NPR News - Environment

Authorities said there is an "epidemic on the Eastern Shore" of wildlife-poisoning crimes because it's "cheaper and easier" than trapping a nuisance animals or building a fence.

(Image credit: Rob Carr/AP)

Congressional Democrats and a public watchdog group are calling for an ethics investigation into the secretary over a land deal between Zinke's family foundation and oil and gas company Halliburton.

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A 16-year-old Florida boy is the first person known to have become infected, researchers say. Symptoms in humans include a rash and mild fever.

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A Chinese tomb has turned up evidence of a new species of long-extinct ape. The gibbon, called Junzi imperialis, lived and died alongside its imperial human caretaker.

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They're known as 'climate refugees.' But there's not even an international definition for them, let alone recognition or protection.

(Image credit: Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images)

As the level of carbon dioxide in the air rises because of human activity, scientists are trying to pin down how plants are affected. There's evidence that it's changing many important plants we eat.

(Image credit: Toshihiro Hasegawa, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization of Japan)

A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists examined how real estate values were affected in 23 coastal states. Florida has the most to lose, according to the research.

Forest officials closed the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado because of "historic levels" of fire danger. The closure will affect local tourism economies.

The EPA administrator met with farmers in midwestern states this week to address frustrations over the renewable fuel standard.

(Image credit: Grant Gerlock/Harvest Public Media)

The EPA intends to block rules to prevent and respond to leaks, explosions and other disasters at chemical facilities and refineries around the U.S. That scares many people who live and work nearby.

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McDonald's also says it will test alternatives to plastic straws in some restaurants in the U.S. and several other countries later this year.

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The number of people graduating with nuclear engineering degrees has more than tripled since 2001. Many say they are motivated by climate change.

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One of Pruitt's closest political allies in Congress said he would call for the EPA chief to step down if his ethical scandals don't stop.

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When the federal government says some publicly owned lands should be used "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people," who do they mean?

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After decades of modern fire prevention some forests are much thicker than they've been historically. New research offers a guide to thinning that could keep wildfires smaller and shorter.

(Image credit: Denver Water Department archives and Paula Fornwalt/U.S. Forest Service)

Antarctica's ice is melting faster than was thought, say scientists who recently completed the most exhaustive assessment of the ice sheet to date.

(Image credit: Ian Joughin, University of Washington )

Forecasters have gotten better giving advance notice of when tornadoes might strike. Now, there's a new technology that may help researchers even more: listening for the sounds of a tornado that humans can't hear.

In southwestern Colorado, residents of more than 2,000 homes have been ordered to evacuate, and the San Juan National Forest is closed to visitors due to extreme risks.

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Climate change is increasing the frequency of rainstorms in many parts of the U.S., and those storms bring more rain. Many communities don't have the drainage systems needed to handle all the water.

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A new survey of baobab trees in Africa finds that many of the oldest have died or significantly deteriorated in the last decade. Scientists say climate change and human intervention could be culprits.

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