NPR News - Environment


Some cities cancel Fourth of July fireworks because of shortages and fire concerns
Some major fireworks displays are canceled again this year — some over wildfire concerns amid dry weather and others because of enduring pandemic-related staffing and supply chain issues.
(Image credit: Julie Jacobson/AP)
Tokyo warned of power crunch as Japan endures heat wave
Weather officials announce the earliest end to the country's annual summer rainy season since the Japan Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1951.
(Image credit: Yusuke Ogata/AP)
An Aquinnah Wampanoag elder is restoring some land to what it was before colonists
On the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, members of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe are trying to restore land to the way it looked, smelled and sounded pre-colonialism.
Think all bacteria are microscopic? Tell that to these centimeter-long monsters
The largest bacteria known to science have been discovered in the Caribbean. They're visible to the naked eye and surprisingly complex.
(Image credit: Olivier Gros/The Regents of the University of California, LBNL)
How 'superworms' could help solve the trash crisis
A new study from Australia shows that larvae of the darkling beetle can eat polystyrene — the material behind plastic foam.
(Image credit: The University of Queensland)
The Supreme Court may issue a ruling that could hurt Biden's climate change plans
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case that could limit the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate climate-warming greenhouse gasses.
PFAS 'forever chemicals' are everywhere. Here's what you should know about them
PFAS are all around us, so how do we navigate a world filled with harmful chemicals? We speak to an expert who guides us through what PFAS are, why they're a problem, and what can be done about them.
(Image credit: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
The human sensory experience is limited. Journey into the world that animals know
In his new book, An Immense World, science writer Ed Yong explores the diversity of perception in the animal world — including echolocation, magnetic fields and ultraviolet vision.
(Image credit: Raymond Roig/AFP via Getty Images)
Yellowstone National Park partially reopens after floods
Despite some major roads still being washed out, three of the massive park's five entrances opened this morning, to lines hundreds of cars long.
(Image credit: Matthew Brown/AP)
Want to hunt pythons in Florida this summer? This professional has tips
Registration has opened for Florida's annual python hunting challenge. The competition is not for the faint of heart.
(Image credit: Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images)
Americans connect extreme heat and climate change to their health, a survey finds
A new NPR survey shows 11% of Americans have experienced extreme heat in the past five years and had health problems stemming from a lack of air conditioning at home.
(Image credit: Molly Peterson/KVPR)
More than 900 people have reportedly been killed in an earthquake in Afghanistan
The hardest hit areas were remote farming villages in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika. "All the village completely is destroyed," said one man, showing collapsed homes on a cell phone video.
(Image credit: Bakhtar State News Agency via AP)
The tale of a distressed American town on the doorstep of a natural paradise
The town of Orick sits just steps away from Redwood National Park. It has prime real estate for recreation and tourism, so why are its motels and restaurants shuttered and its residents impoverished?
(Image credit: Mark Stephenson/Flickr)
You've likely been affected by climate change. Your long-term finances might be, too
Most Americans have recently been affected by extreme weather and support efforts to protect against future disasters, a new survey finds. And many people suffer long-term financial problems.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
If you can't get in to Yellowstone, here are some ways to salvage your trip
Yellowstone is working to fully reopen, but there are new entry restrictions and many could be turned away at the gates. Here are some other vacation options nearby that are worth your while.
(Image credit: Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
World's largest freshwater fish, almost 660 pounds, is found in Cambodia
Scientists say a fisherman caught a giant stingray that measured almost 13 feet from snout to tail in the Mekong River.
(Image credit: Chhut Chheana/AP)
Encore: A Hispanic community demands protection from pollutants
A Hispanic community is demanding action from state regulators after enduring decades of pollution from a neighboring steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado.
Yellowstone floods highlight gaps in the government's infrastructure plan
Historic floods in Yellowstone National Park raise questions about long-term government efforts to fix the nation's infrastructure and curb climate change.
A New Mexico firewatcher describes watching his world burn
Philip Connors deeply loves the forest he has watched over every summer for the past 20 years. But it was a different forest two decades ago, and will be even more changed once the flames die down.
(Image credit: Philip Connors/Philip Connors)
The northern half of Yellowstone National Park may remain closed the rest of the year
Catastrophic damage by flooding earlier this week in Yellowstone National Park likely means that the northern half of the park will remain closed the rest of the year.