Environment

President Biden plans to sign a new executive order on environmental justice

7:49am April 21, 2023

NPR's Michel Martin talks to National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi about the order which makes it the mission of every federal agency to protect the environmental health of communities across the U.S.

Queue Listen Now

Lasers can measure mountain snowpack — important data for drought-stricken areas

4:28pm April 20, 2023

by Stephanie Maltarich

Laser technology is being used to more accurately measure mountain snowpack — crucial information for farmers and water managers in drought-stricken areas like the Colorado River Basin.

A small segment of the Stuart and Emma Thomas Memorial Trail.

Environment

A new trail in Winston-Salem preserves 93 acres bridging two communities long divided by the land

1:43pm April 20, 2023

by David Ford

A new hiking trail in the heart of Winston-Salem will preserve 93 acres of farmland and bridge two neighborhoods long divided by the land.

Queue Listen Now

Fire burns in the hollow of an old-growth redwood tree in Big Basin Redwoods State Park in California. The Biden administration has identified more than 175,000 square miles of old growth and mature forests on U.S. government lands.

The U.S. plans new protections for old forests facing pressure from climate change

1:38pm April 20, 2023

by The Associated Press

The Biden administration catalogued 175,000 square miles of old growth and mature forests on federal land. It plans a new rule to better protect woodlands from fires and other climate change effects.

Mountain snowmelt fills Lake Powell near Bullfrog Marina in Utah. The nation's second-largest reservoir has dropped to record-low levels, causing problems for part of the Colorado River that runs through Grand Canyon National Park.

The Colorado and Ohio rivers are among the 'most endangered' in America. Here's why

1:18pm April 20, 2023

by Seyma Bayram

A new report from the conservation group American Rivers names a stretch of the Colorado River, the Ohio River and eight other rivers as endangered.

Environment

How melting Arctic ice could be fueling extreme wildfires in the Western U.S.

11:06am April 20, 2023

by Lauren Sommer

As Western wildfires get more destructive, scientists are finding a far-off connection to shrinking ice on the Arctic Ocean.

Queue Listen Now

Environment

UNCG initiates carbon offset program

9:49am April 20, 2023

by Neal Charnoff

The University of North Carolina Greensboro has launched a program to offset the school’s carbon footprint. The initiative also aims to improve housing conditions for local residents.

Environment

LA County has a new tool that's helping trap junk before it flows into the ocean

5:12am April 20, 2023

Los Angeles County is piloting a two-year project to determine if technology such as the Interceptor 007 is successful in capturing waste from major coastal cities, and keeping it from the oceans.

Zhang Meixue, head of a farmer's association in southern Tainan county, walks through one of her former rice paddies. Before the drought, the paddy would normally be filled with enough water to simultaneously raise ducks. Now she's growing flowers in the dried-out paddy to beautify the area and attract tourists.

Epic drought in Taiwan pits farmers against high-tech factories for water

8:07pm April 19, 2023

by Emily Feng

The island is facing one of its worst dry spells in a century, and both the agricultural and high-tech sectors are competing for scarce water resources.

Queue Listen Now

The Ohio River, which supplies drinking water to millions of people, is endangered

4:10pm April 19, 2023

by Seyma Bayram

Ten rivers across the country make one conservation group's list of most endangered rivers, including the Ohio River.