Environment

Visitors feel the heat in California's Death Valley earlier this week. This record-setting heat wave's remarkable power, reach and unusually early appearance is giving meteorologists yet more cause for concern about extreme weather in an era of climate ch

The Record Temperatures Enveloping The West Are Not Your Average Heat Wave

1:48pm June 19, 2021

by Eric Westervelt

From the Great Plains to the California coast, a powerful "heat dome" is setting records. This one is stronger and bigger and is appearing earlier than normal.

Environment

How Congress' Hydrofluorocarbon Legislation Will Affect Your Groceries

6:58am June 18, 2021

by Laura Klivans

Over the next 15 years, the U.S. is set to slash the use of powerful greenhouse gases used in refrigerants. That means changes to your grocery store, a switch that's already underway in California.

Coastal Weather Station Demolished Before It Could Fall Into The Ocean

4:46pm June 17, 2021

by Eve Zuckoff

After a half century, a Cape Cod weather station is being demolished before it falls into the ocean. It's among many structures threatened by stronger storms and rising seas fueled by climate change.

Indigenous Activist On Why Groups Are Protesting The Line 3 Pipeline In Minnesota

4:33pm June 17, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish chats with attorney and indigenous rights activist Tara Houska about protests against Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota.

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a dead Asian giant hornet, a sample sent from Japan and brought in for research last year in Blaine, Wash.

The First 'Murder Hornet' Of 2021 Has Been Discovered In Washington State

1:24pm June 17, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

Because of its withered condition and the fact that male giant hornets don't typically emerge until July, officials believe the hornet was likely from a previous season and just recently found.

Extreme Heat In The West To Send Temps To Triple Digits, Worsen Drought

4:35pm June 15, 2021

by Kirk Siegler

Excessive heat warnings are in effect across the West, where temperatures will hit the triple digits — a signal that climate change and lengthening summers pose serious problems for the region.

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Turkey Racing To Combat 'Snot' In Sea Of Marmara

4:27pm June 14, 2021

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey is rushing to combat a pollution-caused muck in the Sea of Marmara that's growing across the seabed and excretes a foul mucus on the water's surface.

The Xinyuan Coal Mine operated by Yangquan Coal Industry Group Co. in Jinzhong, Shanxi province, in October.

China Has Promised To Go Carbon-Neutral By 2060, But Coal Is Still King

8:00am June 14, 2021

by Emily Feng

This year, China pledged to go carbon-neutral by 2060. It has invested heavily in solar, wind and nuclear energy. Still, coal-fired heavy industry made up 37% of its economic activity last year.

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A wall-mounted thermostat in a California home. New research finds households that can least afford it are spending more than they have to on electricity.

Tackling 'Energy Justice' Requires Better Data. These Researchers Are On It

7:00am June 13, 2021

by Jeff Brady

President Biden's climate plans call for spending big on energy efficiency. New research could help make sure it actually targets the poor and minority households that most need it.

How many oceans are there? It's National Geographic official now: There are five.

Coming Soon To An Atlas Near You: A Fifth Ocean

7:03pm June 11, 2021

National Geographic has recognized the Southern Ocean as the fifth official ocean. The cartographic update doesn't surprise researchers who study the importance of the waters surrounding Antarctica.

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