Environment

Western Wildfires Have Destroyed More Than Last Year, And It's Not Even Peak Season

10:29am July 31, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

Extreme heat and on-going drought have made Western wildfires a national challenge this summer, with smoke moving from coast-to-coast. The peak of fire season isn't even here yet.

Given The Choice Between Prison Life And Fighting Wildfires, These Women Chose Fire

5:24pm July 30, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with writer Jaime Lowe about her new book, Breathing Fire, which tells the stories of the incarcerated women who are part of California's wildfire crews.

New Study Links Rate Of Emissions To Extreme Weather

4:45pm July 29, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Dr. Jennifer Francis, an expert who studies disproportionate Earth warming, about the new study linking the rate of emissions to the likelihood of extreme heat.

Decades-Long Restoration Effort Has Returned Wetlands To Florida's Kissimmee River

4:45pm July 29, 2021

by Amy Green

Florida's Kissimmee River was channelized and dredged for flood control, but after a decades-long restoration effort, headwaters of the Everglades have returned to a more natural wetlands ecosystem.

The remains of a burned home are seen in the Indian Falls neighborhood of unincorporated Plumas County, California on July 26, 2021. Extreme weather events have claimed hundreds of lives worldwide in recent weeks, and upcoming forecasts for wildfire and h

Climate Change Is Driving Deadly Weather Disasters From Arizona To Mumbai

12:38pm July 29, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

There's been about two degrees Fahrenheit of warming so far worldwide. That may sound like a small number, but scientists say it's enough to make extreme weather events much more common.

Environment

How Climate Change Is Driving Extreme Weather

6:54am July 29, 2021

Weather-wise, it's been a disastrous summer. Scientists say climate change is driving deadly weather disasters around the world, as hotter temperatures produce deeper droughts and heavier rains.

News Brief: Infrastructure Deal, Push For Vaccinations, Extreme Weather

5:37am July 29, 2021

A bipartisan infrastructure deal clears its first hurdle. Biden is expected to announce that civilian federal employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19. Global warming drives extreme weather.

Western wildfires create a hazy sky as a person surfs on the water in Indiana Dunes State Park on Tuesday.

Is Extreme Weather Changing Your Summer Activities? Tell Us How

4:04pm July 28, 2021

by Jeff Brady

Wildfires, smoke, heat waves or drought have hit large parts of the country. We want to hear if they're affecting your vacation or beloved summer tradition, and how you're adapting.

Google Plans To Expand Its Campus — Which Might Become Unsafe As Sea Levels Rise

4:29pm July 27, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

In Silicon Valley, Google has acquired billions of dollars of property that's at risk for flooding as sea levels continue to rise. That's raising questions about whether it's safe to build at all.

Map showing simulated floodwaters near Google's Sunnyvale campus

Who Will Pay To Protect Tech Giants From Rising Seas?

11:27am July 27, 2021

Coastal cities need billions of dollars to build defenses against sea level rise. Tensions are rising over where that funding will come from: taxpayers or private companies with waterfront property?