Environment
Thousands of federal firefighters face a looming pay cut. How much is up to Congress
The bipartisan infrastructure law granted federal firefighters a big pay bump. Amid a looming government shutdown, that wage increase will expire, leaving first responders unsure about their income.
(Image credit: Noah Berger/AP)
Young climate activists challenging 32 governments will get their day in court
Six young activists are due Wednesday at the European Court of Human Rights, where they're accusing 32 governments of violating their human rights for failing to adequately address climate change.
(Image credit: Ana Brigida/AP)
Norovirus in the wilderness? How an outbreak spread on the Pacific Crest Trail
Having this virus is bad enough at home, where you might spend hours hugging the toilet. Imagine having it out camping. Investigators wanted to find out how backpackers were getting and spreading it.
(Image credit: Mia Catharine Mattioli/CDC)
Vaccines are still tested with horseshoe crab blood. The industry is finally changing
The horseshoe crab bleeding industry is in transition. One biomedical company agreed to more oversight, and a regulatory group is paving the way for drug companies to use animal-free alternatives.
(Image credit: Ariane Müller)
A lawsuit is challenging the vast number of airstrips in Idaho's protected wilderness
Idaho has more backcountry airstrips and wilderness pilots than any state other than Alaska. Many airstrips were incorporated into protected wilderness but now conservationists are challenging them.
NAACP signs agreement with FEMA to advance equity in disaster resilience
As part of the collaborative effort, the NAACP's Emergency Management Task Force will regularly meet with FEMA to advance its progress on equity within disaster preparedness.
(Image credit: NAACP)
From hangry to chonky: Fat Bear Week is coming
There can be only one — and they shall be rotund. The brown bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska have been plumping themselves up, to prepare for a new hibernation season.
(Image credit: Felicia Jimenez/NPS Photo)
You've likely seen this ranch on-screen — burned by wildfire, it awaits its next act
The Woolsey wildfire devastated most of Paramount Ranch's Hollywood heritage in 2018. Human-driven climate change is demanding difficult decisions about what to preserve in the rebuilding process.
(Image credit: Matthew Simmons/Getty Images)
How wildfire smoke is erasing years of progress toward cleaning up America's air
A new study finds that smoke from massive wildfires has eroded about a quarter of the air quality gains from the last few decades.
(Image credit: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Biden is unveiling the American Climate Corps, a program with echoes of the New Deal
The White House says the program will provide paid training to 20,000 Americans in its first year. It's much smaller than its New Deal predecessor, but targets a more diverse group of young people.
(Image credit: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
A Northern California tribe works to protect traditions in a warming world
The Oak Fire last year threatened the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation's way of life. Now the tribe is restoring ancient heritage sites and cultural practices in collaboration with local agencies.
(Image credit: Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation)
Australian wildfire danger causes fire ban in Sydney and closes schools
Authorities have forecast the most destructive wildfire season during the approaching Southern Hemisphere summer in Australia's populous southeast since the fires of 2019-20 that killed 33 people.
(Image credit: Mark Baker/AP)
With about1,500 ghost orchids left in Florida, groups sue to list it as endangered
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit because they want the federal government to list a rare orchid, found mainly in Florida, as an endangered species.
The environmental analysis of Utah oil railroad is inadequate, federal judge rules
The company proposing a new railroad beside the Colorado River for Utah oil says it will persist, after a federal judge ruled their environmental analysis inadequate. Climate activists watch closely.
California's big oil lawsuit is a 'huge deal,' Center for Climate Integrity head says
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, about California's lawsuit against fossil fuel companies for worsening climate change.
Why people are skeptical of green initiatives — like water-saving washing machines
A laundromat owner in Aurora, Colo., installed washing machines that conserve water. His customers abandoned him, but he was able to win them back after learning why they might be skeptical.
Poet Laureate Ada Limón hopes to help people commune with nature in new project
U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón has announced her signature project titled " You Are Here," which hopes to engage people with poetry and nature.
Young people think climate change is a top issue but when they vote, it's complicated
Climate change is a major issue for young voters, but so far, it has not been a major mobilizing force in U.S. elections. Some environmental action groups see that changing.
(Image credit: Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images)
Environmentalists want to protect a rare 'ghost' orchid as an endangered species
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit because they want the federal government to list a rare orchid, found mainly in Florida, as an endangered species.
Poison ivy is poised to be one of the big winners of a warming world
Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels give the toxic vine the oomph it needs to grow earlier, bigger and itchier, scientists say.
(Image credit: Jesse Costa/WBUR)