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Insects Need More Protection
Roughly three quarters of the world’s insect species are inadequately protected, even in conservation areas. To help insects, which are important pollinators and the base of many food chains, even small areas of protected habitat can make a big difference.
Mapping the Seafloor to Predict Coastal Flooding
The topography of the coastal seafloor has a lot to do with how much flooding coastal areas will experience during hurricanes. A team of scientists is working on a new technology to create more accurate seafloor maps in the Gulf of Mexico.
Broken Promise for the Arctic
A massive new oil drilling project in the Arctic just got the green light from President Biden despite his promises for no new drilling on federal lands. Environmental law expert Pat Parenteau explains the climate contradictions within the White House and what could happen next.
Saving the Second Lung of the Planet
The Congo Basin in Central Africa is a critical biodiversity hotspot and linchpin in the fight against climate disruption. Conservationist Irene Wabiwa discusses the urgent need to turn the United Nations’ recent promises to protect biodiversity into reality in the Congo and around the world.
Jane Goodall on Helping People to Help Nature
Jane Goodall is on a mission to protect habitat worldwide by empowering local communities to develop sustainably. And it all started when she was just ten years old and dreamed of studying wild animals in Africa.
Indonesia Squelching Biodiversity Research
Indonesia has one of the world’s largest tropical forests and touts itself as a global leader in conservation. But researchers from outside Indonesia say the government is blocking data to assess conservation progress and local scientists fear reprisals if they publish data that doesn’t fit the government’s optimistic narrative, explains environmental journalist Fred Pearce.
The Human Toll of Pollinator Loss
A study conducted by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows the decline of pollinators is contributing to the deaths of an estimated half a million people a year worldwide. That’s because yields of nutritious foods like most fruits, vegetables, and nuts are falling as the pollinators they depend on disappear. Dr. Sam Myers, the study’s lead researcher, discusses how this falling yield is linked to more preventable deaths from ailments such as heart disease and diabetes.
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EPA and Strict PFAS Water Regulations
The EPA recently proposed new regulations that will dramatically lower the amount of PFAS chemicals that can be present in drinking water. PFAS are associated with health concerns including cancers and reproductive issues, so the move is being called a huge win for public health.
Greenwashing Energy from Plastic
So-called “chemical recycling” is a greenwashing term used for incinerating plastic, according to critics. They say “chemical recycling” is contributing to climate change and poor air quality for many marginalized communities.
Mapping the Seafloor to Predict Coastal Flooding
The topography of the coastal seafloor has a lot to do with how much flooding coastal areas will experience during hurricanes. A team of scientists is working on a new technology to create more accurate seafloor maps in the Gulf of Mexico.
This Week’s Show
March 24, 2023
listen / download
EPA and Strict PFAS Water Regulations
listen / download
The EPA recently proposed new regulations that will dramatically lower the amount of PFAS chemicals that can be present in drinking water. PFAS are associated with health concerns including cancers and reproductive issues, so the move is being called a huge win for public health.
Beyond the Headlines
listen / download
New research finds plastic bags scouring the deepest parts of the ocean floor. Also, a huge Sargassum seaweed mass is making its way toward the Florida coast just in time for Spring Break. And in the history books, the 52nd anniversary of Tokyo Electric Power Company opening the ill-fated Fukushima nuclear reactors which later were the source of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters.
Greenwashing Energy from Plastic
listen / download
So-called “chemical recycling” is a greenwashing term used for incinerating plastic, according to critics. They say “chemical recycling” is contributing to climate change and poor air quality for many marginalized communities.
Insects Need More Protection
listen / download
Roughly three quarters of the world’s insect species are inadequately protected, even in conservation areas. To help insects, which are important pollinators and the base of many food chains, even small areas of protected habitat can make a big difference.
Mapping the Seafloor to Predict Coastal Flooding
listen / download
The topography of the coastal seafloor has a lot to do with how much flooding coastal areas will experience during hurricanes. A team of scientists is working on a new technology to create more accurate seafloor maps in the Gulf of Mexico.
Special Features
Field Note: Cliff Hanger
Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender expands on his essay about cormorants and explains how the remnants of war can create refuges for wildlife where no humans will venture.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes
Field Note: I’ll Take Menhaden
Menhaden fish once gathered in schools several miles long and were a common food for predators like sharks, sea birds, and bass. But after humans turned them into everything from supplements to fertilizer their numbers plummeted by roughly 90 percent. In Long Island Sound they’re finally bouncing back and Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender, witnesses their return.
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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