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Scientists search for ways to battle deadly fungus devastating North America's bats Oct 27, 2024

The association between bats and Halloween dates back thousands of years, based on the superstition that the flying mammals are omens of death. But for nearly two decades, North American bats have been facing a deadly threat themselves: a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome. Ali Rogin speaks with New York Times columnist Carl Zimmer for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

States work to track down and cap dangerous methane leaks from abandoned oil and gas wells Oct 24, 2024

Two major laws passed by Congress and signed by President Biden provide new money and new requirements for reducing potent methane emissions, including those coming from abandoned oil and gas wells. The federal government has started awarding some contracts for capping those wells, but the election could impact whether this work will continue. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A Brief But Spectacular take on being a wildland firefighter amid climate change Oct 17, 2024

Sarah Jakober is a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter who serves on the Grand Ronde Rappel Crew based in Grande, Oregon. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on being a wildland firefighter. Jakober provides a window into a day on the job as climate change lengthens wildfire seasons and intensifies their impact. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

New book 'Threat Multiplier' details the fight for the Pentagon to adapt to climate change Oct 13, 2024

At a 2021 climate conference, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "No nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis." That sentiment reflects the Pentagon's three-decade evolution on climate change. Ali Rogin sat down with Sherri Goodman, a former Pentagon official who chronicles that transformation in her new book, "Threat Multiplier." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Winner of Nobel Prize in chemistry describes how his work could transform lives Oct 10, 2024

The Nobel Prize in chemistry went to three scientists for groundbreaking work using artificial intelligence to advance biomedical and protein research. AlphaFold uses databases of protein structures and sequences to predict and even design protein structures. It speeds up a months or years-long process to mere hours or minutes. Amna Nawaz discussed more with one of the winners, Demis Hassabis. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Hurricane Helene's reach shows why no place is immune from impacts of climate change Oct 02, 2024

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida but towns hundreds of miles from the coast have seen some of the worst destruction. Communities once considered 'climate havens' are facing a harsh reality, there may be no such thing. William Brangham discussed the impacts of a warming world and what individuals and communities can do with Alex Steffen, writer of the newsletter, "The Snap Forward." PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Papua New Guinea leaders struggle to monitor deep-sea mining activities off its coast Sep 19, 2024

The kind of deep-sea mining that we've examined this week is only legally permitted inside a country's territorial waters. The only country on earth to allow it so far is Papua New Guinea. Videographer Edward Kiernan and special correspondent Willem Marx report on how difficult it is for the impoverished Pacific nation to monitor deep-sea mining activities. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Papua New Guinea locals concerned over deep-sea mining's impact on culture and environment Sep 18, 2024

The companies that create technology used on a daily basis often run into traditional cultures and the environment that sustains them. In a previous report, videographer Edward Kiernan and special correspondent Willem Marx introduced us to the new and potentially lucrative industry of deep-sea mining. They return to Papua New Guinea and report on locals fighting to save a vanishing way of life. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Companies dig the deepest depths to mine valuable metals from the ocean floor Sep 17, 2024

Mankind has mined the earth's surface for thousands of years. Now there's a furious race to find even more metal that will enable the world's energy transition away from fossil fuels. In Papua New Guinea, one company is digging what may become the world's first operational deep-sea mining site. Videographer Edward Kiernan and special correspondent Willem Marx report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Critical report warns NASA is underfunded and its future is at risk Sep 10, 2024

A four-person crew of civilians launched Tuesday morning on a private Space-X rocket for a five-day mission to include the first commercial spacewalk in history. NASA has big plans to send people to the Moon and Mars, but a sweeping new report from the National Academies of Sciences raises questions about the agency. Science Correspondent Miles O'Brien reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

How Wisconsin is trying to save its freshwater mussels from drought and rising heat Sep 07, 2024

Wisconsin is coming back from its worst drought in decades. Along with unusually high temperatures, it's affected wildlife in and around the state's rivers. While spring rains ended the drought, recovery in some places has been slow. PBS Wisconsin's Nathan Denzin reports on one species that's been hit particularly hard. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After losing his sight, this scientist created a unique nature walk for the other senses Sep 04, 2024

In Southern California's Tijuana River Estuary, a blind scientist is leading a tour that encourages visitors to experience nature a little differently. He introduces visitors to the native plants with an emphasis on the other four senses besides sight. This story was produced by Kori Suzuki and Carolyn Cor-Ellis of KPBS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Why NASA is turning to SpaceX to bring Boeing Starliner astronauts home Aug 26, 2024

NASA's initial launch with the Boeing Starliner capsule has not worked out well. The space agency announced this weekend it has finally decided the two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station will come back on a SpaceX Dragon capsule next year. The pair were initially sent on an eight-day mission in early June. Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with science correspondent Miles O'Brien. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Tangier Island residents work to preserve culture threatened by rising sea levels Aug 24, 2024

Rising waters due to climate change and erosion are diminishing the landmass of Tangier Island, Virginia, a tiny speck of land in the Chesapeake Bay, and threatening a centuries-old culture fostered by the island's isolation. PBS News Student Reporting Labs' Sabrina Tomei reports on how the community is trying to restore their land and preserve their history and traditions. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Human-made debris left behind in outer space is a growing problem down on Earth Aug 11, 2024

From defunct satellites to rocket parts, debris from everything humans have launched into space since the 1950s is orbiting the Earth. That space junk is threatening our technology, both up there and down here. Marcus Holzinger, a professor of aerospace engineering at University of Colorado Boulder, joins Laura Barrón-López to discuss what's at stake. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

How extreme heat is damaging American transportation infrastructure Jul 13, 2024

Scientists say much of the persistent and dangerous heat blanketing wide swaths of the country is a long-term result of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate scientist Kristina Dahl joins John Yang to discuss how it's affecting everything from the power grid to trains, planes and automobiles. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Can a tax on livestock emissions help curb climate change? Denmark aims to find out Jul 07, 2024

Among greenhouse gases, methane is more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of trapping heat. According to the United Nations, about 32 percent of human-caused methane emissions comes from livestock. Ali Rogin speaks with Ben Lilliston at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to learn more about Denmark's new and controversial approach to reducing these emissions. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As climate change threatens island nations, some turn to digitizing their history Jul 07, 2024

As hurricanes grow stronger and more common due to climate change, they raise new threats for island nations -- not just to infrastructure, but also to artifacts and documents that help define cultures. Now, two island nations in the Atlantic and the Pacific are taking steps to preserve their threatened histories for future generations. Ali Rogin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman on the joys and challenges of life in space Jul 06, 2024

Fewer than 300 human beings have visited the International Space Station, and an even smaller number have spent more than 150 days living there. John Yang speaks with Cady Coleman, one of those select few astronauts, about her new book, 'Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change.' PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

AI and the energy required to power it fuel new climate concerns Jul 04, 2024

Google announced this week it is well behind on a pledge to all but eliminate its net carbon emissions by 2030. The company's greenhouse gas outflow has increased in recent years mainly due to artificial intelligence and the energy required to power it. The AI arms race has experts worried about its climate consequences for energy and water. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Scottish oil town hopes to be Europe's green energy capital with transition to renewables Jul 02, 2024

A major issue in Britain's general election is the cost of living crisis, caused by spiking inflation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That has put pressure on the country's pledge, written into law, to become carbon neutral by 2050. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Aberdeen, Scotland, in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Meet the ninth grader who's helping restore Mississippi's oyster reefs Jun 23, 2024

In the past two decades, the oyster population in Mississippi's Gulf waters has been devastated by both natural and manmade disasters. Among those working to restore oyster habitats is ninth grader Demi Johnson, who was recently recognized by the National Geographic Society for growing more than 1,000 oysters, which are likely to spawn millions more. John Yang speaks with Johnson about her work. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The big environmental costs of rising demand for big data to power the internet Jun 22, 2024

The rise of artificial intelligence is requiring faster and bigger computations for even simple tasks compared to, say, a Google search. It's adding to the demand for more internet data centers, but these facilities come at a big environmental cost, especially for the communities that host them. Science journalist Sachi Kitajima Mulkey joins Ali Rogin to discuss. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

News Wrap: Netanyahu clashes with Biden over conditions for permanent cease-fire in Gaza Jun 01, 2024

In our news wrap Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called Biden's proposal to end the war in Gaza a "nonstarter" until Israel's conditions are met, a barrage of Russian missiles and drones targeted Ukraine's power grid, South Africa's ANC party lost its majority in parliament for the first time in 30 years, and another attempt to launch Boeing's first astronaut flight was called off. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

How America's organ transplant system can be improved May 18, 2024

Nearly 115,000 people are currently waiting for a new organ. But the shortage crisis is nothing new, as 5,600 people die each year waiting for an organ. Ali Rogin spoke with Barry Friedman, the former executive director of the AdventHealth Transplant Institute, about what can be done to revamp the nation's organ donation and transplant process. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

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