Environment

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Volkswagen Over Emissions Software

2:52pm January 05, 2016

by Sonari Glinton

On Monday, the Department of Justice, acting on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, filed a civil complaint in federal court in Detroit against Volkswagen. The DOJ alleges that nearly 600,000 diesel engine vehicles had illegal defeat devices installed that impaired emission control systems and caused emissions to exceed EPA's standards, resulting in harmful air pollution.

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Steam rises from the stacks of the coal-fired Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Point of the Rocks, Wyo., in March 2014.

Using Technology To Keep Carbon Emissions In Check

5:39pm January 04, 2016

Renewable energy is only one of the steps toward achieving the goals set by the Paris climate deal. We take a trip around North America to explore other ways of keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.

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The view while riding up the newly developed Siberia Express chairlift at Squaw Valley, Calif.

Ski Resorts See Slight Thaw After Chilling Effect Of Climate Change

5:08pm January 01, 2016

by Kirk Siegler

California's historic drought provided a glimpse of what skiing might be like with climate change. Industry executives are counting on their customers being flexible in the years ahead.

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Oil Production Fuels Earthquake Surge In Oklahoma

4:29pm January 01, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Todd Halihan, a professor in the school of geology at Oklahoma State, about how Oklahoma has now surpassed California for seismic activity.

The Heartland Biogas facility in Weld County, Colo., is one of the country's largest waste treatment plants that converts methane to natural gas.

From Poop To Power: Colorado Explores New Sources Of Renewable Energy

4:28pm January 01, 2016

by Dan Boyce

Europe has extracted natural gas from organic waste for about a decade, and now it's spreading to the U.S. In Colorado, efforts are under way to produce natural gas from human waste and food scraps.

Encore: Meteorologists Launch Balloons To Collect Weather Data

4:28pm January 01, 2016

by John Ryan

Member station KUCB tagged along with a meteorologist at one of America's most remote weather stations. This story originally aired on Dec. 22, 2015, on All Things Considered.

Charles Lord (left), senior hydrologist, explains the mapping procedure used by the Corporation Commission to chart fault lines, earthquakes and disposal wells, as Jim Marlatt, oil and gas specialist, looks on from his desk in Oklahoma City on Nov. 30. St

New Year's Day Quake In Oklahoma City Amid Increasing Seismic Activity

4:14pm January 01, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The state of Oklahoma saw more than 800 earthquakes with magnitude of 3 or greater in 2015.

An employee drags a palette of recently returned goods through the Optoro warehouse so they can be processed.

Maryland Startup Redirects River Of Rejected Gifts

9:44am January 01, 2016

by Dianna Douglas

Returns of toys and gadgets add up to more than $260 billion every year. Optoro, a startup in Maryland, tries to reduce the cost to retailers, and the cost to the environment.

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Wind turbines dot the landscape in Mojave, Calif. The recent extension of federal tax credits is expected to give the wind and solar energy industries a big boost.

Tax Breaks, Falling Costs Are Boosting Wind And Solar

8:10pm December 29, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Congress has extended tax credits for clean energy as part of a $1.8 trillion spending bill. Solar and wind power companies say it will catapult the industry at a time when costs are already falling.

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Two cars are submerged in floodwaters in a park in Kimmswick, Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency because of widespread flooding around the state, which has closed many roads.

Towns Along The Mississippi River Evacuate As Floodwaters Swell

6:37pm December 29, 2015

by Laura Wagner

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon activated the National Guard as flooding closed interstate highways and forced people from their homes. The river is expected to crest Thursday at its highest level since 1993.