Environment

Wildfires Are Moving Quickly In Southern France, Killing At Least 3 People So Far

4:59pm August 18, 2021

by Eleanor Beardsley

Wildfires have turned deadly in southern France, killing at least three people, according to firefighters. Thousands of people have fled the fires near the tourist beaches of St. Tropez.

A person injured in the earthquake is transferred to a US Coast Guard helicopter in Les Cayes, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, two days after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern part of the country.

What We Know About The Situation In Haiti, 4 Days After The Massive Earthquake

5:44am August 18, 2021

Recovery teams are slowing reaching Haitians impacted by the Aug. 14 earthquake that hit the southwestern area of the island. More than 1 million people were effected by the quake.

A worker fills a bottle with water on a farm during a drought in Firebaugh, Calif., on July 13.

Outdoor Workers Could Face Far More Dangerous Heat By 2065 Because Of Climate Change

6:11pm August 17, 2021

by Eric McDaniel

A new report warns that outdoor workers are at risk of lost wages and dire health consequences if greenhouse gas pollution continues. People of color are especially vulnerable to harm.

A family photo of Cruz Urias Beltran taken during the 1990s.

Heat Is Killing Workers In The U.S. — And There Are No Federal Rules To Protect Them

2:23pm August 17, 2021

Heat has killed hundreds of workers in the U.S., many in construction or agriculture, an investigation by NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations found. Federal standards might have prevented them.

States In The West Face Water Cuts After Colorado River Shortage Is Announced

6:03am August 17, 2021

by Kirk Siegler

Federal water managers have announced the first shortage in the Colorado River system, which supplies water and hydropower to 40 million people and countless farms in western states.

A road is seen damaged by the earthquake in Camp-Perrin, Les Cayes, Haiti, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.

Why Earthquakes In Haiti Are So Catastrophic

12:38pm August 16, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Haiti has a long history of major earthquakes that leave destruction and carnage in their wake. A combination of factors makes the country especially susceptible to damage from these quakes.

Electrical workers check solar panels at a photovoltaic power station built in a fishpond in Haian in China's eastern Jiangsu province.

Computer Models Of Civilization Offer Routes To Ending Global Warming

7:53am August 14, 2021

by Dan Charles

Scientists who warned of heat waves and rising seas this week also say that it's possible to avoid the worst effects of the warming climate. They're relying on computer models of the world economy.

Iraqis buy ice blocks at a factory in Sadr City, east of the capital, Baghdad, on July 2 amid power outages and soaring temperatures.

July Was The Hottest Month In Recorded Human History

5:20pm August 13, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

The global combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 1.67 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average, according to NOAA, the hottest in 142 years of record-keeping.

People rest at the Oregon Convention Center cooling station in Oregon, Portland on June 28, 2021, as a heatwave moves over much of the United States.

Environment

Another Major Heat Wave Is Bringing Triple-Digit Temps To The Pacific Northwest

1:05pm August 13, 2021

The Forest Service is also warning that air quality is likely to deteriorate as wildfires continue to burn.

Coping With The Reality Of Climate Change

4:28pm August 12, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with psychologist Elke Weber about the way individuals deal with the threat of climate change.