States' Lawsuits Say VW Execs Ran A Cover-Up Of Diesel Emissions Cheating
Citing "a culture of deeply-rooted corporate arrogance" at Volkswagen, New York and Massachusetts have filed civil lawsuits against the carmaker.
Environment
WATCH: The Secret Buzz Only Bumblebees Know To Unlock Our Favorite Crops
Some plants will release their pollen only to bees that buzz in just the right way. It's a risky strategy — and it's critical to human agriculture, from tomatoes to blueberries.
A Marine Ecologist On Swimming With Sharks And What 'Jaws' Got Wrong
Neil Hammerschlag has looked inside the mouth of a wild tiger shark and lived to tell the tale. He says that sharks pose only a very small risk to people: "Humans are not on the shark's menu."
Not In My Landfill: Georgia Residents Fight Plan To Store Toxic Coal Ash
In 2014, after disastrous spills and opposition from environmentalists, the Environmental Protection Agency imposed new rules on the storage of coal ash. Now utilities are planning to close down the ponds that hold the toxic ash, but it has to go somewhere. Environmentalists say the safest place for it is in securely lined landfills, such as the municipal landfill in Wayne County, Ga. Locals are fighting the plan, but there's not much they can do.
Is Burning Trees Still Green? Some Experts Now Question Biomass
Biomass was rising a decade ago as a carbon-neutral energy. But the industry is sputtering as oil and natural gas booms, and some scientists are questioning if it's actually good for the environment.
Climate Change May Already Be Shifting Clouds Toward The Poles
Scientists who have been tracking cloud patterns over the past two decades say the shifts they're seeing seem to correlate closely with what's predicted by computer models of Earth's changing climate.
'A Government-Sponsored Disaster': Florida Asks For Federal Help With Toxic Algae
The massive toxic algae bloom in Florida is threatening businesses and the health of people and animals. The state is asking for federal help for a disaster that's both natural and political.
'The New York Times' Investigates An Ailing Clean Coal Project
The Kemper Project is an electrical generating station currently under construction in Kemper County, Miss. The plant has been held up as a model of the Obama administration's efforts to promote new, clean energy technologies, but the project is two years behind schedule, still not operational, and more than $4 billion over budget. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Ian Urbina of The New York Times about the Kemper Project and the administration's clean energy policy.
Communities Uneasy As Utilities Look For Places To Store Coal Ash
In 2014, after disastrous spills and opposition from environmentalists, the EPA imposed new rules on the storage of coal ash. Two towns are pushing back against different ways of storing the ash.
How Blockchain Helps Brooklyn Dwellers Use Neighbors' Solar Energy
A project called TransActive Grid is testing a new way to trade solar power among neighbors. For now only credits are being traded — not actual energy — using the technology that underpins bitcoin.