Environment

Microorganisms play a vital role in growing food and sustaining the planet, but they do it anonymously. Scientists haven't identified most soil microbes, but they are learning which are most common.

Scientists Peek Inside The 'Black Box' Of Soil Microbes To Learn Their Secrets

8:30pm January 18, 2018

by Dan Charles

Microorganisms play a vital role in growing food and sustaining the planet, but they do it anonymously. Scientists haven't identified most soil microbes, but they are learning which are most common.

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Moscow Sees Only 6 Minutes Of Sunlight During All Of December

4:17pm January 18, 2018

Moscow experienced the darkest month in its recorded history in December. There was a total of six minutes of sunlight. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with reporter Charles Maynes, who lived through this dark month.

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The National Parks And Ryan Zinke

7:29am January 18, 2018

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to journalist Elliott Woods, whose profile of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke just appeared in Outside magazine.

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A grande Cafe Nero, large Costa Coffee and venti-sized Starbucks to-go cups sold in London. The U.K. Parliament is considering a tax on disposable cups in an effort to cut down on waste.

U.K. Lawmakers Want To Battle Waste With A 'Latte Levy' On Disposable Cups

5:16pm January 17, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

The British Parliament is considering a 34-cent tax on to-go cups to encourage diners to bring their own reusable containers. The goal is to replicate the success of Britain's tax on plastic bags.

Nearly All Of The National Park System Advisory Board Has Resigned

4:44pm January 17, 2018

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks to former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, who has resigned from the National Park System Advisory Board. He, along with eight others, have said that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has failed to meet with the board once since being confirmed last March.

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Night Became Day In Detroit As Meteor Lit Up Sky

4:44pm January 17, 2018

A meteor streaked over southeast Michigan Tuesday night, creating a sonic boom so loud it shook houses. After seeing the spectacle in the night sky, thousands of people took to social media to share what they witnessed.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke speaks on the Trump administration's energy policy at the Heritage Foundation in Washington in September 2017. Nine of 12 members of the National Park Service advisory board resigned Monday citing Zinke's unwillingness to mee

Majority Of National Park Service Board Resigns, Citing Administration Indifference

4:02pm January 17, 2018

by Scott Neuman

The chairman of the board, former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, said in a letter that the Department of the Interior showed no interest in engaging with board members.

Saigas lie dead in Torgai Betpak Dala in Kazakhstan during the mass mortality event in May 2015.

Strange Weather Triggered Bacteria That Killed 200,000 Endangered Antelope

2:51pm January 17, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

Over a three-week span in 2015, more than 200,000 saiga antelope suddenly died in Kazakhstan. The animals would be grazing normally, then dead in three hours. A new study points to heat and humidity.

Like Florida, Maryland Wants To Be Exempt From Offshore Drilling

8:49am January 17, 2018

by Jeff Brady

Now that the Trump administration has excluded Florida from its offshore drilling proposal, other places want the same. They're making their case as the public comment period gets underway.

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An engineer shows a sample of biodiesel at an industrial complex in General Lagos, Santa Fe province, Argentina. The United States recently imposed duties on Argentine biodiesel, blocking it from the U.S. market.

Turning Soybeans Into Diesel Fuel Is Costing Us Billions

5:43pm January 16, 2018

by Dan Charles

The law that requires America to turn some of its soybeans into diesel fuel for trucks has created a new industry. But it's costing American consumers about $5 billion each year.