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Extinction Threatens 1 In 6 U.S. Trees
1 in 6 U.S. tree species are at risk of extinction, largely due to pests and disease, according to a recent study published in the journal Plants People Planet. Lead author Abby Meyer discusses how climate change threatens American forests, and how conservation efforts can help.
The Grand Canyon of the Atlantic Ocean
Hudson Canyon is a vast underwater gorge and ecological hotspot with deep-sea corals that’s being considered for national marine sanctuary status. Merry Camhi, director of the New York Seascape at the Wildlife Conservation Society and New York Aquarium talks about what protecting Hudson Canyon could mean.
Victory in Cancer Alley
Environmental justice advocates are declaring victory after a Louisiana judge canceled permits for a plastic factory in the region known as ‘cancer alley’ for the high rate of the disease linked to emissions from some 150 petrochemical plants. RISE St. James director and founder Sharon Lavigne explains what the ruling means for this majority black community in the parish and the pursuit of environmental justice.
Federal Funds For Environmental Justice
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act contains billions of dollars aimed directly at addressing environmental and climate injustice. Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts was one of the architects of those provisions and discusses how to ensure low-income communities and people of color can access those funds and programs.
Fiona and Landslides
When Hurricane Fiona recently struck Puerto Rico the island was still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the swarm of earthquakes that started in 2019. Hurricane Fiona’s extreme rainfall and flooding triggered landslides in areas destabilized by the quakes, adding to the disaster. Marin Clark, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan, explains.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Now Everywhere, Too
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of over 12,000 chemicals known as “forever chemicals” because they hardly break down in the environment. And they’re now found everywhere from microwave popcorn to drinking water supplies to human blood. Laurel Schaider, Senior Scientist at the Silent Spring Institute, talks about the research on how these chemicals are affecting us and what we can do about it.
Extreme Weather Events and Climate Science
Scientists have understood for decades how global warming would increase moisture in the atmosphere promoting climate disruption and extremes such as the floods, wildfires, and record-breaking heat waves 2022 has brought to many regions. But there may be more impacts to come as climate models haven’t captured all the complex interactions of a warming world. Michael Mann, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Pennsylvania, joins us to discuss.
Celebrating 30 years of Living on Earth!
Host Steve Curwood in the Living on Earth studio
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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Steady Light for Solar
For years renewable energy has had on again, off again financial support from the US government, limiting its development to fight the growing climate crisis. Those days appear to be over now that the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provides a decade of tax breaks and funds for clean energy. George Hershman, CEO of SOLV Energy, discusses this new day for solar power.
Extinction Threatens 1 In 6 U.S. Trees
1 in 6 U.S. tree species are at risk of extinction, largely due to pests and disease, according to a recent study published in the journal Plants People Planet. Lead author Abby Meyer discusses how climate change threatens American forests, and how conservation efforts can help.
The Grand Canyon of the Atlantic Ocean
Hudson Canyon is a vast underwater gorge and ecological hotspot with deep-sea corals that’s being considered for national marine sanctuary status. Merry Camhi, director of the New York Seascape at the Wildlife Conservation Society and New York Aquarium talks about what protecting Hudson Canyon could mean.
This Week’s Show
September 30, 2022
listen / download
Climate Spending Czar
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The job of getting the biggest climate bill in U.S. history from concept to action will largely fall to White House veteran John Podesta. As senior advisor to President Biden for clean energy and implementation, he’ll need to coordinate numerous agencies, including the IRS and Treasury, given that around ¾ of expenditures run through the tax code. Harvard economist Joe Aldy explains.
Steady Light for Solar
listen / download
For years renewable energy has had on again, off again financial support from the US government, limiting its development to fight the growing climate crisis. Those days appear to be over now that the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provides a decade of tax breaks and funds for clean energy. George Hershman, CEO of SOLV Energy, discusses this new day for solar power.
Beyond the Headlines
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This week, Environmental Health News Editor Peter Dykstra and Bobby Bascomb talk about Kenya’s abundant geothermal resources, the US ratification of the Kigali agreement, and the passing of David “Dave” Foreman, an eco-warrior who co-founded Earth First! group back in 1980.
Our Next Event in the LOE Book Club
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The Living on Earth Book Club, New England Aquarium, Lowell Institute, and UMass Boston School for the Environment proudly present this free, live conversation between Host Steve Curwood and Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong on his bestselling new book, "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us." Join us online on Thursday, October 13th at 6:00pm EST.
Extinction Threatens 1 In 6 U.S. Trees
listen / download
1 in 6 U.S. tree species are at risk of extinction, largely due to pests and disease, according to a recent study published in the journal Plants People Planet. Lead author Abby Meyer discusses how climate change threatens American forests, and how conservation efforts can help.
The Grand Canyon of the Atlantic Ocean
listen / download
Hudson Canyon is a vast underwater gorge and ecological hotspot with deep-sea corals that’s being considered for national marine sanctuary status. Merry Camhi, director of the New York Seascape at the Wildlife Conservation Society and New York Aquarium talks about what protecting Hudson Canyon could mean.
Special Features
Field Note: Captive Audience
Cooperative hunting among birds is rare but Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender shares an unexpected instance among yellow-billed storks in Kenya.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes
Field Note: Big Dog, Soft Mouth
Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender reflects on how our limited perspective influences our perception of nature.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes
...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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