Environment

Tucker Jones, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, counts sturgeon in the Columbia River. He says only 1 percent of sturgeon survive the 15 to 25 years it takes for them to start reproducing.

As Caviar Prices Skyrocket, Sturgeon Poachers Invade Pacific Northwest

2:31pm June 01, 2015

by Cassandra Profita

Global sturgeon populations are collapsing — most notably in Russia, where caviar is known as black gold. That's fueling a market for illegal caviar and driving poachers to the Columbia River.

The National Hurricane Center introduced a new storm surge forecast map this year. This map, centered on New Orleans, is a prototype.

10 Years Since Katrina: A Look Back At The Busiest Hurricane Season

10:26am June 01, 2015

by Greg Allen

Meteorologists say this year's hurricane season will be quieter than usual. But if a Category 3 or higher hit the U.S., it would be the first time since 2005, one of the worst years on record.

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EPA Announces New Rules To Protect U.S. Waters

9:45pm May 31, 2015

by Scott Horsley

The Obama administration announces a regulation it says is aimed at protecting the country's rivers, lakes and other waterways from pollution. But critics say it's a massive regulatory overreach.

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Soaked Texans Brace For More Storms After 7 More Inches Of Rain Fall

6:20pm May 29, 2015

More rain is forecast this weekend in North Texas after up to 7 inches fell last night across parts of the state, causing colonies of fire ants and snakes to take shelter in houses.

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Administration Announces Controversial Plan To Protect Sage Grouse

2:59pm May 29, 2015

by Nathan Rott

The Interior Department plans to conserve millions of acres of habitat for the greater sage grouse in 10 states. The move limits areas where petroleum and agriculture development can take place.

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A morning's berry harvest from West Philadelphia's Ogden Orchard includes raspberries, gooseberries, currants, goumis and mulberries.

Urban Food Forests Make Fruit Free For The Picking

2:58pm May 29, 2015

by Alastair Bland

Urban orchards are dropping everything from apples to avocados on Seattle, Bloomington, Ind., Boston and several other cities. Advocates say orchards can have longer lasting impact than gardens.

U.S. Finalizes Rules To Protect Rivers, Streams From Pollution

12:31pm May 28, 2015

by Brian Naylor

The regulations are intended to clarify recent court decisions on which bodies of water are protected, but many farmers and congressional Republicans oppose what they call an EPA "land grab."

Matt Schnarr bites into a mealworm lollipop at the Pestaurant event in Washington, D.C., in 2014.

Bugs: Not What's For Dinner — Until They're Tastier, Maybe

8:43am May 28, 2015

by Eliza Barclay

A U.K. researcher says the environmental argument for eating bugs isn't working on its own. She says chefs and policymakers must "make insect dishes appeal as food, not just a way to save the planet."

Death Toll Rises To 750 As Heat Wave Sweeps Through India

6:31pm May 26, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

Over 750 people are dead in India — mostly in the South — as an intense heat wave grips the country.

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Rancher Ross Frank worries that funding to fight fires in Western communities like Chumstick, Wash., has crowded out important land management work.

Spending To Fight Wildfires At The Expense Of Preventing Them

3:47pm May 26, 2015

by Rowan Moore Gerety

In Washington state, a community coalition is bringing homeowners, businesses and government together to figure out how best to use what little money there is to protect the land from destruction.

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