Steyer: Keystone XL Pipeline Would Get Canada Better Oil Price
David Greene talks to billionaire financier and liberal activist Tom Steyer about his position on the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Environment
West Virginians Still Stocking Up On Water, Fearing Pollution
Life is still anything but normal for some 300,000 people around Charleston, W.V. It's been more than a month since a leak from chemical storage tanks polluted the water supply. And many are still relying on bottled water to drink. Others have gone to lengths to avoid using the water at all. (This story originally aired on All Things Considered on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014.)
The Earth's 'Sixth Extinction' May Be One Of Our Own Making
There have been five major mass extinctions over the last half-billion years, when the diversity of life on Earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists are currently monitoring an era of mass extinction predicted to be the most devastating since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. But this time around, says Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction, it's humans that are causing it.
China's Air Pollution Linked To Millions Of Early Deaths
About 1.2 million people die prematurely every year in China from exposure to outdoor air pollution. Smog has dogged the country as it grows at an explosive rate and burns huge quantities of fossil fuels. But there are signs that the government is beginning to take the issue more seriously.
Kansas Mayor Says Sustainability Is About Community, Not Politics
Today's political polarization makes it seem harder than ever to tackle climate change. Republican Bob Dixson says the goals of going green aren't only for liberals. His town of Greensburg was hit by an unusually strong tornado, and now he's working on a White House task force to prepare communities like his.
More Than 80,000 Tons Of Coal Ash Flow Into N.C. River
A broken stormwater pipe in North Carolina has sent the waste into the Dan River, which flows through Virginia and out into the Atlantic. Officials say the drinking water is safe, but environmental questions linger.
North Carolina Coal Ash Spill Causes Concerns About Public Drinking Water
State and federal environmental officials are continuing their investigations of a coal ash spill into the Dan River in Rockingham County.
How Industrial Chemical Regulation Failed West Virginia
For Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward, the recent chemical spill — and sometimes confusing information authorities have provided about the risks to citizens — reflect long-standing regulatory failures in the state. He says West Virginia has "basically ignored" recommendations for stricter oversight.
Entrepreneurs Looking For 'Windfall' Cash In On Climate Change
A new book explores the ways melting Arctic ice yield new shipping channels, new oil and gas resources — and potential profits. Journalist McKenzie Funk delves into the "booming business of global warming" in Windfall.
'Nothing Is Fixed': Recovery Is Slow In Typhoon-Hit Philippine City
Typhoon Haiyan was one of the strongest storms ever recorded at landfall when it struck the Philippines late last year. More than 6,000 people were killed and millions more were displaced, and authorities are still struggling with clearing away debris, rebuilding houses and counting the dead.