Environment

A box of morel mushrooms for sale at the farmers' market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

After Fires In West, Mushroom Hunters 'Chase The Burn'

2:32pm April 20, 2016

by Lisa Morehouse

From Northern California to Alaska, commercial and amateur foragers are now scouring the hills in search of black morels — prized mushrooms which grow in land ravaged by forest fires.

Many glaciers are melting in Alaska. Scientists believe climate change is at work.

Why Our Brains Weren't Made To Deal With Climate Change

10:47am April 19, 2016

by NPR Staff

Human beings would be better at fighting climate change if we weren't so, well, human. In this episode, we explore the psychological barriers to addressing climate change.

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"Boaty McBoatface" likely will not be emblazoned on the side of the U.K.'s polar research vessel.

U.K. Science Minister Torpedoes 'Boaty McBoatface' As Ship Name

10:45am April 19, 2016

by Laura Wagner

When Britain's Natural Environment Research Council launched a poll to help name a new research ship, one suggestion caught on: Boaty McBoatface. But Science Minister Jo Johnson says it's unsuitable.

About 14 percent of the Gigafactory in Nevada has been built so far. At 5.8 million square feet, it will be a building with one of the biggest footprints in the world.

A Rare Look Inside The 'Gigafactory' Tesla Hopes Will Revolutionize Energy Use

6:19pm April 18, 2016

by Lauren Sommer

Tesla is building what it says is the world's largest battery factory. The scale is expected to drive down the cost of electric cars and batteries that homeowners can use to store surplus solar power.

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A grizzly bear fends off ravens from a bison carcass in Grand Teton National Park.

Is Yellowstone National Park In Danger Of Being 'Loved To Death'?

5:32pm April 18, 2016

Each year, the park attracts millions of visitors and provides a home to countless animal species. But journalist David Quammen warns that balancing tourism and preservation can be tricky.

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Environmental activist Luis Jorge Rivera Herrera is the 2016 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize.

Grass-Roots Fight To Protect Puerto Rico's Coast Scores Environmental Prize

5:37am April 18, 2016

by Greg Allen

Environmental activist Luis Jorge Rivera Herrera just won an award for grass-roots activism for his fight to protect a pristine section of Puerto Rico's coastline.

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Your Brain On LSD Looks A Lot Like A Baby's

10:22am April 17, 2016

For the first time, scientists have scanned the brains of subjects taking LSD, and found that the LSD state mimics that of infants. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with researcher Robin Carhart-Harris.

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Rachelle Ianelli (left) and Austin Jacobs (middle) both archaeological students from University of Florida, together with Florida Public Archaeology Network representative Rachael Kangas, excavate a section at "Garden Patch," a settlement populated after

What Can We Learn From Early Floridians On Sea-Level Rise?

8:41am April 16, 2016

by Greg Allen

Sea level rise is not a new challenge for Florida. The state's earliest residents had to cope with rising seas by migrating. It is a lesson, an archaeologist believes, that we can learn from today.

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Natural gas is flared off at a plant outside of the town of Cuero, Texas. The Clean Power Plan reinforces the state's trend away from coal, due to Texas-based companies that are big on cheaper, cleaner natural gas.

Texas Power Players Sit Out Political Opposition To Clean Power Plan

8:38am April 16, 2016

by Mose Buchele

Texas is one of 24 states driving the lawsuit against Obama's climate change initiative. But some of the state's energy companies transitioning toward cleaner sources support the new regulations.

Study Finds Climate Change Could Be Leading To Better Wine

8:07am April 16, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

Winemakers know grapes are sensitive to temperature and drought. A recent study in the journal Nature Climate Change looks at how weather plays a role in determining the quality of wine produced.