Living on Earth

Amazon Tipping Point / Democratic Candidates Talk Solutions at Climate Town Hall / Reviewing the Climate Crisis Town Hall / Beyond The Headlines / Underland: A Deep Time Journey The fires in the Amazon rainforest are illuminating the alarming speed of deforestation in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth - and bringing it closer to a "tipping point" transition into dry savannah. Also, Democratic presidential hopefuls spell out their plans to address the climate emergency at town halls hosted by CNN, and a Harvard economist reviews their schemes. And author Robert Macfarlane ventures into ice caves, braves underwater rivers, and crawls through catacombs to discover the "deep time" running beneath our feet. Those stories and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saltwater Beavers Bring Life Back to Estuaries / Everglades National Park, a "River of Grass" / Drilling in the Everglades / Fly-fishing Saved From Pollution / Gaza Water Crisis In the Gaza Strip, where every three out of four people are refugees, clean water is scarce and there's a worsening health crisis for Gaza's children. Also, it turns out that beavers, a keystone species in some freshwater ecosystems, could hold the key to help restore degraded coastal habitats, too. And Everglades National Park provides a place of sanctuary in nature for those looking for peace and quiet, as well as a front-row-seat view of wildlife like alligators. The "River of Grass" and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toxicants in Diapers and Sanitary Pads / 'Romeo and Juliet' Frogs' First Steamy Date / Exploring The Parks: North Cascades National Park / Refugees Cultivate Healing Through Gardening / Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land A recent study finds that single-use diapers and sanitary pads contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds, chemicals that are known to cause a variety of health complications including birth defects and endocrine disruption. Also, meet the farmers who are working to cultivate justice and root out racism, by reconnecting people of color to the earth. And Sehuencas water frogs, like other amphibians, have been devastated by the chytrid fungus, and a frog that scientists named "Romeo" was the last known frog of his kind and had stopped singing for a mate. But recently scientists discovered "Juliet" hiding in the Bolivian cloud forest, and now Romeo's song is back. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate Migrant Caravans / The Place Where You Live: Anchorage, Alaska / Exploring the Parks: Sequoia and Kings Canyon / Confronting Climate Change Through Sound / Rewilding The English Countryside The recent waves of migrant caravans coming from Central America have a link to climate change: many of the migrants are fleeing their homes in the wake of crop failures, the result of a massive drought that has lasted for five years. Also, the constant onslaught of grim statistics about climate change may cause some people to shut down. Eco-acoustics could hold the key to drawing people back into a conversation about our changing climate. And an experiment in "re-wilding" a farm in England brings ecological and financial benefits from sustainable hunting and ecotourism. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No-Show Green Voters / Exploring the Parks: Cactus and Snow in the Desert Sky Islands / BirdNote®: Ponderosa Pine Savanna / Fighting Climate Change, Naturally / Free the Beaches: Desegregating America's Shoreline In the United States, approximately 20 million registered voters list the environment as one of their top two priorities. But these "super-environmentalists" tend to stay home on Election Day. Also, Arizona's Sky Islands are home to heat and cactus, but also many species that you're more likely to find far north of the desert Southwest - and even considerable snow. And the US civil rights movement to end racial segregation in the 1960's was fought in the North as well as the South. In Connecticut, just about all of the Long Island Sound beaches were off-limits to people of color, until creative organizing finally secured access for all children. That and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exploring the Parks: Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve / BirdNote: Exquisite Thrush Song / Vegan Generation Gap / An Afternoon with Pete Seeger Folk music legend Pete Seeger was renowned for his combination of music and social activism. A year before the first Earth Day, Mr. Seeger and friends built a sloop he christened the Clearwater, because that was his intention: to clear the waters of the Hudson River of pollution and garbage. Also, as part of Living on Earth's series exploring America's public lands, we travel to Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, deep in the remote Alaskan wilderness. And traditional family recipes that go back through the generations can present challenges when members of the newest generation go vegan. Those stories and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miners Pollute the Sea of Cortez / Beyond the Headlines / How to Raise Monarchs / Taggers at Work / Monarch Migration / The Value of Summer Camp / Guinea Fowl and Tick Control / BirdNote®: Do Birds Use Ants as Tools? Mining company Grupo Mexico has spilled millions of gallons of toxic mining chemicals and waste into the Sea of Cortez and rivers that feed into it, endangering people and the natural ecosystem. Now locals are demanding justice in the wake of the latest disaster. Also, some people have fond childhood memories of raising monarch caterpillars in classrooms and at home. We've got some tips for ensuring monarch butterflies raised in captivity aren't led astray in their migration. And deer ticks can carry Lyme disease, which is moving North, thanks to climate change. Now some homeowners in the thick of tick country are turning to an unusual tick control method: keeping a flock of guinea fowl. Tick-eating machines and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fracking and Your Health / Beyond the Headlines / Exploring the Parks: Petrified Forest National Park / Offsetting Your Carbon Footprint / "Hadestown" Brings Climate Change To Broadway / Camels at the Henbury Craters / BirdNote®: House Sparrows' Dance In this episode, fracking is a highly efficient method for extracting oil and gas locked up in shale rock, but it comes with environmental and health risks including birth defects, cancer, and asthma. A meta study lays out the evidence from more than 1700 studies, articles and reports. Also, carbon-intensive activities like global air travel have been growing for decades. For those interested in reducing their carbon footprints, carbon offsets promise to mitigate the damage caused by flying and other emissions sources. And Tony Award-winning musical "Hadestown" infuses themes like isolationism, exploitation of workers, and even climate change with New Orleans jazz, folk, and pop music. All that and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"#MeToo" at the Nature Conservancy / Beyond the Headlines / How To Be A Good Creature / The Secret & Endangered Lives of Freshwater Mussels / Exploring the Parks: Sequoia and Kings Canyon In this episode of Living on Earth, with $6 billion in assets The Nature Conservancy is among the world's richest environmental nonprofits and since 1950 it has protected 120 million acres worldwide. But a recent sexual harassment, gender discrimination and workplace misconduct scandal has shaken trust in the organization. Also, with names like "spectaclecase", "snuffbox", and "orangefoot pimpleback pearly", freshwater mussels are among Earth's most fascinating and underappreciated species. They're also among the most endangered organisms in the United States. Recently, critical habitat was finally designated for four species of freshwater mussels, but much more must be done to save hundreds more from extinction. And in the latest from our occasional series on America's public lands, we travel to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, which boast some of the biggest trees in the world and the tallest peak in the contiguous United States along with hundreds of miles of hiking trails. Exploring the parks and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US Blocks UN and G20 Climate Action / Not Much Presidential Debate About Climate / USDA Kills Thousands of Beavers / Science at Risk at the Border / HBO's "Ice on Fire" Offers Climate Solutions In this episode, scientists working on the US-Mexico border face unique challenges when trying to study borderlands ecosystems, thanks to everything from outright harassment and profiling, to tight restrictions on what can cross the border. Living on Earth's Bobby Bascomb is producing a series of dispatches from the US-Mexico border and discusses the challenges of doing science on the border. Also, the climate crisis took center stage at two major world meetings in June 2019, but major polluters have yet to step forward with promises to increase their Paris Agreement pledges. The United States remains on the sidelines as President Trump prepares to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement entirely. Meanwhile, the Earth is warming and changing faster than many climate scientists had predicted, and at times the future looks impossibly grim. But a new HBO documentary called "Ice on Fire" focuses on some solutions already at hand. "Game on" for solving the climate crisis and much more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Clean Power Plan / Beyond the Headlines / Resilient Corals Get a Helping Hand / Repairing Puerto Rico's Corals / BirdNote®: The Auklet's Whiskers -- Not Just for Show / Freshwater Under the Sea / Turning Backyards Into Pollinator Havens / The Mighty Condor Minnesota lawmakers have heeded dire warnings about pollinator declines. They've just approved a new program that pays homeowners to convert their lawns to pollinator-friendly habitat, like that favored by the rusty patched bumblebee, which just became Minnesota's state bee. And despite the double-whammy of ocean warming and acidification, some coral populations are actually thriving. So scientists are working to speed up natural selection by propagating these resilient corals in Costa Rica and elsewhere. Also in this episode, we take stock of the Trump EPA's new Affordable Clean Energy rule, which replaces the Clean Power Plan created during the Obama Administration. The ACE rule is expected to be challenged in the courts, as it does little to actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and could even result in up to 1,400 additional deaths from air pollution each year. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Increasing World Climate Ambition / Moving the Paris Climate Deal Ahead / Beyond the Headlines / Bringing Back Butternut Trees / Rating the Climate Promises of 2020 Prexy Candidates / Seeking Justice for the Ogoni Nine / BirdNote®: Brewer's Sparrow, Sageland Singer Polls show climate change is a rising concern for Democratic voters looking towards the 2020 presidential election. Greenpeace has a scorecard for each candidate based on commitments to a Green New Deal and phasing out fossil fuels. Also, many of the 2,000 delegates from 185 nations at UN Climate session in Germany are seeking to raise the ambition of nations in the Paris Climate Agreement, in hopes of limiting planetary warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. And Ogoni Nine widow Esther Kiobel is one step closer to justice in her battle against Royal Dutch Shell. She has pursued the oil giant for nearly 25 years, since the Nigerian government executed her husband in 1995 on trumped up charges, allegedly encouraged by Shell. Ms. Kiobel's husband was part of a group known as the Ogoni Nine, including Ken Saro-Wiwa which fought against Shell for environmental and economic damages to their homeland near the Niger River Delta. Now Ms. Kiobel will finally have her case heard in a Dutch case in her bid for reparations and the clearing of her husband's name. Seeking justice for the Ogoni Nine and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sobering Climate Risks / Note on Emerging Science: Hot Potato Blues / Beyond the Headlines / Exploring the Parks: Cactus and Snow in the Desert Sky Islands / BirdNote®: Ponderosa Pine Savanna / Horizon by Barry Lopez If carbon emissions keep going up until 2030 it will be too late to avoid a 'hot house' Earth with a billion climate refugees starting in 2050, according to the Australia-based Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration. These researchers warn the climate is changing faster than politicians and the public are responding, and say interventions on a scale never before seen during peacetime are needed right now. Also, Coronado National Forest, north of Tucson, Arizona is the latest subject of Living on Earth's occasional series on America's public lands. There's plenty of heat and cacti, of course - but also many species that you're more likely to find far north of the desert Southwest, and even enough snow for skiing! We take a trip to the remarkably diverse biomes of Arizona's Sky Islands, with a local biologist as our guide. And in his new book Horizon, 30 years in the making, award-winning writer Barry Lopez asks: "Who is our navigator?" now, in this time of climate change and pervasive inequality. Looking towards the horizon and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Hampshire Fights PFAS Pollution / Youth Climate Suit Plea / Beyond the Headlines / Recomposing the Departed / Global Warming Clues from Henry David Thoreau / Solid Seasons: The Friendship of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson / BirdNote®: Henry David Thoreau and the Wood Thrush New Hampshire may be one of the smallest states in the US, but it's taking on some of the largest chemical companies in the world. The state wants DowDuPont, 3M and six other companies to take financial responsibility for allegedly knowingly polluting the environment with the persistent toxic class of chemicals called PFAS and PFOA while failing to disclose the risks to public health. Also, for most of recent human history, we've laid our dearly departed to rest through burial and cremation. But these can bear an environmental burden linked to land use and greenhouse gas emissions. Now, Washington State residents have a new green option: human composting. And the Nineteenth Century writings of naturalist and transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau are treasured not only by students of environmental literature, but also scientists today using his observations to track how a warming world is affecting trees and flowers. We dive into that research, then sit down with the author of a new book that traces the "Walden" author's rich and fulfilling friendship with fellow transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. The legacy of Henry David Thoreau and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Green Wave Sweeps European Parliament / Beyond the Headlines / The Law of Languages / Misfit Produce at Your Doorstep / Our Planet / BirdNote®: Ruddy Duck Can binge-watching help save our stricken world? The producers of a new Netflix original series are hoping to move viewers enough to demand real action on climate change. Our Planet, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, is streaming majestic scenes of life on Earth -- through the sobering lens of climate change -- to millions of viewers. In fact the public's growing concern about climate change just helped usher in a new wave of Green party members to the European Parliament. And thanks to the increasingly fragmented body, with its multiple competing parties, the Greens have some leverage despite still holding only about 10% of seats. Also, every human language that's been tested follows a curious pattern called Zipf's law. Now researchers are looking to see if non-human languages, like the clicks and whistles used by dolphins and whales, follow a similar structure. The law of languages and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global Warming Poor Tax / Beyond the Headlines / BirdNote®: Recycle Your Egg Shells to Help Nesting Birds / Saving West Africa's Last Rainforest / Grammy Goes A-Gatherin' When an oil palm development in the poor West African country of Liberia uprooted indigenous communities, destroying their religious shrines and burial grounds, and threatened the last major tropical rainforest in West Africa, lawyer Alfred Brownell jumped into action. He was able to get the company to back off, but was then forced to flee for his life. And, as if the crop failures, infrastructure damage, and biodiversity loss linked to climate change weren't already enough, new research finds that global warming appeared to reduce the GDP of the world's poorer countries by 25 percent since 1961. Also, dandelions can be the bane of some who care for lawns. But for 97-year-old Grammy, dandelions are a culinary delight. Grammy goes a-gatherin' and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julián Castro Campaigns / Remembering the Legacy of Jim Fowler / Congestion Fee for NYC / Cutting Emissions From NYC Skyscrapers / BirdNote®: Unlikely Places to Go Birding / Beyond the Headlines / Leopard Seal Says Hello / Protecting the Cook Islands from Overfishing Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro is making climate change a key part of his campaign for president. At a recent meet and greet in New Hampshire, he laid his climate agenda and why a green economy can be a strong, job-creating economy. Also, New York City just became the first in the nation to adopt a congestion pricing plan. It's expected to raise about a billion and a half dollars in revenue every year for its crumbling subway system and cut down on some of Manhattan's infamous traffic. And NYC has taken another major step in the fight against climate change by putting big buildings on a low-carbon path, requiring them to reduce emissions 80% by 2050. Greening NYC and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bipartisan House Vote For 'Climate Action Now' / Climate-Resilient Cities / A Grave Biodiversity Warning / Beyond The Headlines / Goldman Prizewinner Vanquishes Oil Terminal Project / Exploring The Parks: North Cascades National Park As climate disruption advances with rising sea levels and more intense storms, floods and wildfires, some people are thinking about safer places to live. Duluth, Minnesota and Buffalo, New York are already branding themselves as climate resilient, thanks to their cool climate and proximity to fresh water. Also, the US House passes an historic climate action bill with bi-partisan votes. And meet the hero who fought a massive oil terminal project slated for Vancouver, Washington. How community organizing vanquished a fossil fuel project and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Refugee Camp Becomes a City / Tulsi Gabbard's Presidential Bid / No-Show Green Voters / Beyond the Headlines / Pioneer Warren Washington Wins Tyler Prize In Uganda's Bidibidi refugee camp, progressive policies enable South Sudanese refugees to live, farm, and work freely with locals, to foster the growth of small businesses and infrastructure. The goal: to attract outside investments and build an enduring future city. Also, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is a Democratic candidate for the 2020 Presidential elections. Campaigning in New Hampshire Congresswoman Gabbard spoke about the importance of addressing climate change and reducing military spending. And approximately 20 million registered voters in the US list the environment as one of their top two priorities. But many of these "super-environmentalists" stay home on Election Day. Getting out the green vote and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Klobuchar Goes Green / A Citizen Science BioBlitz / Beyond the Headlines / Microbeads in the Great Lakes / Microplastics Leading to Macro-Problems / A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration A handy smartphone app is all that's needed to participate in a citizen science "bioblitz", a brief, intensive survey of biological diversity over a set area and time. This year, thousands are expected to participate in the City Nature Challenge. Also, microplastics are everywhere, and sewage treatment doesn't remove them from the water. So they end up in lakes and streams, posing a growing threat to freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. And a veteran field guide author discusses the incredible phenomenon that happens every spring and fall, as a journey of thousands of miles begins with a single flap. The wonders of migration and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exxon Sued Over Climate Risks of Storage / Beyond The Headlines / Earth Day Checkup / BirdNote®: What's Your State Bird? / Prepping for the City Nature Challenge / Exploring the Parks: Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve Since the first Earth Day in 1970, much has been done to clean up our air and water, here in the U.S. and elsewhere. But the world now faces the imminent threats of climate change and biodiversity loss, with a long way to go on curbing carbon emissions. Also, our newest installment in Living on Earth's series exploring America's public lands takes us to the grizzlies and volcanism of Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, deep in the remote Alaskan wilderness. And as sea level rise and intensifying storms put coastal ecosystems, communities, and industrial facilities at risk, ExxonMobil faces a lawsuit over the alleged vulnerability of the company's Boston Harbor storage facility to climate disruption. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Mayor Pete' and the Climate / Beyond the Headlines / Fearsome Bull Elephant Musth / Science Note: Can Plants Hear? / Pesticide Risks Ignored at Trump Interior Dept. / BirdNote®: Sage Grouse Lek and Grasslands / The Sage Hen and the Sage Brush / Greater Peril for the Greater Sage Grouse Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is making climate change a focal point of his forward-looking campaign. That message resonates with those voters young and old who see "Mayor Pete" as uniquely qualified to talk about the future. Also, over 84,000 pages of documents have surfaced alleging new Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt's interference with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife report on the risks the pesticides chlorpyrifos, malathion and diazinon may pose to endangered species. And don't miss the marvelous sounds of the Greater Sage Grouse as it performs its traditional mating dance. Unfortunately, the Western sage brush ecosystem indicator species is now more vulnerable to grazing and oil and gas development, now that the Trump Administration has lifted Obama-era restrictions that were meant to protect the iconic bird. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Idai Disaster Update / Beyond the Headlines / The Power of the Purse and 'Climate Action Now' / Youth Testify for Climate Action / 'Romeo and Juliet' Frogs' First Steamy Date / Everglades National Park, a "River of Grass" / Drilling in the Everglades / BirdNote®: Rivers of Birds In this episode, Cyclone Idai brought destruction for residents of Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. With the UN calling Idai one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the Southern hemisphere, East Africans have a long road to recovery ahead. Also, the newly introduced Climate Action Now bill, HR 9, aims to use Congress' "power of the purse" to keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Agreement. The bill also calls for President Trump to make a plan to meet the U.S. commitments under the agreement. And the sehuencas water frogs known as "Romeo" and "Juliet" have had their first steamy date in hopes of saving their dwindling species. Matchmaking to save a species and more, in this episode on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brazil To Grab Indigenous Lands / Beyond the Headlines / Losing Ground: Midwest Floods Rip Away Topsoil / BirdNote®: The Rainwater Basin of Nebraska / The Place Where You Live: Chadron, Nebraska / Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country In this episode: Record flooding in the Midwest has swept away the precious topsoil of the "bread basket of the United States." Farmers already dealing with the Trump Administration's trade war with China now face spoiled grain, dead livestock and an interrupted planting season. The more moderate spring rains are welcome as they bring out the green and help water crops, and in south-central Nebraska, they provide watering grounds for migrating birds, including the famous Sandhill Cranes. Also, a constitutional crisis looms in Brazil as its controversial new president, Jair Bolsonaro, seeks to open the Amazon's indigenous territories to mining, against tribes' wishes. And we hear from writer Pam Houston about her new memoir, "Deep Creek," and how life on a ranch high in the Colorado Rockies helped her find sanctuary after a childhood of abuse and neglect. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oil Drilling Blocked for Climate / Climate Disasters and Softening Property Values / The Racial Gap of Pollution Responsibility / Beyond the Headlines / GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski on the 2019 Public Lands Act / Baboon, "The Observer" In this week's episode, a federal judge temporarily blocked drilling after he found the Bureau of Land Management failed to adequately consider climate impacts when it held lease sales for oil and gas extraction on hundreds of thousands of acres in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. And Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has worked for years with Republican and Democratic colleagues to bring together the most sweeping land conservation bill in a decade, and joins us to discuss public lands and climate change. Also, climate change is stoking losses from the recent floods in Southern Africa to the flooding in the US Midwest, and in coastal communities, rising seas are eating away at local tax bases, compounding the devastation. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Youth Strike for Climate / Carbon Pricing and the Green New Deal / Beyond The Headlines / BirdNote®: How a Bird Came to Look Like a Caterpillar / "Hockey Stick" Climatologist Wins Tyler Prize In this episode: A million or more students around the world join the Youth Climate Strike March 15th, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and her school strike in front of the Swedish Parliament beginning in August of 2018. Also, the Green New Deal resolution recently introduced in Congress is criticized for ignoring carbon pricing. And climatologist Michael Mann became known for developing the "hockey stick" graph showing global temperature rise, which won him the respect of the scientific community as well as the ire of the fossil fuel industry. He's sharing the 2019 Tyler Environmental Prize. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tornado Clusters and Climate Disruption / Beyond the Headlines / Oceans Losing Oxygen / Note on Emerging Science: Matchmaking for a Frog Named "Romeo" / Cloning Giant Sequoias / In Search of the Canary Tree In this episode, climate disruption -- and resiliency. Outbreaks of tornado clusters are being stoked by climate change, with 40 on the day that the strongest one devastated Lee County, Alabama. Meanwhile, warmer water holds less oxygen than cooler water does, so as climate change warms the oceans, they're losing oxygen. Pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, also contribute to oxygen-starved "dead zones." The warming planet is affecting forests, too, but they can be amazingly resilient. A nonprofit is working to give Coast Redwoods and Giant Sequoias a leg up on resiliency by cloning the hardiest trees. And the author of the new book, "In Search of the Canary Tree," shares how forests, and communities in Southeast Alaska, are transforming in the wake of mass die-offs of giant cypresses known as yellow cedars. All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lake Erie Wins Legal Rights / Beyond the Headlines / Volkswagen Goes All-Electric / Science Note: Using Mushrooms to Save The Bees / A Great Egret's Mating Dance / Remembering Dick Wheeler and the Great Auk In this episode, the citizens of Toledo, Ohio have taken a major step to protect Lake Erie, the main source of their drinking water. They voted by a wide margin to grant the Lake Erie Watershed legal rights, so that people can bring lawsuits on behalf of the lake itself. Also, as Volkswagen continues to work on repairing its image in the wake of its diesel emissions scandal, the German car manufacturer is turning over a new leaf with its announcement of a major all-electric car factory, to come online in 2022. And Living on Earth pays a tribute to the late Dick Wheeler with a reprise of the story of his journey kayaking 1,500 miles along the migration route of the now-extinct Great Auk. We enlisted the help of master storyteller Jay O'Callahan and Dick Wheeler himself to tell this story, pulled from our 1999 archives. Those stories and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wall Street and the Green New Deal / Beyond the Headlines / Listening to Forests Can Aid Conservation / California Tree Deaths Could Hurt Forests on the East Coast / Confronting Climate Change Through Sound / Saltwater Beavers Bring Life Back to Estuaries / BirdNote®: Anna's Hummingbirds Winter in the North This week on Living on Earth, critics of the Green New Deal are quick to point out its significant costs. But the federal government may not need to finance it alone: investors might be enticed to claim a slice of the Green New Deal pie. Also, it turns out that beavers, a keystone species in some freshwater ecosystems, could hold the key to help restore degraded coastal habitats, too. Their intertidal dams could provide crucial habitat for salmon, waterfowl, and many other species. And listening to forests might help protect them. Scientists are gathering acoustic data from animals that make sounds, like birds, primates and insects, to illuminate the health of a forest and even catch illegal loggers and poachers in the act. Those stories and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate Passes Bipartisan Public Lands Bill / Understanding the Green New Deal / Beyond The Headlines / Monarch Butterflies Rebound / The Border Wall's Wildlife Impacts / Refugees Cultivate Healing Through Gardening In this episode, biologists warn that President Trump's plan to build a wall along the U.S.--Mexico border could have disastrous consequences for rare borderland species like jaguars and pygmy owls. In other news for cross-border species, biologists are celebrating a boost to eastern monarch butterflies, which overwinter in Mexico; their population grew 144 percent from last year. But it's a different story for the western monarch population, which is on the edge of extinction. Still, there's something else to celebrate this week: conservation remains a bipartisan priority, as the Senate just passed the most sweeping land conservation bill in a decade. It designates 1.3 million new acres of wilderness and five new national monuments, and permanently authorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Those stories and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toxicants in Diapers and Sanitary Pads / A Green New Deal For All / Bangladesh's Climate Migration Crisis / Beyond The Headlines / Neighborhood Burn Squads Fight Fire With Fire A new study finds that single-use diapers and sanitary pads contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds, chemicals that are known to cause a variety of health complications including birth defects and endocrine disruption. Also, climate impacts like sea level rise, extreme storms, and droughts are creating a migration crisis. Ground zero for climate migration is Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave coastal homes. And some California communities at high risk for catastrophic wildfire are taking steps to prepare for disaster and reduce their risk by conducting controlled burns on their own. Neighborhood burn squads and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inslee's Climate-focused White House Bid / Heat Wave Scorches Nature Down Under / BirdNote®: Palm Cockatoo Gets The Girl / Beyond the Headlines / Eminent Domain and the Landowners Who Wouldn't Back Down Washington Governor Jay Inslee hasn't yet officially announced his candidacy in the 2020 presidential campaign, but he's working to position himself as the climate candidate if he does run. Gov. Inslee joins Living on Earth to discuss pairing economic prosperity with environmental policy. Also, Australia's plants and animals evolved to withstand a hot climate, but the recent extreme heat is far from normal. In recent weeks about a third of the bat population has died and water sources are becoming oxygen-depleted. And pipelines, highways, railroads and high-voltage transmission lines tend to require long paths across the landscape. When the government exerts its eminent domain powers, farms and even suburban neighborhoods can be caught in the middle. The residents who fight back and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate Migrant Caravans / Climate and the Majestic Gyrfalcon / Climate Disruption and the Poor / Beyond the Headlines / Healing Our Land and Communities Through the Power of Food / BirdNote®: Where Are They Now? This week, we delve into the link between climate change and the recent wave of migrant caravans coming from Central America. Many of the migrants are fleeing their homes in the wake of crop failures, the result of a massive drought that has lasted for five years. Also, without the financial means to adapt or recover from climate impacts, disadvantaged groups here in the U.S. are vulnerable, too. In New Bern, North Carolina, many African-American residents of a public housing complex flooded out by Hurricane Florence are now homeless. And local food movement pioneer Gary Paul Nabhan joins us to discuss how restoring the health of our lands can improve the health of our communities. He's the author of the new book, Food from the Radical Center: Healing Our Land and Communities. Displacement and rootedness, in this week's episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defending Public Lands / Beyond the Headlines / Ocean Warming Speeding Up / Youth Activists Call for a Minnesota Green New Deal / Brazil's President Targets Amazon / An Amazon Tribe Turns to Modern Technology to Save Their Trees In this episode we hear how protections for the Amazon Rainforest and its indigenous peoples are being weakened by Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro. And new data shows the Earth's oceans are warming much more rapidly than previously reported. That means rising sea levels, stronger storms, and more intense droughts. Also, youth activists in Minnesota aren't waiting for a national Green New Deal. They're working with the state government on moving the state away from fossil fuels, while creating clean energy jobs and other sustainable economic growth. The push for a Green New Deal in Minnesota and more, next time on Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capitol Hill Panel on Climate Crisis / Beyond The Headlines / Lead in Newark's Water / 'Forest Bathing' for Health / The Conservation Costs of Shutdowns Florida Democrat Kathy Castor tells Living on Earth that the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis she's chairing will press for climate change to be taken into account for all House legislation. Concerns abound about the impacts of government shutdowns on national parks and forests. Examples range from the National Mall to Joshua Tree, where the lack of services can mean trash cans overflow and visitors off-road in sensitive areas. Also, a Japanese practice known as "forest bathing" encourages spending time in nature for health benefits - and studies show spending time amongst the trees may in fact be good for human health. Join us for a walk in the woods and more, in this week's Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Greener U.S. Congress / Kerala's Ambitious Organic Pledge / Pesticide Peril in Paradise Democrats now hold a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in nearly a decade. Under Speaker Nancy Pelosi the House leadership now recognizes the science of climate change and has created a new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Also, locals call the lush tropical Indian state of Kerala "God's own country". But food there is laden with chemicals and cancer rates are rising. So the government has called for all organic food by 2020, and residents are pitching in with their own organic gardens on roof tops and terraces. That's in this week's installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebuilding Puerto Rico's Battered Farms / "Pa'lante": Puerto Rican Resilience After Maria / Volunteers Test Drinking Water in Puerto Rico / Repairing Puerto Rico's Corals Puerto Ricans continue to rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which killed thousands and wiped out basic services. Now a new and more resilient Puerto Rico is emerging: from a nascent local food movement, to citizen scientists testing water for safety, to Puerto Ricans restoring their island's coral reefs. How Puerto Ricans are forging ahead with a spirit of resilience and preparing for future hurricanes, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christmas Candles / Mary's New Year's Eve / Superbowl Sundae / A Green Message for the Next Generation / A Mainer's Family Traditions At this coldest, darkest time of year, draw near the fire and the radio, join with family and friends, and savor the warmth and joy of good company, good food, and good stories. It's Living on Earth's story telling special - with some joyous tales, environmental insights and musical surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rules To Save The Climate / Beyond The Headlines / Climate Action Off Track / Most Republicans Believe In Climate Change / Creating The Earth And Moon UPDATE: Rules for reporting climate protection progress were adopted at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, as almost all 190-plus countries in the climate treaty called for stronger international commitments on climate action. But the United States joined a faction promoting global warming coal. Also, while nearly 80% of Americans believe that the planet's climate is changing, only a third believe immediate action is necessary. And a novel theory for how the moon was formed sheds light on earth's origin. From Paris to Katowice to the Moon and back, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Deb Haaland, Native American Congresswoman / Beyond The Headlines / The Environmental Voting Gap / The Right To Repair / Is Shopping In A Store Greener Than Buying Online? / Green Gifts For The Holiday Season / Smeagull The Seagull: A True Story New Mexico's 1st Congressional District is sending Deb Haaland to Capitol Hill in January. A Democrat, she's one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress and campaigned on climate change and other environmental issues. Also, some 20 million registered voters in the U.S. list the environment as one of their top two priorities. The largest fraction of these "super-environmentalists" are young people, African Americans and Hispanics, but they tend to vote at lower rates than the rest of the population. And the tradition of exchanging gifts at the holidays often ends up creating a lot of needless consumption and environmental harm. But greener ways to show loved ones that you care abound, and the Living on Earth team is here to share their "green gift" ideas. That and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Climate Change Report / Saving The Sumatran Rhino / Climate Dangers of Palm Oil / BirdNote®: Long-Lived Wisdom, The Albatross / Beyond The Headlines / New England's Stone Walls The latest National Climate Assessment brings the most serious warning yet about present and future climate impacts in the U.S. But the Trump Administration is downplaying the findings of its own agencies as it continues to pursue rollbacks of climate protection regulations. Also, with fewer than 80 Sumatran Rhinos left in the wild, a new captive breeding program is hoping to learn from the mistakes of past attempts to bolster the species' numbers. They've plummeted in large part because of habitat loss, as a booming palm oil industry in Indonesia rapidly converts tropical forest into vast monocultures. And the destruction of these tropical peatlands is also causing a sharp uptick in carbon emissions. The climate consequences of palm oil and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keystone XL Blocked Again / Beyond The Headlines / Emerging Science Note: Coral Reefs Wrecked By Rising Seas / Fighting Climate Change, Naturally / Let The Leaves Be And Feed The Birds / BirdNote®: How Much Do Birds Eat? / Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land In a major setback for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, a federal judge has halted the project, citing poor environmental reviews. Also, it turns out that a lazy fall yard-work ethic can help feed hungry native birds, which feed on the insects that thrive in leaf litter. And meet the farmers who are working to cultivate justice and root out racism, by reconnecting people of color to the earth. Liberation on the land and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Climate For Wildfires / Beyond The Headlines / Beyond Gas For Cooking / A Tasty Vegan Thanksgiving / Rewilding The English Countryside Fueled in part by climate change, California's 2018 wildfire season is the most deadly on record. And mega-fires are becoming increasingly common in California and elsewhere. Also, a vegan Thanksgiving feast may not have turkey or gravy, but meat and dairy substitutes and some creativity in the kitchen can make for a delicious meal all the same. And a gas pipeline disaster becomes an opportunity to highlight induction cooking technology as a more efficient alternative to cooking with gas. All that and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic Wins And The Environment / A Blue-Green Wave / Trump Boosts Offshore Wind Power / The Place Where You Live: Glacier National Park / How To Be A Good Creature / BirdNote®: How Free Is A Free-Range Chicken? The Democratic Party has regained control of the House of Representatives, and environmental advocates see the chamber as a crucible for oversight of President Trump's environmental rollbacks, as well as forging bipartisan environmental legislation. Also, new offshore wind projects could soon generate energy off the coasts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California. And Sy Montgomery joins us to discuss her latest book, a memoir celebrating the valuable life lessons she's gained from friendships with creatures of all kinds. How to Be a Good Creature and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Health And Fluoride / Getting Hormones Out Of Wastewater / Beyond The Headlines / Brazil To Increase Amazon Deforestation / The Red-Tailed Hunter / Exxon Mobil Sued For Fraud / Investigative Reporting In Coal Country / Birdnote®: Two Phoebes Share The American West Most cities in the United States add fluoride to the water supply in an attempt to prevent tooth decay. But recent studies show a correlation between drinking water containing fluoride and health issues such as weight gain, fatigue and ADHD. Also, after a three-year investigation, the New York Attorney General has sued ExxonMobil for allegedly misleading its shareholders on the risks climate change regulations could pose to its business. And investigative reporter Ken Ward, who has spent decades doggedly unveiling corruption within the coal industry, is a 2018 MacArthur Fellow. Fluoride, Exxon, investigative reporting in coal country and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More Organics, Less Cancer / Beyond The Headlines / Gaza Water Crisis / Acquitted For Climate Convictions / BirdNote®: Saw-whet Owls Hoot And Hoot A major study finds a significant reduction in the risk of cancer among high consumers of organic food. Also, in the Gaza Strip, where every three out of four people are refugees, clean water is scarce, and there's a worsening health crisis for Gaza's children. And two recently acquitted protestors who temporarily shut down oil pipelines call for more civil disobedience, saying time is running out to save a livable climate. Fighting cancer, climate apathy and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red Tide Boosts Blue Wave / Beyond The Headlines / A Warmer World Supercharged Hurricane Michael / Fly-fishing Saved From Pollution / Barbara Kingsolver, Unsheltered / Vegan Generation Gap A surge of toxic red and green algae blooms is fueling anger at Florida Republican Governor and Senate Candidate Rick Scott and could affect the November election outcomes. Also, how unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico fed Hurricane Michael's rapid intensification and essentially doubled its destructiveness. And writer Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, "Unsheltered," explores two families dealing with economic crises and the denial of science - living a century apart. Slime, climate change, hurricanes and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kavanaugh On Environmental Law / Beyond The Headlines / Global Warming Is Heating Up / Bringing Back Butternut Trees / Night Moves / BirdNote®: Starlings Say It With Flowers / John Kerry: 'Respect Democracy - By Going Out And Voting' After being confirmed by a narrow margin, Brett Kavanaugh is now a Supreme Court Justice. We take a look at why he's likely to shift SCOTUS towards narrower interpretations of environmental law, which would limit the government's authority to regulate pollutants like climate-warming gases. Speaking of - a new UN climate report points to dire consequences if the world fails to quickly curb greenhouse gases. Earth's average surface temperature is already on track to rise by much more than the key threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. And we wrap up our conversation with John Kerry about his memoir, Every Day Is Extra - and why respecting democracy means going to the polls on Election Day. Those stories, our weekly segment catching up with Peter Dykstra and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPA Raises Risks To Children's Health? / Beyond The Headlines / Cool Fix For A Hot Planet: A Tiny, Carbon-Sucking Fern / Failed Tsunami Warnings / Walrus Changes His Mind / Hemlock Trees On Hospice / John Kerry Looks Back - And Ahead / BirdNote®: Chipping Sparrows: Song Learning Starts Early John Kerry is on a mission to get out the vote. As America and the world face pressing issues like climate change, he says there's a dire need for elected officials who are willing to face the future head-on. His call to action comes as the Environmental Protection Agency is rolling back regulations on mercury and is reportedly preparing to shutter its Office of Children's Health Protection. Also, an artist and ecologist team up to communicate the story of the dying eastern Hemlock tree. "Hemlock Hospice" and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billion Dollar Losses Related to Roundup / Beyond the Headlines / Birdnote®: The Cuban Tody, A Caribbean Jewel / Rebuilding Puerto Rico's Battered Farms / The Tangled Tree Even before Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico imported nearly all of its food. Now, as locals rebuild their lives, an agricultural revival is bringing fresh fruits and veggies back to the island. Also, Bayer faces billions of dollars in potential court damages, after a jury finds Bayer-owned Monsanto knowingly sold a cancer-causing herbicides without warning consumers. And a discussion with science writer David Quammen on how new discoveries go beyond Darwin's "tree of life". New secrets of life and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices