Environment

Environment

Public Outcry Over Duke Energy Coal Ash Spill Puts Pressure on NC Regulators

10:55pm March 05, 2014

After weeks of downplaying a massive coal ash spill that made its way into the Dan River near Eden, North Carolina regulators issued violation notices Monday to five more Duke Energy power plants. The violations are in addition to two citations late last week.

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The Search For Drinking Water In California Has Led To The Ocean

12:08pm February 27, 2014

by Nate Rott

As the state slogs through a major drought, officials look for new water sources — like desalination plants that make water from the Pacific drinkable. Opponents worry about environmental damage.

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Environment

WFU Drone Aircraft Provides a New Look at the Duke Energy Coal Ash Spill

1:02pm February 26, 2014

by Keri Brown

A team of researchers and students at Wake Forest University are providing a new view of the Duke Energy coal ash spill in Rockingham County.

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Colorado Becomes First State To Restrict Methane Emissions

8:06am February 25, 2014

by Elizabeth Shogren

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas from oil and gas production. The rules require companies to find and repair equipment leaks. The rules also will reduce air pollution that contributes to smog.

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Environment

'It Feels Like a Funeral' : Rockingham County Residents React to Coal Ash Spill

10:30pm February 24, 2014

by Keri Brown

It's been three weeks since Duke Energy announced that a major pipe leak was causing thousands of gallons of toxic coal ash to empty into the Dan River. The incident in Rockingham County is estimated to be the third-largest coal ash spill in the nation's history.

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Billionaire Steyer Puts Money Toward Climate, Energy Issues

7:34am February 24, 2014

Liberal activist Tom Steyer pledged to spend $100 million in the 2014 election cycle to promote his favored cause of fighting climate change. David Greene talks to Steyer about his political plans.

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Environment

Steyer: Keystone XL Pipeline Would Get Canada Better Oil Price

7:34am February 24, 2014

David Greene talks to billionaire financier and liberal activist Tom Steyer about his position on the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

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West Virginians Still Stocking Up On Water, Fearing Pollution

11:49am February 23, 2014

by Brian Naylor

Life is still anything but normal for some 300,000 people around Charleston, W.V. It's been more than a month since a leak from chemical storage tanks polluted the water supply. And many are still relying on bottled water to drink. Others have gone to lengths to avoid using the water at all. (This story originally aired on All Things Considered on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014.)

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The Earth's 'Sixth Extinction' May Be One Of Our Own Making

10:15am February 12, 2014

There have been five major mass extinctions over the last half-billion years, when the diversity of life on Earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists are currently monitoring an era of mass extinction predicted to be the most devastating since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. But this time around, says Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction, it's humans that are causing it.

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Men walk along a railway line in Beijing on Jan. 12, as air pollution reached hazardous levels.

China's Air Pollution Linked To Millions Of Early Deaths

2:25pm February 10, 2014

by Rob Stein

About 1.2 million people die prematurely every year in China from exposure to outdoor air pollution. Smog has dogged the country as it grows at an explosive rate and burns huge quantities of fossil fuels. But there are signs that the government is beginning to take the issue more seriously.

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