'It's A Bit Surreal': Oregon's Air Quality Suffers As Fires Complicate COVID-19 Fight
The air quality in Portland, Ore., ranks among the world's worst. The Environmental Protection Agency forecasts "very unhealthy" air quality.
Environment
Redesigning The Office For The Next 100-Year Flu (Yes, It's Coming)
Architects are already looking beyond COVID-19 to imagine the office of 2025 and beyond — an office that will keep us safe on the job, whatever pandemic virus strikes next.
It's Not Just Wildfires. Climate Change Is Making The Air More Hazardous
Even beyond wildfire smoke, the air this summer has been more dangerous for millions of Americans. That's because of the warming climate, which threatens to roll back decades of improving air quality.
Smoke, Dense Fog Complicate Oregon Firefighting Efforts
In Oregon, better weather could help as firefighters battle ongoing blazes. Tens of thousands are displaced, others missing, and hazardous smoke continues to blanket much of the state.
As Wildfires Grow More Intense, Iconic Western Forests May Not Come Back
Extreme fires are more likely with climate change, and they're making it harder for some tree species to regenerate. Ecologists say this could transform large areas of Western forest into grassland.
Longtime Climate Science Denier Hired At NOAA
David Legates, a professor whose research has been supported by fossil fuel companies, has been hired for a top position at the federal agency that oversees weather and climate forecasting.
Wildfires Latest: Helpful Weather; Oregon Official Warns Of 'Mass Fatality Incident'
A change in weather conditions is being seen as a needed assist for nearly 30,000 fire personnel battling blazes. Authorities are also attempting to debunk online rumors about the cause of the fires.
Voices Of Southern Oregon Wildfire Evacuees
People in an Oregon evacuation shelter talk about fleeing the flames and what's ahead for them, including the head of a retirement home that was destroyed.
Opinion: The California Dream, A Catastrophic Wake-Up Call
NPR's Scott Simon recounts what life in California, once the stuff of dreams, has become for too many residents as wildfires, mudslides, earthquakes seem to happen with increasing frequency.
How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled
An NPR and PBS Frontline investigation reveals how the oil and gas industry used the promise of recycling to sell more plastic, even when they knew it would never work on a large scale.