poached ivory, he discovered, comes from just two hotspots.

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Removing micropollutants from wastewater isn't cheap or easy.

Hunting Ways To Keep Synthetic Estrogens Out Of Rivers And Seas

1:26pm June 19, 2015

by Jessie Rack

Hormones from medical treatments wind up in wastewater, and that can be a problem. Some scientists think a version of a household chemical, hydrogen peroxide, could be part of the solution.

Ram Trucks parade near AT&T Stadium in April. The EPA and Department of Transportation has proposed stricter emissions guidelines for medium and heavy-duty trucks.

Administration Proposes New Truck Emissions Rules To Reduce CO2

12:27pm June 19, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The new rules, yet to be finalized, were expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter by the year 2027.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower found on the sidewalk in Meridian Hill Park, Washington, D.C. It's edible, but isn't on "Wildman" Steve Brill's list of seven.

In Search Of Edible Weeds: Adventures In Urban Foraging By App

7:11am June 19, 2015

by Ina Yang

An expert forager has a video and an app for finding weeds to make the ultimate locally grown salad. But even a master foraging app might not lead an amateur to success.

Pope Francis Calls For Urgent Action On Climate Change In Encyclical

10:52pm June 18, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

Pope Francis blames climate change on apathy, political shortsightedness and a pursuit of profits. In a papal encyclical, he calls climate change one of the principal challenges facing humanity today.

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Both Catholics, Non-Catholics Applaud Pope For Bold Remarks On Climate Change

8:58pm June 18, 2015

by David Schaper

Catholics across the nation are reacting to a sweeping encyclical issued by Pope Francis on the issue of climate change. The 184-page papal letter explains that it is a global problem with far reaching environmental and social ramifications.

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Pope Francis Uses Encyclical To Deliver Moral Message On Climate Change

8:58pm June 18, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block speaks to John Carr of Georgetown University's Initiative on Catholic Thought and Public Life about Pope Francis' call to moral action on climate change.

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ADP Co-chairs Daniel Reifsnyder (left) and Ahmed Djoghlaf (center) say their negotiation work is difficult but worth it. "We only have one planet, you know," Reifsnyder says. "We have to protect it."

Two Guys In Paris Aim To Charm The World Into Climate Action

2:51pm June 18, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

It's a nightmarish job: No exercise or fresh air and little food and sleep for days at a time, all in an effort to persuade 200 countries to save Earth's climate and the planet. Can they do it?

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