Environment

California Plastic Bag Referendum Could Spark Environmental Showdown

12:40pm March 25, 2015

by Richard Gonzales

A referendum to repeal California's statewide ban on plastic single-use bags has been added to the November 2016 ballot. The measure was backed by the plastic bag industry.

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Central Illinois corn farmer Jerry McCulley refills his sprayer with the weedkiller glyphosate on a farm near Auburn, Ill. A new assessment of the chemical finds that the (uncertain) risks mainly affect the people who work with it or who come in direct co

A Top Weedkiller Could Cause Cancer. Should We Be Scared?

4:00pm March 24, 2015

by Dan Charles

A respected scientific group says that glyphosate, also known as Roundup, is "probably carcinogenic to humans." Yet the actual risks — which are mainly to farmers, not consumers — remain uncertain.

16 Years After Its Inception, 'GoreSat' Set For Launch ... Soon

3:50pm March 24, 2015

by Scott Neuman

In 1998, then-Vice President Gore proposed the satellite, which has since been repurposed for NOAA's needs. It was set to take off Sunday, but the launch was scrubbed, and will be rescheduled.

Even Oscar the Grouch might be put off by the growing heaps of trash in the center of Kathmandu.

You Think Your City Is Full Of Trash? Ha!

6:51pm March 23, 2015

by Donatella Lorch

Welcome to Kathmandu — or, as some call it, Trashmandu. Even in the best of times, rubbish piles up everywhere. Now things have gotten worse.

A photo taken on Feb. 12 shows the Eiffel Tower in Paris through thick smog.

Paris Bans Some Cars For A Day To Battle Smog

2:05pm March 23, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The French capital last week briefly dethroned New Delhi and Beijing as the world's most polluted city, according to one company that measures air quality.

Environment

In California's Fourth Year Of Drought, New Regulations and $1 Billion In Relief

10:49pm March 22, 2015

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with KPCC reporter Molly Peterson on how effective California's new water restrictions will be in the midst of the state's historic drought.

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Smoke billows from chimneys of a steel plant on a hazy day in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, earlier this month.

Top Beijing Scientist: China Faces 'Huge Impact' From Climate Change

7:06pm March 22, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The head of the country's meteorological administration says it faces climate disasters and ecological degradation resulting from a warming planet.

Regions that produce the most pork and chicken also use the most antibiotics on farms. Hot spots around the world include the Midwest in the U.S., southern Brazil, and China's Sichuan province. Yellow indicates low levels of drug use in livestock; orange

For The Love Of Pork: Antibiotic Use On Farms Skyrockets Worldwide

2:21am March 21, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

For the first time, scientists have estimated the amount of antibiotics pigs, chickens and cows consume globally — and how fast consumption is growing. Which country uses the most drugs on farms?

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell speaks in Anchorage, Alaska. The Obama administration is requiring companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations.

Interior Department Issues New Fracking Rules For Federal Lands

8:18pm March 20, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The regulations, which go into effect in 90 days, establish safety measures for wells and for drilling companies to publicly disclose chemicals used in the process.

A production site in the Bakken oil patch as seen from inside an abandoned farmhouse just outside Watford City, N.D.

Some Anxiety, But No Slowdown For North Dakota Oil Boom Town

7:58pm March 20, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Low oil prices have led to a drop in drilling, but not as much as you might expect. In some parts of the state's Bakken oil patch, production continues at a feverish pace.

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