Covering Climate

Here & Now's continued coverage of climate change and environmental news.

The Arctic is warming even faster than previously thought, study finds

"The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the globe since 1979" — that's the straightforward title of a new study that's confirming some of the worst fears of...

Here & Now

04:15Aug 12, 2022

A man covers his face while sneezing (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Why allergies are worse this year, explained

A series of recent studies have found that more people are suffering from pollen-related allergies. Climate change is one of the main causes for the boom.

Here & Now

05:51Aug 11, 2022

Budget deal will help U.S. cut carbon emissions, despite sweeteners for fossil fuel industry

Analysts say the bill would help the U.S. bring carbon emissions down 40% compared to 2005 levels by 2030.

Here & Now

05:38Aug 8, 2022

Organic compost is the likely culprit of PFAS contamination in a rural Massachusetts town

The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued a new warning that no level of PFAS in water is safe.

Here & Now

10:56Aug 8, 2022

Fungal disease devastating bat populations moves West

The disease appears to be moving West faster than predicted — which has big economic and ecological implications.

Here & Now

03:39Aug 8, 2022

California Rep. Ro Khanna says climate bill is 'huge win for the planet'

The California Democrat says the bill is expected to pass in the House on Friday and it's a big win for Democrats.

Here & Now

04:53Aug 8, 2022

New methods are helping scientists link extreme weather events to climate change

Scientists are able to connect extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts and hurricanes to climate change with greater certainty, but less so with tornadoes.

Here & Now

09:27Aug 4, 2022

Coal is becoming a more valuable as natural gas flow shrinks

Coal consumption is expected to go back to 2013 levels, according to the International Energy Agency. That's a 0.7% increase just this year.

Here & Now

03:39Aug 2, 2022

Tree-ring increment cores collected from bigcone Douglas fir trees growing on Mount Pinos in Southern California. Each growth ring is a couplet of light colored spring wood and dark colored summer wood. Wide rings form in wet years and narrow rings form in dry years. (Daniel Griffin 2022)

Rising temperatures are harming trees

Tree expert Daniel Griffin shares what tree growth rings in southern California tell him about cycles of drought over centuries in North America.

Here & Now

09:32Aug 2, 2022

Coastal waters off Greenwood State Beach where The Nature Conservancy is mapping and monitoring one of Mendocino County's last remaining bull kelp forests near Elk, California. (Terry Chea/AP)

Marine heatwaves pose ecological threats to ocean

The damage of increasing heat waves is bad enough on land, but the picture is even worse offshore, with seas boiling in the heat.

Here & Now

06:11Jul 28, 2022

Chris Anastasiou, chief water quality scientist with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, shows off a sample of edible drift algae. (Daylina Miller/WUSF Public Media)

Some good climate news: Seagrass meadows in Florida are thriving

The area is now one of the largest and healthiest seagrass meadows in the Gulf.

Here & Now

03:49Jul 27, 2022

Extreme heat: What it means and how social media is reacting

It's really hot in a lot of places. That's dangerous, especially for countries like the U.K. that aren't used to these high temperatures.

Here & Now

05:50Jul 22, 2022

Brad Lancaster in an outdoor shower that uses water collected from the rain. The Tucson resident has written a book about harvesting rainwater. (Peter O'Dowd/ Here & Now)

When it rains in the desert, it pours. Why not capture all that water?

Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd met some rainwater harvesters in Tucson to see if their methods might help the West survive a megadrought.

Here & Now

09:44Jul 22, 2022

Interior Maine could be a viable climate refuge — but is it ready to host potential refugees?

As many regions of the United States endure the extreme effects of climate change, some scientists believe interior Maine could be a refuge.

Here & Now

05:24Jul 21, 2022

Lasers assess how much water is in Colorado mountain snow tops

Laser technology is being used to more accurately measure mountain snowpack — crucial information for farmers and water managers in drought-stricken areas like the Colorado River Basin.

Here & Now

03:47Jul 4, 2022

California calls for strict, sweeping reduction in plastic pollution

The U.S. is the world’s biggest plastic polluter with less than 10% of all plastic sold in the country each year recycled.

Here & Now

03:50Jul 1, 2022

Oregon utility opens first large-scale wind, solar and battery facility in U.S.

An Oregon utility has constructed a renewable energy power plant that relies on wind, solar energy and batteries to power the grid when the sun isn't shining and the wind...

Here & Now

03:18Jun 15, 2022

A deconstructed wind turbine blade sits on a tractor-trailer after it is weighed on Monday at Veolia Environmental Services in Louisiana, Missouri. The company has expanded the plant's services in order to recycle the blades from across the United States. (Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio)

How to recycle old wind turbine blades

The U.S. wind industry is growing in leaps and bounds. But as wind technology becomes dated or a turbine reaches the end of its lifespan, what do you do with...

Here & Now

04:44Jun 2, 2022

How California's new composting law works

California now requires households and businesses to compost food waste. Diverting food waste from landfills will lessen the release of methane, a major greenhouse gas.

Here & Now

04:25May 31, 2022

Nalleli Cobo. (Tamara Leigh Photography for the Goldman Environmental Prize)

Goldman Prize winner Nalleli Cobo explains why she fought against drilling in LA

Nalleli Cobo grew up just 30 feet from an oil well. She experienced nosebleeds, heart palpitations and even developed cancer, which pushed her to become an anti-drilling activist.

Here & Now

09:36May 26, 2022

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The Arctic is warming even faster than previously thought, study finds

Why allergies are worse this year, explained

Budget deal will help U.S. cut carbon emissions, despite sweeteners for fossil fuel industry

Organic compost is the likely culprit of PFAS contamination in a rural Massachusetts town

Fungal disease devastating bat populations moves West

California Rep. Ro Khanna says climate bill is 'huge win for the planet'

New methods are helping scientists link extreme weather events to climate change

Coal is becoming a more valuable as natural gas flow shrinks

Rising temperatures are harming trees

Marine heatwaves pose ecological threats to ocean

Some good climate news: Seagrass meadows in Florida are thriving

Extreme heat: What it means and how social media is reacting

When it rains in the desert, it pours. Why not capture all that water?

Interior Maine could be a viable climate refuge — but is it ready to host potential refugees?

Lasers assess how much water is in Colorado mountain snow tops

California calls for strict, sweeping reduction in plastic pollution

Oregon utility opens first large-scale wind, solar and battery facility in U.S.

How to recycle old wind turbine blades

How California's new composting law works

Goldman Prize winner Nalleli Cobo explains why she fought against drilling in LA