A Landscape Of Abundance Becomes A Landscape Of Scarcity
Photographer Matt Black spends his days capturing images that illustrate the impact of the drought on people living in California's Central Valley.
Environment
It's A Beautiful Tree But It Causes A Stink
The disease-resistant Callery pear once was American cities' street tree of choice. One community in Pennsylvania has banned it. This story originally aired on All Things Considered on April 24, 2015.
Electric Carmaker Tesla To Sell Batteries Designed To Power Homes
Tesla is building the biggest battery factory in the world. It hopes to drive battery prices down so far that lithium ion batteries are no longer just for laptops, phones or cars.
Drought In Calif. Creates Water Wars Between Farmers, Developers, Residents
Fresno native Mark Arax has written about the war over water in his state for decades. "It used to be the farmers against the delta smelt fish, and now it's the urbanite against the almond," he says.
Vatican Hosts Climate Change Conference Ahead Of Papal Encyclical
Pope Francis wants world leaders to work together to enact laws that will slow or stop emissions that fuel climate change. He is expected to deliver a papal encyclical in June highlighting environmental degradation and the effect of climate change on the poor. The Vatican held a one-day conference on climate change Tuesday.
Big Aftershocks In Nepal Could Persist For Years
Saturday's magnitude-7.8 quake released stress that was building for 150 years, scientists say, and it reshuffled tension to nearby faults.
As California's Economy Reels From Drought, At Least One Industry Is Doing Fine
NPR's Arun Rath speaks with a California landscaper who says demand for her business is booming.
California Cemeteries Adapt To Water Restrictions To Avoid Going Dry
New mandates in California will limit how much water graveyards can use to keep their grass green. The people who run cemeteries don't want crispy, parched grass to feel like an insult on top of loss.
5 Years After BP Oil Spill, Experts Debate Damage To Ecosystem
An effort is underway to figure out how the BP oil spill harmed the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The damage may not be as dire as feared, but researchers say it's too soon to know the long-term impacts.
Redistribute California's Water? Not Without A Fight
What's a fair way to divide up California's scarce water? The current system relies heavily on history: Some farmers will get water, others won't, based simply on when their land was first irrigated.