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Public Radio's Environmental News Magazine (follow us on Google News)

Bird Flu Warning

 

So far avian flu hasn’t been seen spreading from human to human, but recent mutations indicate some variants are becoming better adapted to infecting humans. An influenza researcher discusses what we know about bird flu so far, and how we can prepare for the possibility of a pandemic.

 

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So far avian flu hasn’t been seen spreading from human to human, but recent mutations indicate some variants are becoming better adapted to infecting humans. An influenza researcher discusses what we know about bird flu so far, and how we can prepare for the possibility of a pandemic.

Life As An Incarcerated Firefighter

 

Around a thousand of the firefighters who battled blazes around southern California in January 2025 were incarcerated. They do essentially the same work as other firefighters but are paid as little as around $5 a day. A formerly incarcerated firefighter shares what it was like and how the experience helped him forge a new life after prison as a professional firefighter.

 

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An Ancient Climate Solution

 

As the water supply in Athens, Greece dwindles and demand surges from residents and tourists alike, the city is looking to antiquity for solutions. One that’s attracting attention is an ancient aqueduct that runs beneath Athens.

 

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Trump Blocks Climate and Eco Action

 

Back in power, President Trump immediately took aim at climate and environmental protection with a flurry of executive orders such as blocking the Paris Climate Accord and boosting fossil fuel sales. The President may have over-reached but could still do lasting damage to the climate and environment.

 

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Can Eating Organic Reduce Your Cancer Risk?

 

A number of pesticides have been linked to cancer, but there are challenges to studying whether eating organic food grown without these toxins would help reduce your risk. We explain the mixed results of some studies on organic food and cancer and explore a variety of ways that people can reduce their cancer risk.

 

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The "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen"

 

Not all conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are loaded with high levels of harmful pesticides. Consulting the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen” lists can help consumers make efficient choices in the produce aisle.

 

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Redwood Rebirth After Fire

 

Nearly all the tall coast redwoods in California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park burned in a 2020 wildfire. But within a few months the charred trunks had grown a fuzz of healthy green shoots. A paper documents how the trees were able to regenerate using energy reserves stored for many decades.

 

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Join the Living on Earth Book Club on October 13th!

 

Bestselling science journalist Ed Yong joins us to talk about his new book. Click here to learn more and register!

 

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Celebrating 30 years of Living on Earth!

 

Host Steve Curwood in the Living on Earth studio

 

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Bird Flu Warning


So far avian flu hasn’t been seen spreading from human to human, but recent mutations indicate some variants are becoming better adapted to infecting humans. An influenza researcher discusses what we know about bird flu so far, and how we can prepare for the possibility of a pandemic.

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Life As An Incarcerated Firefighter


Around a thousand of the firefighters who battled blazes around southern California in January 2025 were incarcerated. They do essentially the same work as other firefighters but are paid as little as around $5 a day. A formerly incarcerated firefighter shares what it was like and how the experience helped him forge a new life after prison as a professional firefighter.

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Exploring the Parks: Brand-New Chuckwalla National Monument


In his last days in office President Biden designated a new national monument in the southern California desert called Chuckwalla. We hear perspectives from locals on this unique landscape, including a Native tale of how Coyote gave the “painted canyon” in Chuckwalla its name.

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This Week’s Show
January 31, 2025
listen / download



Bird Flu Warning

listen / download
So far avian flu hasn’t been seen spreading from human to human, but recent mutations indicate some variants are becoming better adapted to infecting humans. An influenza researcher discusses what we know about bird flu so far, and how we can prepare for the possibility of a pandemic.

Life As An Incarcerated Firefighter

listen / download
Around a thousand of the firefighters who battled blazes around southern California in January 2025 were incarcerated. They do essentially the same work as other firefighters but are paid as little as around $5 a day. A formerly incarcerated firefighter shares what it was like and how the experience helped him forge a new life after prison as a professional firefighter.

Exploring the Parks: Brand-New Chuckwalla National Monument

listen / download
In his last days in office President Biden designated a new national monument in the southern California desert called Chuckwalla. We hear perspectives from locals on this unique landscape, including a Native tale of how Coyote gave the “painted canyon” in Chuckwalla its name.

Birdnote®: Goldeneyes and Whistling Wings

listen / download
On a still winter afternoon, you may hear Common Goldeneyes flying low across the water. As Ernest Hemingway wrote, their wings make the sound of ripping silk. BirdNote®’s Michael Stein reports.

An Ancient Climate Solution

listen / download
As the water supply in Athens, Greece dwindles and demand surges from residents and tourists alike, the city is looking to antiquity for solutions. One that’s attracting attention is an ancient aqueduct that runs beneath Athens.


Special Features

Field Note: "Seal Island"
Living on Earth’s Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender reflects on the military history of Seal Island in the Main Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes

Field Note: Eagle!
Rise early in the morning and head out to a nearby national wildlife refuge, and you’ve got a good shot of being rewarded with the sights and sounds of all kinds of birds. And on this birdwatching trip, you might be watched back.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes


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...Ultimately, if we are going prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, we are going to have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground rather than burn them...

-- President Barack Obama, November 6, 2015 on why he declined to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.

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