Environment

A woman drives through floodwater during heavy rainfall in Miami. A new study predicts that high tide flooding in coastal areas could increase in frequency because of climate change and the lunar cycle in the mid-2030s.

A Study Predicts Record Flooding In The 2030s, And It's Partly Because Of The Moon

6:27pm July 14, 2021

by Josie Fischels

Researchers say high tide flooding in U.S. coastal regions will become more frequent in the mid-2030s because of climate change, amplified by a routine wobble in the moon's orbit.

The sun sets behind power lines in Los Angeles in September.

Extreme Heat Is Worse For Low-Income, Nonwhite Americans, A New Study Shows

3:39pm July 14, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

A new study finds that for more than 70% of all U.S. counties, urban temperatures are higher in neighborhoods that have low-income people and communities of color.

Senate Budget Has Funds To Ensure Infrastructure Works As The Climate Changes

6:14am July 14, 2021

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to EPA Administrator Michael Regan about his agency's current priorities: including water infrastructure, environmental justice and clean transportation.

Fish are seen washed ashore at the Sanibel Causeway after dying in a red tide in 2018 in Sanibel, Florida.

At Least 600 Tons Of Dead Fish Have Washed Up Along Tampa Bay's Shore

9:12pm July 13, 2021

by Josie Fischels

The hordes of fish were killed by a red tide, a large "bloom" of toxic algae that appears on Florida's Gulf Coast about once a year. Experts say the bloom shouldn't be happening right now.

Large goldfish, released by pet owners into bodies of water, are contributing to poor water quality in some lakes and ponds in Minnesota.

Oversize Goldfish Are Taking Over One Minnesota Lake, Causing Issues For Local Fish

6:26pm July 13, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Burnsville, Minn., officials have urged residents and owners of pet goldfish not to dispose of them in local lakes, warning that doing so causes major environmental impacts.

Hoover And Glenn Canyon Dams Are Low On Water, Threatening Power Production

5:13pm July 13, 2021

by Luke Runyon

Two of America's biggest hydroelectric generators, Hoover and Glenn Canyon dams, are in danger of reducing output due to historically low water levels.

Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, has been hit hard by rising temperatures and downstream demands.

Amid A Megadrought, Federal Water Shortage Limits Loom For The Colorado River

12:49pm July 13, 2021

by Luke Runyon

The government is expected to issue its first water shortage declaration for the river, which supplies more than 40 million people. That will mean hardships for farms, recreation and Indian tribes.

Though they're called ice worms, the creatures Hotaling (right) and his colleagues study on the glaciers of Mount Rainier can't handle the slightest bit of freezing. If temperatures dip even slightly below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), Hot

It's Summer, And That Means The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms

12:24pm July 13, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

On mountaintop glaciers of Alaska, Washington and Oregon, billions of tiny black worms are tunneling upward to the barren, icy surface. What lures them, and how do they survive the frozen depths?

Aerial picture of a deforested area close to Sinop, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, taken on August 7, 2020. Mato Grosso is one of the leading producers of soybeans in the world.

Why Clearing Brazil's Forests For Farming Can Make It Harder To Grow Crops

11:02am July 13, 2021

by Dan Charles

Clearing natural forests in Brazil in order to grow crops like soybeans has actually made it harder to grow those crops. That's because deforestation makes the weather hotter and drier.

Manatees crowd together near the warm-water outflows from Florida Power & Light's plant in Riviera Beach, Fla., on Feb. 5. More manatees have died already in 2021 than in any other year in Florida's recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the l

Florida Breaks Annual Manatee Death Record In First 6 Months Of 2021

8:35am July 12, 2021

by The Associated Press

More than 840 manatee deaths were recorded between Jan. 1 and July 2, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.