Living on Earth

Democratic National Convention / "Hadestown" Brings Climate Change To Broadway / Underland: A Deep Time Journey / Water Ranching in Mexico The 2020 Democratic National Convention featured voices from all across the country, some of whom highlighted climate change as a key concern for this election. But climate change appeared to take a backseat to other issues facing the nation. Also, for a couple of months each year, seasonal monsoons try to quench the thirst of the desert Southwest, but much of the water runs off. Now conservationists are changing grazing patterns and slowing down water run off to help more plants and animals flourish. And author Robert Macfarlane ventures into ice caves, braves underwater rivers, and crawls through catacombs to discover the "deep time" running beneath our feet. "Underland" and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00034. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris and Environmental Justice / Healthy People Equal Healthy Forests / Forests of Rain / Note on Emerging Science: Plastic-Eating Mushrooms / Cloning Giant Sequoias / 'Forest Bathing' for Health Former Vice President Joe Biden's choice of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate made history and highlighted the campaign's focus on environmental justice. Also, for many of those living in and near tropical forests, one of the only ways to get cash to pay for healthcare is by logging. Now a nonprofit is providing healthcare that patients can pay for with seedlings or manure. And Coast Redwood trees and Giant Sequoia are among the biggest and oldest individual living things on our planet, but were heavily logged decades ago. Scientists are helping restore these majestic, carbon-sequestering trees by cloning their DNA. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00033. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bi-Partisan Victory for Great American Outdoors Act / Funding the National Parks, Finally / Beyond the Headlines / Fishing Fleet Threatens the Galapagos / BirdNote®: What Do Desert Birds Drink? / Healthy Buildings Boost Productivity / Trying to Train Crows For years national parks and public lands in the United States have been severely underfunded. The Great American Outdoors Act is set to help turn that around, with billions of dollars to address maintenance backlogs and support new conservation. Also, Ecuador is on alert after discovering a fleet of more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels near the Galapagos Islands. Ecuadorian officials worry that it could pose a danger to the delicate ecosystems of the world's second-largest marine reserve. And most of us spend 90% of our time indoors, where carbon dioxide levels and ambient chemicals can significantly impact our productivity and cognitive function. Organizations should take note and can see major dividends from improving office air quality, says Joe Allen, Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard University and author of the book, "Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity". Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00032. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saving Forests Could Save Us from Diseases / Beyond the Headlines / Race and the Nature Gap / Parktracks: Sounds of the Kiowa Nation Buffalo Songs / Systemic Racism and Green Groups The environmental movement in America has deep ties to the nation's history of systemic racism and white supremacy. Now, as Americans confront racial injustice, powerful green groups like the Sierra Club are beginning to reckon with their own histories of hate and exclusion. Also, Americans of color experience nature deprivation at three times the rate of white Americans, according to a new report. Why systemic racism has limited access to nature for Black Americans in particular, and how conservation and sensitive planning can help narrow the nature gap. And with the COVID-19 pandemic estimated to cost several trillions of U.S. dollars, a new study suggests that spending just a tiny fraction of that to curb deforestation and the wildlife trade could prevent future costly diseases that jump from wildlife to humans. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00031. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Rolls Back National Enviro Policy Act / Beyond the Headlines / "Goatscaping" for Chemical-Free Weed Control / Farmland Losing to Development / Crab-Eater Seals Take a Break / Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Blue Jay The Trump Administration has rolled back rules for a 50-year-old bedrock environmental law that requires careful study of possible impacts from major infrastructure projects. Also, a herd of hungry goats will happily mow down invasive blackberries, kudzu, and even poison ivy, for chemical-free weed control. "Goatscapers" on the job. And raising an injured baby blue jay named Jemima turned out to be one of the most challenging, and rewarding, experiences of wildlife rehabilitator Julie Zickefoose's life. In her book Saving Jemima, which she also illustrated, Zickefoose gives a peek inside the mind of her young charge learning how to be a blue jay and shares the balance of emotions involved in raising a wild bird for release. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00030. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate Disinformation on Facebook / Beyond the Headlines / Tracking Migratory Species from Space / Clean Energy in Space to Save Planet Earth / The Sirens of Mars The Mars Perseverance Rover is set to leave Earth in late July or early August with the mission of helping to find out if there is evidence of past or present life on Mars. We'll talk with an astrobiologist who is part of the mission team and also the author of the new book, "Sirens of Mars". Also, with an historic SpaceX launch and several Mars missions underway, 2020 is proving a pivotal year for space exploration. How innovations in space technology such as solar charging stations that beam energy back down to Earth, and mining hard rock materials in space, can be used to fight climate disruption. Plus, the field of wildlife tracking is getting a major upgrade thanks to a new initiative called ICARUS. It uses special equipment on the International Space Station to allow researchers to track much smaller species than ever before, including tiny migrating birds and even insects. And prominent environmental groups are joining more than 1000 companies in pausing their advertising on Facebook in July as part of the "Stop Hate for Profit" campaign. We talk about why these groups are taking a stand against the spread of racism, white supremacy and climate disinformation on this giant social media platform. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00029. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic Climate Action Plan / Beyond the Headlines / Guinea Fowl and Tick Control / BirdNote®: The Paradise-Whydah / Jane Goodall On 60+ Years of Conservation And Research The iconic Jane Goodall has spent her life advocating for the conservation of the natural world. Sixty years ago on July 14th, 1960, Jane arrived in what is now Gombe National Park, Tanzania, to begin her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees. She joins Living on Earth to discuss her career studying chimps, the work her organization is doing now, and more. Also, House Democrats have released a massive climate action plan that aims to end carbon pollution and build new clean energy and transportation systems, while also helping communities adapt to climate disruption. And as tickborne diseases like Lyme disease become more common in our warming climate, some homeowners in the thick of tick country are turning to guinea fowl to control the bloodthirsty arachnids. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00028. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Siberian Heat Wave / Beyond the Headlines / EPA Approves GMO Mosquito Trials / Court Finds EPA Violated Pesticide Safety Procedures / Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature The town of Verkhoyansk, Siberia recently hit a record-high temperature of 100.4º F, though it is well north of the Arctic Circle. Why the Far North is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and the implications of this for the rest of the world. Also, EPA has given biotech company Oxitec the go-ahead to test the effectiveness of genetically modified mosquitoes in parts of Florida and Texas, generating environmental safety concerns. And observing the remarkable habits of solitary bees gave author Brigit Strawbridge Howard a way back into a childlike fascination with nature. She shares tips for helping diverse bee species thrive in your own backyard. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00027. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Texas Town Refuses Fracking Expansion / Beyond the Headlines / Bill McKibben on the Divestment Movement / Eye Contact with a Wild Elephant / BirdNote®: Salmonberry Bird The fossil fuel divestment movement is making inroads at major institutions, including Ivy League schools, massive pension funds and more. Author and climate activist Bill McKibben reflects on what the divestment movement has achieved so far and how it all began. Also, why racial justice goes hand in hand with the fight for a cleaner environment, and the big takeaways that the coronavirus pandemic has for the climate crisis. And citizens of Arlington, Texas have taken a historic stand by refusing to expand a fracking complex located next to a preschool that serves primarily Black and Latino children. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00026. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juneteenth and African Foodways / The Racial Gap of Pollution Responsibility / Redlined Real Estate & Extreme Urban Heat / Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors / Farming While Black: A Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land June 19th marks the holiday known as Juneteenth, when African Americans gather to celebrate emancipation of ancestors from slavery with picnics and cook outs. The voyage from Africa isn't often on people's minds, but it is in their stomachs, by way of the foodways from across the Atlantic. Fast-forward to today, to the farmers who are working to cultivate justice, root out racism, and find liberation on the land, by reconnecting people of color to the earth. And systemic racism has set Black Americans up for far greater exposure to pollution, and extreme heat brought by climate change. Both environmental concerns have been primarily caused and exacerbated by white Americans, yet it's Black communities that bear the brunt of the harm. Dismantling racism, celebrating Juneteenth, and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00025. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Race and Environmental Justice / Beyond the Headlines / COVID-19 and Healthy Buildings / Red-Billed Oxpeckers and Black Rhinos / Coronavirus Reduces Rhino Poaching / Climate Liability Cases Seek Big Damages from Big Oil / Lyme Disease Risk is High in City Parks, Too Environmental pollution and exposure to climate risks like heat waves are closely linked with systemic racism. Yet national environmental organizations have long sidelined Black organizers working for environmental justice. Also, the pandemic continues to spread, with over 7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide by June 12, and research has shown that much of this spread has happened indoors. What we can do in our own homes, buildings, and even cars to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus. And several coastal counties and cities in California are suing Big Oil to seek compensation for the steep costs of adapting to sea level rise. Now the litigation is one step closer to trial. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00024. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#BlackBirdersWeek / Beyond the Headlines / Border Wall Threatens Sacred Native Lands / Reopening National Parks / Poetry of "The Park" A group of Black scientists, birders, and nature enthusiasts recently convened on social media to create the first ever Black Birders Week. It's giving a voice to birders of color everywhere, who face prejudicial suspicion and policing while pursuing their passion. Also, the Tohono O'odham Nation has been confined to a tiny fraction of the lands it once held in the desert Southwest. Now the Trump Administration's border wall expansion threatens to further damage and restrict their access to sacred and archeological sites. And now more than ever, public parks are providing some relief for those self-isolating in cities. But some have been closed for fear of overcrowding and even without a pandemic, some public spaces may not be truly open to all. A new book of poetry called "The Park" uses the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris as a lens to peer into inequality and exclusion. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00023. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hurricanes and COVID-19 / Beyond the Headlines / Outdoor Learning Safer in the Pandemic / The Pear Tree / Climate and Marine Disease / Why Fish Don't Exist The year 2020 could be the warmest ever and its Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be busier than average. The US may face three or more extremely dangerous storms at a time when FEMA is already swamped with pandemic relief and working through a backlog from other natural disasters throughout the country. Also, as some schools and pre-schools prepare to reopen, some educators are considering the health and educational benefits of outdoor learning to help lower the risk of Covid-19 transmission. And Lulu Miller of NPR's "Invisibilia" joins us to discuss her new book, "Why Fish Don't Exist", which follows the astonishing story of fish scientist David Starr Jordan. He discovered thousands of new fish species around 1900, and kept going even as he faced repeated disasters that threatened to obliterate his life's work. But his stubborn optimism had a dark side. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00022. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats Launch Climate Change Task Force / Beyond the Headlines / Backyard Tigers in America / The Farmer The Grain The Miller The Sea / Animal City: The Domestication of America Former Vice President Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee following Senator Bernie Sanders' April departure from the race. Despite stark ideological differences, the two have formed several unity task forces on topics ranging from immigration to climate change. Also, more tigers live in captivity in the United States than in the wild, and private ownership of big cats is often completely legal due to a lack of federal oversight. And American cities were once home to large numbers of livestock: cows grazing Boston Common, pigs roaming through what's now downtown Manhattan. Wild and domesticated animals in our past and present and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00021. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Stalls Clean Energy Loans / Beyond the Headlines / World's Largest Parrot: Note on Emerging Science / Food Waste Increase in the Pandemic / Tips for Low-Waste Living / The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis Paris Climate Agreement lead UN diplomat Christiana Figueres recently wrote the book "The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis" and speaks about how making the urgently needed transition away from fossil fuels could also help rebuild economies broken by Covid-19. Meanwhile, $43 billion in loans for clean energy innovators that was set aside by the Obama Administration has barely been touched. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, discusses the holdup. And sustainable living can be as much about returning to old, thrifty traditions as it is about innovative technologies. How to make your own food scrap soup, orange peel cleaners and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00020. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coronavirus Shocks US Food System / Beyond the Headlines / The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court The coronavirus has disrupted the economy, with grocery shortages and news of massive food dumping some of the most visible effects. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and other books, on how the pandemic exposes the vulnerabilities in the American food supply. Also, the Supreme Court's 2007 landmark decision in Massachusetts v. EPA requires the government to regulate climate changing gases. The gripping behind-the-scenes story of Massachusetts v. EPA and the people who doggedly led the case to victory against the odds. That and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00019. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Farmworkers and the Virus / A Migrant Farmworker Shares COVID-19 Fears / Beyond the Headlines / Supreme Court Clean Water Win / Note on Emerging Science: The Days the Earth Stood Still / Zoos and Aquariums Online / Behind the Quarantine at the New England Aquarium / Sap-Iens: Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers Farmworkers are considered essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and without them there will be food shortages. Migrant farmworkers face special risks as more than half of them are undocumented and many lack access to healthcare. We'll hear from a longtime California farmworker about his fears and frustrations about working with little protection in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, in a key decision for environmental law, by a 6-3 vote the US Supreme Court has created a major precedent that strengthens the Clean Water Act. And while zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers have had to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have gone online to continue their mission with virtual visits and critter cams. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00018. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reflecting on 50 Years of Earth Day / Celebrating 30 Years of 'Living on Earth' / Beyond the Headlines / 50 Years of Environmental Law / Stories and Poetry for Earth Day This year, Earth Day turns 50. And from humble beginnings Earth Day has grown into the world's largest secular holiday, celebrated around the world each year by more than a billion people. Activists, scientists, poets and pastors alike share their reflections for this special Earth Day. 1970 also saw the birth of major environmental laws including the Clean Air Act and NEPA. In the 50 years since, environmental law has brought improved air and water quality, but gaps in environmental protection remain. And this Earth Day also marks 30 years since the launch of the "Living on Earth" program! Host Steve Curwood reflects on the challenges and rewards of covering environmental news. Celebrating 50 years of Earth Day and 30 years of LOE, and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00017. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dangerous Heat in the Gulf of Mexico / Beyond the Headlines / Earth Day Turns Fifty / Springtime Birding with David Sibley April 22nd, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, when some 20 million Americans peacefully rallied for protecting the planet. Denis Hayes, coordinator of that very first Earth Day, discusses how this year's grand Earth Day plans have adapted to the coronavirus disruptions. Also, on Easter Sunday, dozens of tornados tore through the southeast United States, resulting in the deaths of over 30 people. These deadly storms came as water in the Gulf of Mexico was three degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the long-term average. Why warmer Gulf water fuels strong tornados, thunderstorms, and hurricanes. And now that the seasonal great avian migration is underway, wildlife refuges provide the perfect place to listen and watch for birds on a fine spring morning. Springtime birding with David Sibley and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00016. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Air Pollution Worsens COVID-19 / Beyond the Headlines / Poetry Month: "One Log Per Visit, Never The Same Log Twice" / A Backyard BioBlitz / Erosion: Essays of Undoing COVID-19 appears to be deadlier to people with years of exposure to high air pollution, strengthening the case for cleaning up dirty air that already kills millions around the world every year. Climate mitigation could be a big benefit of the solutions, since much of the pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Also, writer Terry Tempest Williams' latest book grapples with the erosion of democracy, science, compassion, and trust, as her beloved Utah red rock landscape faces oil and gas extraction, and the planet faces destructive warming. And every year, citizen scientists around the world participate in brief, intensive surveys of biological diversity called BioBlitzes. A backyard BioBlitz in the era of social distancing and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00015. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Economic Recovery, the Virus and Climate / Beyond the Headlines / Science Denial and the Pandemic / BirdNote®: Trogons Nest with Wasps / Home Bound Gardening The world is now facing the coronavirus pandemic crisis as well as the climate crisis. And while COVID-19 has brought economic carnage, it also presents an opportunity to build back the U.S. economy cleaner than before, says Rep. Kathy Castor. The Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis talks about how Congress can respond to the pandemic crisis with climate change in mind, and why the world's pandemic response gives her hope about addressing the climate crisis. Also, the coronavirus pandemic appears well-managed in countries that acted swiftly, with the science of epidemiology as their guide, while others have seen a spiking death rate. Why governments sometimes fail to follow the science when responding to major crises like pandemics and climate change. And the joys of tending a garden in the midst of a pandemic, from growing veggies to keeping chickens, plus advice about what to get in the ground now. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00014. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warming Oceans And Toxic Shellfish / Beyond the Headlines / Major Ocean Currents Drifting Poleward / Misfit Produce at Your Doorstep / BirdNote®: Canada's Boreal Forests / The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age The current moment is highlighting the perils of not planning ahead for challenges such as pandemics, or climate disruption. How we can tackle shortsightedness in our personal lives and in society, to plan better for the future. Also, many coastal native Alaskans rely on harvested shellfish as part of their subsistence lifestyle. But mussels and clams can carry a lethal dose of a natural toxin, and as ocean waters warm, the algae that produces that toxin is thriving year-round. And the warming oceans are also causing vital ocean currents to drift poleward, potentially disrupting the supply of nutrients for fisheries, and changing regional climates. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00013. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildlife Trafficking and the Novel Coronavirus / The Next California / Benefits of Free Transit / Beyond the Headlines / Nature in the Time of COVID-19 Wildlife trafficking is a highly lucrative form of organized crime, with deadly consequences. That's because in addition to threatening ecosystems, it plays a key role in spreading diseases including the novel coronavirus. Also, around the world, people are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home. But that doesn't mean we can't take the time to connect with nature, says "Last Child in the Woods" author Richard Louv. And a growing trend to make public transportation free has come to Lawrence, Massachusetts, the first minority-majority city in New England and the first in the state to provide free bus service through a pilot program. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00012. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheap Oil and the Climate / Beyond the Headlines / Court Blocks Drilling in the Amazon / Trump EPA Races to Finish Rollbacks / Removing Dams in the Ohio River Watershed / Finding a Rare Mouse-Deer Amid the novel corona virus pandemic, oil prices had the largest one-day plunge since 1991, with major implications for the shale industry, national security and clean energy. How a Green New Deal could help alleviate the economic stresses of the boom-bust oil price cycle. Also, the Trump administration is rushing to wrap up its weakening of environmental rules, including methane regulations and auto efficiency standards, but they're proving difficult to justify. And a proposed oil drilling project in the Peruvian Amazon threatened to damage the ecosystem that isolated indigenous peoples there depend on. So an indigenous coalition went to court to try to block the project, and they recently won the lawsuit. What the case could mean for indigenous rights. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00011. . . . LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Biden's Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution / Beyond the Headlines / Facing the Corona Virus Challenge / Harvard Students and Faculty Call for Divestment / The Wizard and the Prophet In this week's episode, former Vice President Joe Biden is running for President on a platform of bringing a divided nation together, on key issues including the environment. He's offering a Green New Deal for clean energy jobs and more. Also, why the US is behind in the race to contain the novel coronavirus that has been spreading throughout the world. And students and faculty at Harvard are calling on the university to divest its $41 billion endowment from fossil fuels. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00010. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston March 10 with Harvard law professor Richard Lazarus, on the landmark Massachusetts v. EPA Supreme Court case that found greenhouses gases are air pollutants that can be regulated. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Food and Drug Admin. Disputes BPA Health Risks / Elizabeth Warren's Climate Plan / Investors Eye Climate Risk / 'Parasite' As Climate Fiction / Beyond the Headlines / The Book of Delights This week on Living on Earth, scientists charge the FDA with stacking the deck against findings that link the chemical BPA to harmful health effects, ranging from birth defects to cancer. And even "BPA-free" alternatives may pose a risk. Also, from healthcare to climate change, Elizabeth Warren has a plan for that. Her $11 trillion climate platform includes plans for a Green New Deal, environmental justice, and ocean health. Plus -- for a year, poet Ross Gay took a moment almost every day to write about something that delighted him, even in the most unexpected places. These essays comprise his most recent volume, The Book of Delights. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00009. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston March 10 with Harvard law professor Richard Lazarus, on the landmark Massachusetts v. EPA Supreme Court case that found greenhouses gases are air pollutants that can be regulated. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernie Sanders on Climate / Beyond the Headlines / BirdNote®: Left Foot or Right? Handedness in Birds / The Place Where You Live: Tianmushan, China / China's Single-Use Plastics Ban / Armistice for Hippos and Crocs / Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America This week on Living on Earth, much of the anti-climate policy efforts in the U.S. can be traced back to one powerful man, Charles Koch, who sits at the helm of a fossil fuel-based corporate empire. The new book "Kochland" describes how Charles Koch and his massive company have profited from secrecy and worked to thwart climate policy and stamp out the moderate wing of the Republican Party. Also, Bernie Sanders rallygoers share their thoughts on the Democratic presidential candidate's version of the Green New Deal. And we head to China to discuss its recent single-use plastics ban, and for our latest instalment in the Living on Earth - Orion Magazine series, the Place Where You Live. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00008. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston March 10 with Harvard law professor Richard Lazarus, on the landmark Massachusetts v. EPA Supreme Court case that found greenhouses gases are air pollutants that can be regulated. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Admin Leaves Clean Energy Funding Unspent / Beyond the Headlines / Bill Weld's Climate Plan / The Place Where You Live: Petaluma, CA / UN and Protections for Climate Refugees / PFAS Chemicals Likely in All Major Water Supplies / Dueling Dinosaurs Ignite Battle Over Fossil Ownership The Trump Administration is under review by a House oversight panel for withholding funds that Congress designated for clean energy projects. Also, PFAS chemicals, common in nonstick consumer products, are also now ubiquitous in drinking water supplies. And Republican Presidential candidate Bill Weld is looking to bring environmental priorities, including more stringent regulations, back to the Grand Old Party. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00007. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston February 20 with activist Ronnie Cummins, on regenerative agriculture and a Green New Deal. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats Unveil CLEAN Future Act / Beyond the Headlines / How Wildfires Affect Water Quality / Regrowing Australian Forests / Sounds of Winter / Wine Regions Struggle with Climate Change / Feed Your Ex to a Bear for Valentine's Day Years of repeated bushfires linked to climate change have left some of Australia's iconic eucalyptus forests unable to come back on their own. Now humans are giving them a helping hand by carefully collecting and distributing their seeds. And as the climate changes, many traditional wine-growing regions are struggling with the heat and cooler regions, like the UK and China, are poised to fill in the gap. Also, in the face of the climate crisis, House Democrats released a draft of the CLEAN Future Act, a plan to put the United States on track for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00006. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston February 20 with activist Ronnie Cummins, on regenerative agriculture and a Green New Deal. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decoding the Coronavirus / Beyond the Headlines / Trump Water Rule 'Ignores Science' / Freshwater Mussels: Hunted for Buttons, Stranded by Dams / BirdNote®: Canada Jays Save Food For Later / Our Wild Calling As a novel coronavirus began spreading from Wuhan, China in December 2019, scientists were able to isolate, sequence, and publish the complete genetic code of the virus in less than a month. Also, critics of the Trump Administration's new water rule, including EPA's own Science Advisory Board, say that it has no grounding in basic watershed science. And our modern lives have separated us from other species and contributed to "species loneliness", says Richard Louv, author of the new book Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives - and Save Theirs. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00005. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston February 20 with activist Ronnie Cummins, on regenerative agriculture and a Green New Deal. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Appeals Court Reluctantly Dismisses Youth Climate Case / Beyond the Headlines / A Plan to Avoid Extinctions / Mangroves Thriving in a Warming World / BirdNote®: Laysan Albatrosses Nest at Midway Atoll / Norway's Disappearing Winter / Redlining Linked with Extreme Urban Heat As many as 1 million species are at risk of going extinct in the coming decades. Now the UN has a bold plan to set aside half of the earth by 2050 to save biodiversity. Also, the discriminatory practice known as redlining is now linked with neighborhoods that experience extreme heat. And even Scandinavia, nearly synonymous with cold and snow, is heating up: Oslo, Norway is already experiencing 21 fewer days of winter than it did 30 years ago. Norway's disappearing winter and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00004. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston January 30 with author Terry Tempest Williams! RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic Debaters United on Need For Climate Action / Beyond the Headlines / Senator Lisa Murkowski Talks Up Public Lands / Trump Moves to Weaken NEPA / Note on Emerging Science: Plastic-Eating Mushrooms / After Coal: Stories of Survival in Appalachia and Wales At the final Democratic primary debate before the 2020 Iowa caucuses, the six candidates onstage all discussed their concerns about climate impacts and their plans to meet this existential challenge. Also, communities in Appalachia have been hit hard economically as coal production dropped. It's a story that has also played out in Wales in the UK. Now the "After Coal Project" is helping breathe new economic and cultural life into both communities. And Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, known for reaching across the aisle to broker bipartisan deals, sponsored the 2019 Dingell Act to protect and expand public lands. The Alaska Senator is entering her final year as Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00003. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston January 30 with author Terry Tempest Williams! RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australia's Wildfires Point to the Future / Climate Disasters Drive Refugee Crisis / McSweeney's '2040 AD' Climate Fiction Issue / Note on Emerging Science: Deep-Sea Serpents / Beyond the Headlines: The Year in Review / Climate and the 2019 Lexicon / BirdNote®: Encounter with a Cassowary Australia is in the throes of its worst fire season in modern history. As thousands of homes are incinerated and an estimated billion animals perish, the rest of the world is getting a glimpse of some of the troubles ahead on a warming planet. Also, a new "climate fiction" issue from the literary publication McSweeney's enlists notable authors to pen short stories envisioning climate disruption. And climate loomed large in the 2019 "word of the year" chosen by three prominent dictionary publishers. Living with climate disruption and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00002. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston with author Terry Tempest Williams! RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . SNACK WHILE YOU LISTEN: Our sponsor Exo offers cricket protein bars, whole roasted crickets, and more! Get your 15% discount here: https://exoprotein.com/discount/EARTH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rollbacks of 2019 / The Best Science and Nature Writing / Endangered Species Success Stories / Barren-Ground Caribou As we open a new year, Living on Earth looks back on key environmental developments of 2019. Last year saw the rollbacks of more than 80 environmental rules under the Trump Administration. Critics say these changes will harm more than the climate: they'll hurt business, the environment, and human health. Law professor Pat Parenteau joins us for an overview of some of the key regulatory rollbacks. And 2019 brought both good news and bad news for endangered species. While the Trump Administration finalized changes to the Endangered Species Act that could slow species' recovery, birds like the Kirtland's warbler, least tern and more have bounced back thanks to the ESA. And from a quirky little fish, to a couple of stonefly species that depend on melting glaciers to survive, a few more species received much-needed ESA protections. Also, the best science writing strives to entertain and educate in equal measures, and to help make the jargon of the scientific world accessible to the general public. And with bestselling science writer Sy Montgomery at the helm, the 2019 edition of the Best American Science and Nature Writing was sure to bring together some fascinating science journalism. A look back at 2019 and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00001. . . . *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . . JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston with author Terry Tempest Williams! RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. . . . PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . . FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . . SNACK WHILE YOU LISTEN: Our sponsor Exo offers cricket protein bars, whole roasted crickets, and more! Get your 15% discount here: https://exoprotein.com/discount/EARTH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the Border Wall Could Harm Wildlife / Bison and Sustainable Land Management / Science in Danger at the US-Mexican Border / Water Ranching in Mexico / BirdNote®: Lily-Trotters, Jesus Birds This week on the pod, a special series of stories Living on Earth's Bobby Bascomb reported from the US-Mexico border. In that increasingly fractured landscape, some species struggle to stay connected to populations north and south of the border. The walling off of Mexico from the US also presents a challenge for scientists doing research near the border. But the lands and people north and south of the border are united by species conservation efforts, and projects that seek to bring back wetland ecosystems and slow down water to help sustain plants and animals long after the seasonal monsoons. Bison could be part of the solution, since they evolved with a variety of grasslands including semi-arid ones, so some ranchers in Mexico are choosing to breed bison to help manage their land more sustainably. Stories from the borderlands and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Find this week's transcript here. *** LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! JOIN US at our upcoming live FREE event in Boston with author Terry Tempest Williams! RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution here. Thank you for your support! FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smeagull the Seagull: A True Story / Sammy Snail and the Graneers / Native American Winter Stories Winter is a time for gathering together and celebrating the rich human tradition of storytelling. Sharing Native stories handed down for thousands of years, as well as much younger stories that appeal to young and old alike, brings us together at the Northern Hemisphere's darkest time of the year. And this tradition can also bring us closer to the creatures we share our Earth with, from seagulls to paper wasps. A winter storytelling special, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats "Still In" at Madrid Climate Talks / Climate and Superfund Sites / Jane Fonda and Climate Civil Disobedience / Beyond the Headlines / BirdNote®: Rock Sandpipers Are Tough / A Preschool Christmas Bird Count Jane Fonda has been a Hollywood icon for a half-century and is currently starring in a hit Netflix show, but in 2019 she wants you talking about the climate. She's spearheading the "Fire Drill Fridays" protests at the US Capitol, even getting arrested at 81 years old, and this week's episode features a conversation with Jane about activism and civil disobedience as an antidote for despair, and more. Also, cleanup at 60 percent of the roughly 1,300 Superfund sites in the U.S. could be compromised by climate change disasters such as flooding, fires, and hurricanes. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency is not taking care to prevent these climate impacts on Superfund sites. And a new children's book follows a young citizen scientist as she participates in a Christmas Bird Count. Even preschoolers can get involved in the count, and we follow a flock of young birders on their practice run. Citizen science for kids and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banning New Natural Gas Hookups / Beyond the Headlines / The Outlaw Ocean / Eat Like a Fish / Remembering EPA Head William Ruckelshaus Seventy percent of our planet is covered by the oceans, and in this vast wilderness lawlessness is rampant, with crimes ranging from illegal fishing to slavery at sea. These high crimes on the high seas are the focus of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ian Urbina's new book, The Outlaw Ocean. Also, overfishing and climate change are hitting fish stocks hard, and at the same time most of the food grown and raised on land is carbon-intensive and unsustainable. Restorative ocean farming could hold the key to a more sustainable ocean and food system. And as scientists warn that time is running out to curb greenhouse gas emissions and transition away from fossil fuels, some towns and cities are enacting bylaws to codify the use of alternatives to natural gas and oil for heating and cooking. The town of Brookline, Massachusetts is the latest to do so. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Silent Killer Called PM2.5 / Beyond the Headlines / Science Note: Toad Mimics Venomous Snake / Cosmic Crisp Apples / Brewing a Specialty Coffee Market / A Typical Carbon Footprint of Thanksgiving / Reflections on the Native American Tradition of Giving Thanks / Cranberries Take Center Stage The fine particulate air pollution known as PM2.5 has been shown to be deadly with correlation to heart attacks and strokes, and a new study links it with three more specific causes of death: dementia, kidney disease, and hypertension. Also, Thanksgiving is a time for American families and friends to gather and be thankful, but for Native Americans it can also be a reminder of the displacement, violence and disease brought by the white colonists. And coffee is no longer simply a drink to wake you up as there is now a sizable market for specialty coffees with unique flavors. To link up coffee growers with that market and ensure they get a fair price, a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit started a coffee tasting "cupping" and auction. All that and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ExxonMobil Fraud Decision Due / UN Climate Ambition Gap / A Public Housing Green New Deal / Beyond The Headlines / Winter Wolf Song / Winter Wolves on the Move / A Tasty Vegan Thanksgiving With federal public housing in urgent need of upgrades, the new "Green New Deal for Public Housing Act" aims to create thousands of jobs while improving public health and reducing carbon emissions. Also, climate loss and damage is already upon us, even as UN negotiators look for fair ways to share responsibility. And a traditional Thanksgiving dinner might not seem all that vegan-friendly, but among the vegan options there are plenty of tasty selections that even have the mouthfeel of meat. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPA Seeks Confidential Health Records / The Bottle Deposit Debate / Senator Tom Udall Takes on Plastic Waste / Beyond the Headlines / The Pan-Borneo Highway / Good Housekeeping The EPA sset limits for pollutants in our air and water to protect public health. Now the agency is proposing a controversial rule to require any study used for its rulemaking to disclose raw data including confidential medical records. Also, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) aims to curb the growing plastic waste crisis with a bill that would ban some single-use plastics, institute a 10-cent nationwide container deposit, and compel producers to take the lead on recycling. And the 2,000-km Pan-Borneo Highway will connect some of the remote regions of the three nations that make up the island, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. But conservationists worry that this highway will fragment crucial habitat for rare species like pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, and the banded langur. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Keystone Oil Spill / Beyond the Headlines / Wildfires Strike Baja California / BirdNote®: The Butcherbird / Let The Leaves Be And Feed The Birds / Rainforests 'Worth More Alive Than Dead' In late October, nearly 400,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from the existing Keystone pipeline into a North Dakota wetland, reviving concerns about the safety of the proposed Keystone XL extension. Also, the extreme heat and winds that fueled wildfires in the State of California this October also fed fires in Mexico's Baja California, where fire departments and residents have limited resources. And despite market forces that incentivize logging, mining, and conversion to farmland, Earth's rainforests are worth more alive than dead. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fighting Fire with Prescribed Fire / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Deforestation and Malaria / Healthy People Equal Healthy Forests / BirdNote®: Green Birds and Brown Birds in the Tropical Rainforest / Pope Hosts Amazon Synod For many of those living in and near tropical forests, one of the only ways to get cash to pay for healthcare is by logging. Now the nonprofit Health in Harmony is providing healthcare that patients can pay for with seedlings or manure. Also, Pope Francis recently called the bishops of the Amazon to Rome for a synod bringing them together with lay members of the indigenous community to discuss human rights, climate change and deforestation. And a century of fire suppression has turned much of the West into a tinderbox. Prescribed fire could help bring nature back in balance, but it's currently far more common in the Southeast than in the West, where it's sorely needed. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ethane Crackers Spark Pollution Concerns / BirdNote®: Red-Necked Phalaropes, Spinners On The Sea / Living Near The Coast Could Boost Mental Health / Oyster Shell Recycling / Nobel Prize in Chemistry Recognizes Lithium Battery Discoveries / Beyond the Headlines / 'Largest YouTube Collaboration Ever' Aims to Plant 20 Million Trees A glut of cheap natural gas has petrochemical companies turning to ethane, a component of natural gas, to make plastic. But the process comes with massive carbon emissions and health concerns for host communities. Also, the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry commemorates the work of three scientists who helped develop the lithium ion battery, which revolutionized electronics. We speak with one of those pioneering chemists. And influencers on YouTube and other platforms are asking their billion subscribers to help plant 20 million trees. "Team Trees" and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10,000 Farmers Want a Green New Deal / BirdNote®: Who Likes Suet? / Beyond the Headlines / The Economic Value of the National Parks / Exploring the Parks: Great Smoky Mountains / Arctic Fox Hunting More than 10,000 farmers and ranchers from across the country have signed on to a letter that urges Congress to support a Green New Deal. They're asking for a massive overhaul of food and farming policy in order to address the climate crisis while providing economic security for independent family farms. Also, the National Parks have been famously called "America's Best Idea," but they may also be "America's Best Investment", thanks to the valuable services they provide such as recreation, carbon storage, and educational programs. And the latest in Living on Earth's series on public lands takes us to the most remote spot in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a biodiversity hotspot. Exploring the parks and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Youth Mental Health Problems From Pollution / Beyond the Headlines / Whistleblowers on Trump Science / The 2019 Fat Bear Week Champion / Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast This week on the podcast, the type of air pollution known as PM 2.5 is all around us from the burning of fossil fuels, and it's linked to strokes and heart attacks. Now there is mounting evidence that it may also be harming the mental health of children by worsening depression, anxiety, suicidality and more. Also, Jonathan Safran Foer's new book explores the opportunity that reducing our meat consumption presents for reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions. And the 2019 Alaskan fat bear tournament is over and we have a winner! Fat Bear Week is a yearly competition organized by Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska to honor its fattest, and healthiest, brown bears. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Fights California / Beyond the Headlines / Success of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative / DNA Barcoding for Quick Species ID / Bison and Sustainable Land Management The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, has lowered carbon emissions in participating states by roughly fifty percent while at the same time lower electricity rates for consumers. Some 30 million bison once roamed the Great Plains of North America, by the turn of the century there were less than 600. One ranch in Mexico is breeding bison to help the species recover and sustainably manage their land. Just a tiny fraction of earth's species have been documented by science but a new technology, known as DNA barcoding, promises to rapidly increase our understanding of the life on earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Silencing Spring / BirdNote®: Snowy Egrets - Killer Hats / Kids Versus the Climate Crisis / Fat Bear Week! / Beyond the Headlines / Container Farming in the City Scientists have documented a staggering decline in North America's birds in recent decades. As many as 3 billion birds have disappeared since 1970, and grassland birds and shorebirds have been hit especially hard. Also, Fat Bear Week is a yearly competition to celebrate the fattest, healthiest brown bears in Katmai National Park. And modern industrial agriculture is a resource-intensive endeavor, requiring massive amounts of land, water, and energy. Some urban farmers are thinking outside the box by bringing their farms inside the box in the form of shipping containers. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UN Climate Action Summit / Beyond the Headlines / Clean Water Rollbacks / Rebooting Puerto Rican Power / Naomi Klein's Case for a Green New Deal When Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico in 2017, it crippled the island's fossil fuel-dependent electrical grid. To improve resiliency, the territory is aiming for a 100%-renewable grid by 2050. Also, stronger hurricanes are a sign that the world is on fire - but so is the movement that's calling for action. In her new book "On Fire", Naomi Klein lays out a case for a Green New Deal. And kicking off Climate Week NYC is the 2019 United Nations' Climate Action Summit, an opportunity for nations to ramp up their greenhouse gas reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coal Ash Cleanup Allegedly Deadly for Tennessee Workers / Andrew Yang's Climate Plan / Beyond the Headlines / Pronghorn Antelope / How the Border Wall Could Harm Wildlife Dozens of workers who helped clean up a 2008 coal ash spill in Tennessee have died and hundreds more fallen ill from diseases linked to the disaster. Now a fight for justice for these workers has won a round in the courts. Also, how President Trump's border wall could sever habitats and migratory paths for wildlife in the borderlands, including birds. And Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang says his proposed "Freedom Dividend" of a thousand dollars a month to every American over 18 could help kickstart the fight against climate change. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices