Mines No Safer Despite $1 Billion In Fines, Federal Audit Says
A Labor Department audit found no correlation between the federal system that fines mining companies for unsafe conditions and safety in mining operations.
Environment
Tens Of Thousands Of Fires Ravage Brazilian Amazon, Where Deforestation Has Spiked
Researchers say there's been a huge rise in the number of fires compared with last year. That's likely linked with a similar leap in deforestation since President Jair Bolsonaro took office.
How Arctic Fires Are Impacting Earth's Atmosphere
More than two million acres of forest have burned in Alaska this year. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with climate change researcher Nancy Fresco about the impact these fires have on the Earth's atmosphere.
More U.S. Towns Are Feeling The Pinch As Recycling Becomes Costlier
The U.S. recycling industry is facing a quandary: Too much of the plastic we use can't be recycled, and taxpayers increasingly are on the hook for paying for all that trash to hit the landfills.
Wildlife Staff Outside Denver Work To Stop The Spread Of Plague Among Prairie Dogs
An outbreak of plague has struck a prairie dog population outside of Denver. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with research wildlife biologist Dean Biggins about the risks to the region's ecology.
Duke Program Lets Big Users Buy Renewable Energy Elsewhere
Duke Energy is rolling out a new program that clears the way for large customers to buy solar or wind energy from independent power producers.
U.S. Recycling Industry Is Struggling To Figure Out A Future Without China
China is no longer taking the world's waste. The U.S. recycling industry is overwhelmed — it can't keep up with the plastic being churned out. This doesn't bode well for our plastic waste problem.
How The Flying Shame Movement Got Off The Ground
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Umair Irfan, who covers climate change and the environment for Vox, about the flying shame movement and what can be done about carbon emissions from air travel.
Why Sea Level Rise Varies Across The World
The sea level is rising more in some coastal places than in others. But why is that? It has to do with wind, currents, glaciers and even the last Ice Age.