Environment

New York state is buying homes like this one in Staten Island's Fox Beach neighborhood as part of a Hurricane Sandy recovery project in the hopes that demolishing them will help nature return and provide a barrier to future storm surges.

Some On Staten Island Opt For Buyout Of 'Houses That Don't Belong'

8:30am September 19, 2014

by Matthew Schuerman

As part of the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Sandy, New York's plan is to buy and demolish hundreds of homes on Staten and Long islands and let nature return as a barrier to future storm surges.

Queue Listen Now

Half the land in the city of Satellite Beach is only 6 feet above the waterline.

A Coastal Paradise Confronts Its Watery Future

6:59pm September 18, 2014

by Jon Hamilton

With rising seas, cities like Satellite Beach, Fla., are debating options: defend the shoreline to avoid destruction, or retreat, withdrawing homes and businesses from the water's edge.

Queue Listen Now

Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts have pledged to source palm oil from suppliers who are not clear-cutting rain forests.

Sweet: Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme Pump Up Pledge On Palm Oil

5:57pm September 18, 2014

by Allison Aubrey

Two major doughnut chains have bowed to consumer pressure to better police their palm oil purchases. Environmentalists say it's a win for consumers, trees and animals.

Environment

Toxic Algae Problem Likely To Get Worse Before It Gets Better

8:08am September 15, 2014

by Lewis Wallace

The issue of blue-green algae in lakes took the spotlight in August after the Ohio city of Toledo banned its drinking water for two days. Toledo could be a wake-up call for people around Lake Erie.

Queue Listen Now

California Blue Whales On The Rebound, Study Says

11:46am September 14, 2014

California blue whales are rebounding to historic levels after being hammered by whaling, a University of Washington study says. NPR's Arun Rath talks with Trevor Branch, co-author of the study.

Queue Listen Now

Ozone Levels Bounce Back, Showing First Increase In 35 Years

12:22pm September 11, 2014

by Scott Neuman

NASA says that a ban on CFCs enacted in the 1980s has contributed to a 4 percent rebound since 2000 in atmospheric ozone in mid-northern latitudes.

Environment

Governor Refuses To Sign Duke Energy Legislation

1:54pm September 10, 2014

North Carolina's Governor Pat McCrory says he won't sign new regulations on Duke Energy's toxic coal ash pits because he believes it includes an unconstitutional provision.

Queue Listen Now

"The State of the Birds" 2014 report found that red knots (above) and other shorebirds are among the most threatened groups in the U.S. More than half of U.S. shorebird species are on the report's Watch List — species that are currently endangered or at

U.S. Gets Middling Marks On 2014 'State Of Birds' Report Card

11:30am September 10, 2014

by Christopher Joyce

Domestic cats, high-rises and vanishing habitat are taking a toll on more than 33 species of American birds, a comprehensive update reports. Still, wetland and coastal birds are faring better.

Queue Listen Now

Chicks in the Perdue hatchery in Salisbury, Md. The company says an increasing number of its chickens are now raised using "no antibiotics, ever."

Perdue Says Its Hatching Chicks Are Off Antibiotics

2:42pm September 09, 2014

by Dan Charles

Perdue Farms, one of the country's largest suppliers of chicken meat, says its hatcheries are working better now without antibiotics. Public health advocates call it "a big step" forward.

Queue Listen Now

Opponents of Michigan fish farms say there is no room for them in the lakes because of sport fishing and other recreational activities.

Could Great Lakes Fisheries Be Revived Through Fish Farms?

7:20pm September 08, 2014

by Peter Payette

This summer, Michigan's aquaculture industry took a step forward. And that has touched off a debate over whether the Great Lakes are an appropriate place for fish farming.

Queue Listen Now