Environment

President Obama To Visit Everglades National Park On Earth Day

3:28pm April 22, 2015

President Obama will honor Earth Day Wednesday by visiting the Florida Everglades, an area greatly affected by climate change. NPR's Melissa Block talks to Florida International University ecologist Evelyn Gaiser about what damage has already been done to the region.

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Pelicans are nesting at Queen Bess Island in Barataria Bay. Five years ago, the nesting season here was marred by the oil gushing out of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

5 Years After BP Oil Spill, Effects Linger And Recovery Is Slow

7:04pm April 21, 2015

by Debbie Elliott

The 2010 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig set off an environmental and economic catastrophe. Towns and ecosystems along the Gulf Coast are still struggling to rebound.

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Researchers Fly Over Shale Fields To Study Air Pollution

6:25pm April 21, 2015

by Mose Buchele

This month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is flying an airborne research lab over oil and gas producing states.

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An Italian coast guard vessel took part in a large search and rescue operation Sunday after a boat carrying migrants capsized overnight.

EU Holds Emergency Meeting After Migrant Boat Capsizes; Hundreds Feared Dead

5:28pm April 21, 2015

by Bill Chappell

With 28 survivors reported and 24 bodies recovered, only a fraction of the hundreds of people who were reportedly on board are accounted for.

A forest worker fells palm trees on an illegal palm oil plantation in the province of Aceh, Indonesia.

Palm Oil Plantations Are Blamed For Many Evils. But Change Is Coming

3:18pm April 21, 2015

by Anthony Kuhn

In Indonesia, efforts are underway to grow palms in a sustainable way. But that's putting a squeeze on small farmers.

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Sad And Smelly: Massive Fish Die-Off At Rio's 2016 Olympic Site

3:13pm April 21, 2015

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

More than 50 tons of dead fish have been removed from a Rio de Janeiro lagoon slated to host Olympic events. Specialists blame algae blooms but water quality has been a concern for Olympic organizers.

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Geologists Dave Tucker (left) and Pete Stelling at the Mount Baker hot springs in Washington's Cascade Mountains. The springs are within the large tract of federal land that could soon be open for geothermal development.

In Northwest, A Push To Protect Forest As Geothermal Projects Near

6:23pm April 20, 2015

by Ashley Ahearn

The Forest Service is set to open more than 80,000 acres for clean, renewable geothermal power in Washington state. But environmentalists are worried about damage to streams and old-growth forests.

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Purdue University students are testing new software that may track and warn about tornadoes, such as this one which struck Rochelle, Ill., in early April.

Social Media Can Help Track Tornadoes, But Was That Tweet Real?

7:49am April 20, 2015

by Stan Jastrzebski

Researchers at Purdue are using software to mine tweets for data that can help warn that a dangerous storm is approaching. But the data may not always be reliable and analyzing it can be tricky.

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How Almonds Became A Scapegoat For California's Drought

12:17pm April 18, 2015

by Richard Gonzales

The relentless drought has turned almonds into a target for water conservationists who bemoan that it takes one gallon of water to grow one almond. Growers say the bad rap is unfair and misleading.

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Environment

Desalination Plants: Drought Cure Or Growth Enabler?

12:17pm April 18, 2015

by Daniel Potter

Desalination facilities are under construction across California that would make ocean water drinkable. Environmentalists debate whether more plants would only worsen long-term water issues.

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