NPR News - Environment

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Breaking news on the environment, climate change, pollution, and endangered species. Also featuring Climate Connections, a special series on climate change co-produced by NPR and National Geographic.
Updated: 9 hours 26 min ago

The U.S. gets a new national marine sanctuary, the first led by a tribe

Mon, 2024/10/14 - 2:15am

Over 4,500 square miles of ocean will be protected off the California coast. It will also be managed in partnership with the Indigenous groups that fought to create it.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

Categories: Environment

The Cuyahoga River was so polluted, it used to catch fire. Now it's making a comeback

Sat, 2024/10/12 - 3:00am

The plight of the river, which empties into Lake Erie at Cleveland, helped inspire the Clean Water Act. Now it attracts kayakers and anglers and could soon be removed from an EPA watchlist.

Categories: Environment

SpaceX wants to go to Mars. To get there, environmentalists say it’s trashing Texas

Fri, 2024/10/11 - 2:00am

With each launch, SpaceX has been discharging tens of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater into sensitive wetlands. Environmentalists say an increase in launches will only make things worse.

(Image credit: Verónica Gabriel Cárdenas for NPR)

Categories: Environment

Climate-resistant rock glaciers could be hiding water in plain sight

Fri, 2024/10/11 - 12:00am

Even though there are more than 10,000 rock glaciers in the western United States, most people would look at one without knowing it. Unlike the snowy glaciers we're more familiar with, rock glaciers are under-researched and hiding in plain sight. But inside these glaciers covered with rocks is a little bit of climate hope.

Read more of science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce's reporting here.

Want to know more about the hidden science of the world? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover it on a future episode!

Categories: Environment

Hurricane Milton's path of destruction

Thu, 2024/10/10 - 4:02pm

Hurricane Milton tore a path of destruction through Florida late Wednesday, leaving multiple dead and wrenching buildings apart.

Many across the southeastern U.S. were still struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, which hit less than two weeks ago.

Now, residents and officials must again navigate the clean up rescue and recovery efforts.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

(Image credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo)

Categories: Environment

Colorado ski town celebrates after local mountain is forever protected from mining

Thu, 2024/10/10 - 2:44pm

Crested Butte, Colo., has lived with the threat of a huge open pit mine for 50 years. It's now officially rejected, and a street dance and community hike close the door on long held anxiety.

Categories: Environment

Residents of Cancer Alley have fewer protections against environmental discrimination

Thu, 2024/10/10 - 1:51pm

People who live in one of the nation's most toxic areas for air pollution -- known as Cancer Alley -- have lost the ability to sue for protection from environmental racism.

Categories: Environment