Living on Earth

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Democratic Debaters Urge Climate Action, Senator Murkowski Talks Public Lands, After Coal: Stories of Survival in Appalachia and Wales, and more Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

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. . . .
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Australia's Wildfires Point to the Future, Climate Fiction As Warnings, Climate Refugees, and more Jan 10, 2020

Show notes

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! . . .
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Living on Earth Look Backs at 2019: Regulatory Rollbacks, The Best Science and Nature Writing, Endangered Species Successes, and more Jan 03, 2020

Show notes

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. . . .
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Stories from the Borderlands: Water, Bison, the Wall and more Dec 27, 2019

Show notes

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!
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Bunnies, Bears, and Snails: Stories for the Solstice Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

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.

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Jane Fonda and Climate Civil Disobedience, Superfund Climate Risks, A Christmas Bird Count for Kids, and more Dec 13, 2019

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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.

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The Outlaw Ocean, Eat Like a Fish, Banning New Gas Hookups and more Dec 06, 2019

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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.

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The Silent Killer Called PM2.5, Reflections on the Native American Tradition of Giving Thanks, Brewing a Specialty Coffee Market, and more Nov 29, 2019

Show notes

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.

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ExxonMobil Awaits Fraud Ruling, A Public Housing Green New Deal, A Tasty Vegan Thanksgiving, and more Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

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.

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Tackling Plastic Waste, EPA Seeks Confidential Medical Records, The Pan-Borneo Highway, and more Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

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.

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