Environment

Environment

In California's Fourth Year Of Drought, New Regulations and $1 Billion In Relief

10:49pm March 22, 2015

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with KPCC reporter Molly Peterson on how effective California's new water restrictions will be in the midst of the state's historic drought.

Queue Listen Now

Smoke billows from chimneys of a steel plant on a hazy day in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, earlier this month.

Top Beijing Scientist: China Faces 'Huge Impact' From Climate Change

7:06pm March 22, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The head of the country's meteorological administration says it faces climate disasters and ecological degradation resulting from a warming planet.

Regions that produce the most pork and chicken also use the most antibiotics on farms. Hot spots around the world include the Midwest in the U.S., southern Brazil, and China's Sichuan province. Yellow indicates low levels of drug use in livestock; orange

For The Love Of Pork: Antibiotic Use On Farms Skyrockets Worldwide

2:21am March 21, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

For the first time, scientists have estimated the amount of antibiotics pigs, chickens and cows consume globally — and how fast consumption is growing. Which country uses the most drugs on farms?

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell speaks in Anchorage, Alaska. The Obama administration is requiring companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations.

Interior Department Issues New Fracking Rules For Federal Lands

8:18pm March 20, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The regulations, which go into effect in 90 days, establish safety measures for wells and for drilling companies to publicly disclose chemicals used in the process.

A production site in the Bakken oil patch as seen from inside an abandoned farmhouse just outside Watford City, N.D.

Some Anxiety, But No Slowdown For North Dakota Oil Boom Town

7:58pm March 20, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Low oil prices have led to a drop in drilling, but not as much as you might expect. In some parts of the state's Bakken oil patch, production continues at a feverish pace.

Queue Listen Now

So far this month, more than 330 California sea lions have been admitted to the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, Calif.

Record Number Of Stranded Sea Lion Pups Strains California Resources

7:58pm March 20, 2015

by Nathan Rott

An uptick in malnourished pups on the coast has rescue centers struggling to keep up. Changing weather patterns and warmer ocean waters could be to blame, but it's still too early to tell.

Queue Listen Now

Alaria, a type of seaweed also known as "Wild Atlantic Wakame," grows in the North Atlantic Ocean and is similar to Japanese wakame, a common ingredient in miso soup.

Watch Your Back, Kale. Kelp Is Gunning For The Veggie Du Jour Title

2:47pm March 20, 2015

by Andrea Shea

With a little help, scientists say that seaweed growing along the Maine and New Hampshire coasts could become the "kale of the sea." The first step is teaching chefs and consumers how to enjoy it.

Bayway Refinery in Linden, N.J., is one of two refineries that are involved in the settlement. It's no longer owned by Exxon, but they are on the hook for the cleanup.

Exxon Settlement Falls Short Of Damage, N.J. Democrats Say

7:54am March 20, 2015

by Joel Rose

Gov. Chris Christie is defending the state's $225 million settlement for decades of contamination at two refineries as a "good deal." But Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists say otherwise.

Queue Listen Now

Obama Orders Reduction In Government's Greenhouse Gas Emissions

4:44pm March 19, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

He directed the federal government to cut emissions by 40 percent within the next decade and to increase its use of renewable energy sources to 30 percent of total consumption.

Staghorn coral planted by scientists in the Florida Keys. Researchers hope to give the same sort of boost to the world's shrinking population of pillar coral, now that they can raise the creatures in a laboratory.

Scientists Catch Up On The Sex Life Of Coral To Help Reefs Survive

7:54am March 19, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

It's all in the timing. Biologists haven't been able to breed embryos of the rare, pillar coral in the lab because it's been tough to catch the creatures in the act.

Queue Listen Now