Environment

UC Berkeley tree biologist Wendy Baxter is about to begin her ascent of a giant sequoia.

To Measure Drought's Reach, Researchers Scale The Mighty Sequoia

2:56pm August 17, 2015

by Ezra David Romero

After a scientist on a hike in Sequoia National Park saw trees with thin and browning needles, it got scientists thinking: Did the drought cause this? So they're climbing up them to study the damage.

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Environment

EPA Chief: 'Holding Ourselves To A Higher Standard'

10:36am August 15, 2015

NPR's Scott Simon asks EPA administrator Gina McCarthy about the toxins released into a Colorado river this week by an EPA contractor working on a shuttered gold mine.

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Contaminated wastewater is seen at the entrance to the Gold King Mine in San Juan County, Colo., in this picture released by the Environmental Protection Agency. The photo was taken Wednesday; the plume of contaminated water has continued to work its way

EPA Says It Released 3 Million Gallons Of Contaminated Water Into River

8:12pm August 14, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The spill on Wednesday sent heavy metals, arsenic and other contaminants into a waterway that flows into the San Juan National Forest. Estimates of the spill's size have risen sharply since then.

Close Listening: How Sound Reveals The Invisible

6:44pm August 14, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

The stethoscope seems so simple — a 19th century tool for listening more closely to the human heart or lungs. It also sparked a culture of listening that is transforming the way scientists learn.

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Environment

EPA Criticized For Slow Response To Wastewater Spill In Colorado

2:33pm August 14, 2015

by Grace Hood

The Environmental Protection Agency and multiple western states are dealing with the spill into Colorado's Animas River. It was triggered by a crew of EPA contractors working at the Gold King Mine.

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"Physics tells you what you can and can't do. If you know the physics anything else is possible." — Taylor Wilson

What Does It Take To Produce Nuclear Fusion — In Your Garage?

9:48am August 14, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Taylor Wilson is a self-taught nuclear physicist who sees every obstacle as a challenge. He describes how — at age 14 — he built a working nuclear fusion reactor in his garage.

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Forecasters Predict Powerful El Nino To Bring Rain To The Dry West

6:55pm August 13, 2015

by Molly Peterson

Forecasters say it is highly likely an El Nino weather system in the Northern Hemisphere will last until the spring of next year. The El Nino could bring much needed rain to the drought-stricken West.

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EPA Administrator Says Water Quality Is Improving In Contaminated Western Rivers

8:13pm August 12, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

Gina McCarthy says toxic waste from last week's spill at the Gold King Mine is gone from water samples. But experts point to the contaminants that can still be stirred up from the riverbeds.

Coloradans Raise Environmental Concerns Of Proposed Reservoir Projects

12:04pm August 12, 2015

by Grace Hood

Colorado will need more water to supply the state's fast-increasing population. So two large reservoir projects have been proposed, but some Coloradans worry about the dams' possible ecological harm.

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Colorado Businesses Struggle As Toxic Waste Flows Through Animas River

12:04pm August 12, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block speaks to Roger Zalneraitis, executive director of the La Plata County Economic Development Alliance, on plans to aid small business owners after the toxic waste spill.

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