Covering Climate

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

War in Ukraine delays climate action

Before the war, the U.S. promised to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and send billions of dollars to developing nations to help pay for the costs of climate change.

Here & Now

03:57May 16, 2022

Dumbo octopuses live in the deep sea. (NOAA)

Deep sea mining may threaten the environment

Electric vehicles and other new technologies that may help alleviate climate change sometimes rely on rare metals and minerals that can be found at the bottom of the ocean.

Here & Now

08:52May 12, 2022

The Colorado River after it passes through the Glen Canyon Dam. The water will travel through the Grand Canyon and into Lake Mead. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now)

Drought imperils hydropower on Colorado River's reservoirs

If the water level at the country's second-largest reservoir drops about another 30 feet, the Glen Canyon Dam will be unable to create hydroelectric power.

Here & Now

06:47May 5, 2022

Southwest's driest spring in 1,200 years sparks wildfire concerns

This year's earlier-than-normal start to the spring wildfire season is being blamed on an extended drought made worse by climate change.

Here & Now

03:30Apr 29, 2022

Coastal Redwood trees stand at Muir Woods National Monument, an old-growth forest located north of San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Old-growth forests are in danger. Does Biden's pledge to protect them do enough?

The trees can be hundreds of years old, if not thousands, and play vital roles in local ecosystems and the world environment.

Here & Now

05:49Apr 29, 2022

Andrea Stanley, co-owner of Valley Grain Milling, uses a shovel to turn grain in the germination tank. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Northeastern brewers are shrinking the distance between fields of grain and pints of beer

Craft beer makers from five states in the Northeast are making efforts to source their grains from regional farms.

Here & Now

05:35Apr 28, 2022

A banana perennial is pictured at the plantation of the SCA Blondinière fruit production company in Capesterre Belle-Eau, Fond Cacao, in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe. (Helene Valenzuela/AFP via Getty Images)

'Fresh Banana Leaves' spotlights Indigenous science for a warming planet

Climate change is challenging all of our global systems. But as we seek solutions, the insights of Indigenous people are often overlooked.

Here & Now

09:28Apr 28, 2022

The Cuyahoga River flows past downtown Cleveland Tuesday, July 15, 2008. (Mark Duncan/AP)

Clean Water Act turns 50: Diving into the law's successes and failures

Back in 1969, a polluted river in Ohio caught fire. The environmental disaster led Congress to enact the Clean Water Act in 1972.

Here & Now

09:41Apr 26, 2022

Zurich turns off natural gas to fight climate change — and Russia

The Swiss city of Zurich is shutting down the gas supply to some neighborhoods.

Here & Now

03:47Apr 22, 2022

A section of Lake Oroville is seen nearly dry on August 19, 2014 in Oroville, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Western drought: What individuals can do to help

A few months ago, the water outlook in the West seemed to be improving — but drought restrictions are being expanded in the state.

Here & Now

06:03Apr 13, 2022

The Colorado River in the upper River Basin is pictured in Lees Ferry, Ariz., on May 29, 2021. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

Arizona weighs desalination to avoid future dry spell

Gov, Doug Ducey has floated the idea of a desalination project to take the salt out of seawater from Mexico and pump it back into the Colorado River.

Here & Now

05:22Apr 6, 2022

Unprecedented heat wave hits Antarctica

Temperatures have risen by 70 degrees over the last week.

Here & Now

05:48Mar 23, 2022

Cotton farming is inching north into the Midwest

Climate change — combined with dwindling water resources and new infrastructure — means states like Kansas are becoming cotton countries.

Here & Now

03:37Mar 11, 2022

How farmers in the Midwest are adapting to warmer winters

Across the U.S., winters are getting warmer. In Missouri, farmers are finding ways to adapt.

Here & Now

04:36Mar 3, 2022

The Supreme Court is weighing whether to scale back EPA's power to combat climate change

The case could also have larger implications for the way government works.

Here & Now

03:37Feb 28, 2022

Everglades cypress dome. (Jenny Staletovich/WLRN)

Biden invests $1 billion in the Everglades: Where will the money go?

The original plan costs had ballooned as projects dragged on for years and were mired in Florida's complicated politics.

Here & Now

05:51Feb 28, 2022

Firefighters work at the scene of forest fire near Kyuyorelyakh village at Gorny Ulus area, west of Yakutsk, in Russia Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. (Ivan Nikiforov/AP)

Co-author of new UN report on wildfire risk pushes for indigenous management solutions

The report finds the risk of catastrophic wildfires will increase 30% by 2050.

Here & Now

04:56Feb 24, 2022

People walk through the flooded waters of Telephone Rd. in Houston on Aug. 27, 2017 as the U.S. fourth city battles with tropical storm Harvey and resulting floods. (Photo by Thomas Shea/AFP via Getty Images)

Addressing the shortfalls of flood maps with a local look at climate impacts

A new analysis finds flood risk in the U.S. will increase 26% in the next three decades due to climate change.

Here & Now

05:27Feb 10, 2022

Medical schools add climate change into curriculum

At the urging of some medical students, some medical schools have started to teach future doctors about the health impacts of a warming planet.

Here & Now

03:49Feb 3, 2022

This photo taken Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, shows solar panels on rooftops of a housing development in Folsom, Calif. State regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission are expected to propose reforms that would lower the financial incentives for homeowners who install solar panels. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

The battle for California's rooftop solar

A third of all the nation's rooftop solar panels are in California. Is it time for the state to stop subsidizing them?

On Point

47:31Feb 3, 2022

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War in Ukraine delays climate action

Deep sea mining may threaten the environment

Drought imperils hydropower on Colorado River's reservoirs

Southwest's driest spring in 1,200 years sparks wildfire concerns

Old-growth forests are in danger. Does Biden's pledge to protect them do enough?

Northeastern brewers are shrinking the distance between fields of grain and pints of beer

'Fresh Banana Leaves' spotlights Indigenous science for a warming planet

Clean Water Act turns 50: Diving into the law's successes and failures

Zurich turns off natural gas to fight climate change — and Russia

Western drought: What individuals can do to help

Arizona weighs desalination to avoid future dry spell

Unprecedented heat wave hits Antarctica

Cotton farming is inching north into the Midwest

How farmers in the Midwest are adapting to warmer winters

The Supreme Court is weighing whether to scale back EPA's power to combat climate change

Biden invests $1 billion in the Everglades: Where will the money go?

Co-author of new UN report on wildfire risk pushes for indigenous management solutions

Addressing the shortfalls of flood maps with a local look at climate impacts

Medical schools add climate change into curriculum

The battle for California's rooftop solar