Environment

Casi Callaway of Mobile Baykeeper points out new marsh grass on the western shore of Mobile, Ala. Volunteers created an oyster reef just off the shoreline at this Mobile park, one of the first coastal restoration projects in the aftermath of the 2010 BP o

Gulf Coast States Get Creative With BP Oil Spill Money

11:29am May 29, 2013

by Debbie Elliott

Oil giant BP has agreed to pay $1 billion for coastal restoration along the Gulf of Mexico because of the 2010 oil spill. But the nature of some of the projects, including boat ramps and a beachfront hotel, has some environmental groups raising questions about what counts as coastal restoration.

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The Business And Science Of Storm Shelters

2:09pm May 28, 2013

There are no definitive numbers on how many people were saved by storm shelters in the deadly tornado in Moore, Okla. There's little doubt that those who sought cover in previously-installed underground shelters and safe rooms were protected. Still, most people in high-risk areas don't have them.

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Tracking Killer Tornadoes

2:58pm May 24, 2013

A series of tornadoes struck the central United States this week, including a powerful storm in Oklahoma that killed at least 24 people. Marshall Shepherd, the president of the American Meteorological Society, describes the ingredients of major tornadoes, and how they are predicted.

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Reinventing Farming For A Changing Climate

2:58pm May 24, 2013

Scientists say climate change could increase pests and weeds, lengthen growing seasons and turn dry soil to dust. Farmers are already on the offensive, adopting no-till cropping methods to conserve water and experimenting with different seeds. And scientists are using a technique called gene silencing to develop new crops--without tinkering with the plants' DNA.

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'Crazy Ants' Spreading In The Southeastern US

1:01pm May 24, 2013

In parts of the southeastern US, aggressive fire ants have been driven out by an even more recent arrival, the tawny crazy ant. Edward LeBrun, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, describes the newcomers and how one invasive species can out-invade another.

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President Obama speaks at Ellicott Dredges in Baltimore on May 17. The trip followed a visit by the company's president to Capitol Hill to testify in support of the Keystone XL pipeline. The White House says Obama's speech had nothing to do with Keystone,

Obama Group's Climate Push Puts President Under Scrutiny

12:54pm May 24, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Organizing for Action — a group that formed out of President Obama's re-election campaign — has focused its ire on Republicans it calls "climate change deniers." But some environmentalists are frustrated with the president himself on issues like the Keystone pipeline.

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Environmental regulation can make a difference. In Shanghai, the government limits car ownership by auctioning off license plates each year at prices exceeding $14,000 apiece. Shanghai also benefits from its location on the water and winds coming off the

China's Air Pollution: Is The Government Willing To Act?

11:55am May 24, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

There is some political willingness, but because China is highly decentralized politically, the Communist Party has only limited influence over provincial governments and how they regulate their dirty factories. The powerful state-owned oil companies have also resisted pressure to produce cleaner-burning fuel.

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Storm Chasers Seek Thrills, But Also Chance To Warn Others

6:33pm May 21, 2013

by Steve Mullis

When disaster strikes, our natural instinct is to take cover and seek shelter. But in severe weather, especially the type that breeds tornadoes like we saw in Oklahoma and parts of the Midwest this week, there are those who ride toward the storm.

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Climate Change Takes Flight in New Novel

3:11pm May 21, 2013

Writer Barbara Kingsolver is one of a handful of novelists with a science background, and she puts it to use in her new novel Flight Behavior. Kingsolver discusses the book and why she chose to look at the the issue of climate change in a fictional work set in rural Tennessee. This interview was originally broadcast on November 9, 2012.

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Robert Ballard: 50 Years Exploring Deep Waters

3:10pm May 21, 2013

Deep-sea voyager Robert Ballard has discovered everything from 10-foot-tall tube worms to the Titanic on his ocean expeditions around the world. Ballard discusses his underwater finds and how new robotic technology allows scientists to explore the sea from ashore. This interview was originally broadcast on July 3, 2009.

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