Environment

Climate change is having a profound effect in Greenland, where over the last several decades summers have become longer and the rate that glaciers and the Greenland ice cap are retreating has accelerated. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

United Nations Says World May Hit 1.5 Degrees Warming Threshold Within 5 Years

The World Meteorological Organization says the world may hit 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels sooner than expected.

Here & Now

04:577 hours ago

A baby right whale swims with its mother in Cape Cod Bay in 2019. (Amy James/Center for Coastal Studies/NOAA permit 19315-1 via AP)

Right Whale Is Now Critically Endangered, Global Group Finds

A worldwide conservation organization says the status of a rare species of whale has worsened to the point where it deserves greater attention from the global environmental community.

Earthwhile

10 hours ago

Isaura Oliveira dances around the marker at the site of the Boston Massacre, in front of the Old State House, during the Dismantle Now! BIPOC Solidarity Against White Supremacy demonstration. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Prayer, Song And Drum Beats: Indigenous Groups Show Solidarity For Black Lives In Boston

“I hope that people walk away and feel not only in solidarity, but definitely enlightened about all of the diaspora and the richness of our communities," said Jean-Luc Pierite of...

The ARTery

Jul 9, 2020

Giant Jellyfish — And Great White Sharks — Spotted Off Massachusetts Coast

While so much has changed this past year, there's at least one thing that hasn't: the need to look out for sea creatures.

Radio Boston

13:10Jul 8, 2020

The starry sky of Chile during a total solar eclipse on July 2, 2019 in Paiguano, Chile. (Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images)

Look Up! Astronomer Says July Skies Are Brimming With Planets, Constellations

Searching for something to do this summer? Just gaze up toward the sky, astronomer Dean Regas says.

Here & Now

05:48Jul 8, 2020

Native American Activists Celebrate Dakota Access Pipeline Victory

A federal judge has ruled that the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline must be emptied pending an environmental review.

Here & Now

03:26Jul 7, 2020

A woman wheels a carriage past the Make Way For Ducklings sculpture in the Boston Public Garden. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

If Remote Work Is Our New Reality, Is Boston Still Worth The Trouble?

State and local leaders need to start thinking of Massachusetts, and Boston in particular, as a product they need to sell, not only a location they need to govern, writes...

Cognoscenti

Jul 7, 2020

Chad Brown with his dog Axe on the Willamette River, Oregon. (Courtesy of Chad Brown)

Racism And The Outdoors: Group Provides Safe Space For People Of Color To Enjoy Nature

The benefits of nature have become clear to many people who sheltered in place during the coronavirus pandemic. But Black people don't always feel welcome in green spaces.

Here & Now

04:32Jul 6, 2020

‘A Species That We Cannot Afford To Lose’: Hundreds Of Elephants In Botswana Found Mysteriously Dead

More than 350 elephants have mysteriously died in Botswana over the past few months.

Here & Now

05:47Jul 6, 2020

In this Aug. 13, 2015, file photo, a plastic bottle lies among other debris washed ashore on the Indian Ocean beach in Uswetakeiyawa, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP)

Those Plastic Stats Are Trash. No One Knows How Long It Takes For Your Dunks Cup To Biodegrade

Researchers looked for scientific evidence behind the reported environmental lifetimes of plastics, and found none.

Earthwhile

Jul 3, 2020

Fireworks light up the sky against the Boston skyline, as seen from Cambridge side of the Charles River, Sunday, July 4, 2004. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)

Fireworks Are Fun. But The Noise And Pollution, Not So Much

All those fireworks people are setting off? They can be bad for your health and the environment.

Earthwhile

Jul 2, 2020

Loggerhead sea turtle being released into ocean off Cape Cod. (Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium)

7 Sea Turtles Released Back Into Wild, After A Winter Of Rehab In Quincy

Seven sea turtles were released back into the ocean off Cape Cod this morning, after being stranded onshore late last fall

Earthwhile

Jul 1, 2020

Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, adjusts his mask at a hearing during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing to examine the Environmental Protection Agency, Wednesday, May 20, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/AP)

Environmental Regulations Are Being Rolled Back. In A Pandemic, What Does That Mean For Public Health?

The Trump Administration has rolled back, or attempted to roll back, dozens of environmental rules, including regulations on emissions and air quality standards. We’ll touch on some of them and...

On Point

46:10Jul 1, 2020

A portion of the Bush fire burns through the Tonto National Forest, Tuesday, June 16, 2020, as seen from Apache Junction, Arizona. (Matt York/AP)

How The Coronavirus 'Changes Everything' About Fighting Wildfires

Several fires are burning across Arizona, including the state's fifth-largest fire in history.

Here & Now

05:51Jun 26, 2020

The Pilgrim nuclear reactor building. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Report: Company Decommissioning Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Under Criminal Investigation

According to a Politico New Jersey report, Holtec International sued the New Jersey Economic Development Authority in March over the payment of $26 million of a $260 million New Jersey...

Earthwhile

Jun 25, 2020

Clockwise from top left, hardwood logs in Charlotte, Vermont in 2020; solar panels in Pittsfield, Mass. in 2010; a group of volunteers work in a community garden; compostable food (AP Images; Getty Images; and Compassionate Eye Foundation/Natasha Alipour Faridani via Getty Images)

16 Ways The Pandemic Recovery Could Be Green

As the world continues to confront the coronavirus pandemic and the deep economic fallout, environmentalists say this is a golden opportunity for a green recovery — using federal funds to...

Earthwhile

Jun 25, 2020

Vanessa O'Brien during her journey to the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench. (Photo by Enrique Alvarez)

Mountaineer Vanessa O'Brien Has Reached The Highest And Lowest Points On Earth

Vanessa O'Brien just completed the journey into the deepest place on Earth, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.

Here & Now

09:48Jun 24, 2020

In this May 29 photo, Eric Pray weighs a lobster in his garage in Portland, Maine. The coronavirus shutdown had prompted Pray to sell his product direct to customers. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

As Price For Catch Falls, Maine Lobstermen Seek Ways To Prevent Crash

Dock prices for lobster in Maine are dropping as low as $2.30 a pound, and lobstermen and regulators are looking at options to prevent a full-fledged crash.

Earthwhile

Jun 23, 2020

Sahara Desert Dust Cloud Set To Reach U.S.

Meteorologists also expect record setting heat in the Arctic Circle.

Here & Now

03:13Jun 23, 2020

COVID-19 Pandemic Takes Toll On Science Field Research

Scientists fear that the months of lost data and deferral projects will leave an irretrievable gap in research and adversely affect the next generation of researchers.

Here & Now

05:40Jun 22, 2020

Marketplace

United Nations Says World May Hit 1.5 Degrees Warming Threshold Within 5 Years

Right Whale Is Now Critically Endangered, Global Group Finds

Prayer, Song And Drum Beats: Indigenous Groups Show Solidarity For Black Lives In Boston

Giant Jellyfish — And Great White Sharks — Spotted Off Massachusetts Coast

Look Up! Astronomer Says July Skies Are Brimming With Planets, Constellations

Native American Activists Celebrate Dakota Access Pipeline Victory

If Remote Work Is Our New Reality, Is Boston Still Worth The Trouble?

Racism And The Outdoors: Group Provides Safe Space For People Of Color To Enjoy Nature

‘A Species That We Cannot Afford To Lose’: Hundreds Of Elephants In Botswana Found Mysteriously Dead

Those Plastic Stats Are Trash. No One Knows How Long It Takes For Your Dunks Cup To Biodegrade

Fireworks Are Fun. But The Noise And Pollution, Not So Much

7 Sea Turtles Released Back Into Wild, After A Winter Of Rehab In Quincy

Environmental Regulations Are Being Rolled Back. In A Pandemic, What Does That Mean For Public Health?

How The Coronavirus 'Changes Everything' About Fighting Wildfires

Report: Company Decommissioning Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Under Criminal Investigation

16 Ways The Pandemic Recovery Could Be Green

Mountaineer Vanessa O'Brien Has Reached The Highest And Lowest Points On Earth

As Price For Catch Falls, Maine Lobstermen Seek Ways To Prevent Crash

Sahara Desert Dust Cloud Set To Reach U.S.

COVID-19 Pandemic Takes Toll On Science Field Research