Environment

Colorado Mayor Wants All Electric Car Chargers To Be Universal

7:00am May 03, 2021

by Sam Brasch

As more companies install private fast-chargers for their own electric car owners, there are fears of a frustrating patchwork of charging stations. One small-town mayor took on the issue.

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How Healthy Is The Soil On Your Farm? 'Soil Your Undies' To Find Out

9:50am May 02, 2021

In Australia, farmers are burying underwear to gauge soil health.

Coastal communities are racing to restore marshes, like these in San Francisco Bay, to provide a barrier against storm surges and rising seas.

Got Mud? For Coastal Cities, Humble Dirt Has Become A Hot Commodity

8:00am May 01, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

Coastal communities will need massive amounts of mud and dirt to protect their shorelines from rising seas. One federal agency has it, but most is disposed of instead of reused.

Big Oil Is Seeing Big Earnings Again

4:38pm April 30, 2021

by Camila Domonoske

The world's oil and gas mega-companies are raking it in again. The earnings reflect the remarkable comeback in the global economy, powered by U.S. growth, which is sharply pushing up demand for oil.

Do Carbon Offsets Actually Work? 'Planet Money' Takes A Look

4:38pm April 30, 2021

by Julia Simon

More and more companies are pledging to cut carbon emissions. Many say they'll buy carbon offsets that save forests, but counting how much carbon is actually saved is fuzzy math.

Sonia Altizer: What Can We Learn From The Migration Of Monarch Butterflies?

8:19am April 30, 2021

Monarch butterflies fly the longest two-way migration of any insect species. Ecologist Sonia Altizer shares how these intrepid butterflies make the journey — and how it's being threatened.

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Activists advocate for better climate protection at a demonstration last month in Stuttgart, Germany.

German Court Orders Revisions To Climate Law, Citing 'Major Burdens' On Youth

5:42pm April 29, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Germany's top court rejected some of the activists' arguments but agreed that the country's climate act violates their fundamental rights by not specifying emissions reduction targets after 2030.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, joined by Sens. Ed Markey (left) and Martin Heinrich, discusses legislation Wednesday to reimpose regulations to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas wells.

Senate Votes To Restore Regulations On Climate-Warming Methane Emissions

6:42pm April 28, 2021

by Jeff Brady

The Trump administration rolled back the regulations last year, a move that was so controversial even some oil companies opposed it. Methane is an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Rod Colwell, CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources, is among many hoping to transform the area around California's Salton Sea into a domestic source of lithium for electric car batteries.

California's 'White Gold' Rush: Lithium In Demand Amid Surge In Electric Vehicles

4:28pm April 28, 2021

by Benjamin Purper

Automakers worry about a shortage of key minerals just as production of electric vehicles is set to spike. The Biden administration has called for boosting domestic production of them.

A screen grab from footage of the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre and his wife, Susan. It was originally intended for a TV series sponsored by the gun rights group that never aired. Warning: Video below contains graphic content.

Video Leaks Of NRA's Wayne LaPierre Missing His Mark On Elephant Hunt

4:17pm April 28, 2021

by Bill Chappell

"I'm not sure where you're shooting," a guide tells the longtime head of the National Rifle Association. The footage had reportedly been suppressed for years.