Environment

Pope Francis prays during his general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 3. The pope has made statements supporting the idea that climate change is man-made, and his upcoming encyclical on the environment and poverty is highly anticip

Will Pope's Much-Anticipated Encyclical Be A Clarion Call On Climate Change?

2:30pm June 18, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

On Thursday, the Vatican releases Pope Francis' document on the environment and poverty. He has said he believes global warming is a moral, and man-made, issue — angering climate change skeptics.

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Leaked Encyclical Highlights Growing Resistance To Pope's Reform Agenda

2:30pm June 18, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

A draft of Pope Francis' encyclical on climate climate change was leaked Wednesday before its scheduled release.

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The sun sets over the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Rio Vista, Calif., in 2013. The delta is the largest West Coast estuary and a source of conflict over the state's water.

Endangered Species Protections At Center Of Drought Debate

2:23pm June 18, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Lawmakers in hard-hit Western states are pushing for suspensions to the Endangered Species Act to free up stored water. But an entrenched partisan divide over the law continues to be a hang-up.

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Cardinals follow a news conference to present Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si," or "Praise Be," at the Vatican on Thursday. The far-reaching papal letter addressed climate change and the poor.

Pope Francis: Climate Change A 'Principal Challenge' For Humanity

10:59am June 18, 2015

by Scott Neuman

In a major encyclical, the pontiff calls on humanity to acknowledge a "sense of responsibility" for the Earth and said it was time to stop "masking problems."

Imperfect Produce is a new venture that's sourcing funny-looking produce and partnering with the chain Raley's to sell it at discounted prices.

To Tackle Food Waste, Big Grocery Chain Will Sell Produce Rejects

10:45am June 18, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

If fruits and vegetables don't measure up to cosmetic standards, they're often plowed under in the field. One company wants to help change that by creating a market for less-than-perfect produce.

M.C. Davis, former gambler and businessman, stands in his 54,000-acre preserve, Nokuse Plantation, in the Florida Panhandle. It's the largest privately owned conservation area in the southeastern United States.

Gambler-Turned-Conservationist Devotes Fortune To Florida Nature Preserve

7:22pm June 17, 2015

by Melissa Block

M.C. Davis made millions gambling and buying up land and mineral rights. Now, he's restoring ecosystems destroyed by agriculture and timbering in his private preserve, one of the largest in the U.S.

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Red Crabs Invade Southern California Beaches In Search Of Warm Water

6:48pm June 17, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Due to warm ocean temperatures, tens of thousands of red crabs are invading beaches in Southern California.

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The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, used a pair of satellites to measure water use in the world's aquifers.

NASA Satellites Show World's Thirst For Groundwater

6:25pm June 17, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

New data suggest that many regions in the world are overusing their underground water supplies. And researchers aren't sure how much remains.

The Hadera desalination plant is one of five built in Israel after a severe drought in the 1990s. Along with conservation efforts and water recycling, the plants have helped end Israel's chronic water shortages.

Israel Bringing Its Years Of Desalination Experience To California

2:42pm June 16, 2015

by Emily Harris

After decades of work, Israel now gets about a quarter of its water from the sea. But experts say desalination is not a magic bullet, and conservation and infrastructure fixes are also needed.

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Zoo Animals Roam Streets In Tbilisi, Georgia, After Deadly Floods

7:57pm June 15, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block talks to reporter Lawrence Sheets in Tbilisi, Georgia, about how the heavy flooding has killed 12 people and enabled zoo animals to escape.

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