Fracking and Your Health
Fracking forces water, sand and chemicals into shale rock at high pressures, extracting much more oil and gas than conventional wells. Though highly efficient, this method comes with environmental and health risks including birth defects, cancer, and asthma, as reported in a new meta study that combines the findings of more than 1700 studies, articles and reports on the health impacts of fracking. Co-author Sandra Steingraber discusses the importance of this massive body of evidence.
How To Be A Good Creature
From tarantulas to octopuses to the dogs and chickens in her own backyard, naturalist and author Sy Montgomery connects with creatures of all walks of life. They are her friends, her family and especially her teachers. In her latest book, How To Be A Good Creature, she reflects on the lessons she’s learned from her furry, feathered and tentacled friends.
The Secret & Endangered Lives of Freshwater Mussels
Freshwater mussels are among Earth’s most fascinating and underappreciated species, but they’re also among the most endangered group of organisms in the United States. Now, in response to legal action by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to designate critical habitat for four endangered freshwater mussels in 18 states. Tierra Curry of the Center for Biological Diversity shares the enthralling lives of freshwater mussels and why they’re crucial indicators of freshwater ecosystem health.
Exploring the Parks: Sequoia and Kings Canyon
This installment in our occasional series on America’s public lands takes us to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, which boast some of the biggest trees in the world and the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. Savannah Boiano of the Sequoia Parks Conservancy discusses the highlights of these jewels of the national parks system, including the giant sequoia trees, as well as hundreds of miles of hiking trails.
Science at Risk at the Border
Scientists working on the US-Mexico border face unique challenges when trying to study borderlands ecosystems from outright harassment at the hands of Border Patrol officers to tight restrictions on what natural materials can cross the border. They say it’s gotten much worse in recent years, due to the Trump Administration’s call for a massive border wall, as well as taking a hard line on illegal immigration and asylum seekers. Bobby Bascomb discusses the challenges of doing science on the border with Steve Curwood.
HBO’s “Ice on Fire” Offers Climate Solutions
The new HBO documentary “Ice on Fire”, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, focuses on accessible solutions to climate change as well as the dangers, and on the scientists who finding those solutions. Director Leila Conners discusses the making of the documentary and who it aims to reach.
Australia May Scrap Carbon Tax
China is the world’s largest emitter, and much of its coal comes from Australia. With the election of a new Prime Minister, Australia looks set to revoke its carbon tax, leaving many environmentalists worried about their country’s contribution to climate change. (photo: Bigstockphoto.com)
Otters and Climate Change
Sea Otters are known for their playful demeanor and cuddly appearance, but scientists at the University of California at Santa Cruz think that the cuddly creatures could help reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. (Photo: Imtiaz333 Flickr Creative Commons)
Deepwater Disaster Three Years On
Just three years ago, the Deep Water Horizon oil spill poured 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Now, a team of chemists, engineers, and biologists is attempting to assess the damage to the Gulf ecosystem.
Fracking and Your Health
Fracking forces water, sand and chemicals into shale rock at high pressures, extracting much more oil and gas than conventional wells. Though highly efficient, this method comes with environmental and health risks including birth defects, cancer, and asthma, as reported in a new meta study that combines the findings of more than 1700 studies, articles and reports on the health impacts of fracking. Co-author Sandra Steingraber discusses the importance of this massive body of evidence.
Exploring the Parks: Petrified Forest National Park
In this installment of our series on US public lands, visit Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, where visitors can see the fossilized remains of trees more than six feet in diameter that lived there more than 200 million years ago. Sarah Herve, the acting chief of interpretation for the park, describes the unique geological process that preserved the ancient trees.
"Hadestown" Brings Climate Change To Broadway
Tony Award-winning musical "Hadestown" retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with a Great Depression-inspired industrial post-apocalyptic setting. The show infuses themes like isolationism, exploitation of workers, and even climate change with New Orleans jazz, folk, and pop music. Director Rachel Chavkin illustrates the show’s environmental themes.
This Week’s Show
July 19, 2019
listen / download
Fracking and Your Health
listen / download
Fracking forces water, sand and chemicals into shale rock at high pressures, extracting much more oil and gas than conventional wells. Though highly efficient, this method comes with environmental and health risks including birth defects, cancer, and asthma, as reported in a new meta study that combines the findings of more than 1700 studies, articles and reports on the health impacts of fracking. Co-author Sandra Steingraber discusses the importance of this massive body of evidence.
Beyond the Headlines
listen / download
In this week’s trip Beyond the Headlines, Peter Dykstra and Bobby Bascomb look at Native American tribes’ shift from fossil fuels to solar energy. Then, they talk about Germany’s plans to reduce dependence on coal, without sending miners to the unemployment lines. Finally, the pair look back on a couple of post-apocalyptic movies that incorporated environmental themes.
Exploring the Parks: Petrified Forest National Park
listen / download
In this installment of our series on US public lands, visit Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, where visitors can see the fossilized remains of trees more than six feet in diameter that lived there more than 200 million years ago. Sarah Herve, the acting chief of interpretation for the park, describes the unique geological process that preserved the ancient trees.
Offsetting Your Carbon Footprint
listen / download
Carbon-intensive activities, including global air travel, have been growing for decades. For those interested in reducing their carbon footprints, carbon offsets promise to mitigate the damage through the investment in projects that either sequester carbon, like reforestation or forest conservation, or develop alternative energy infrastructure that reduce future emissions. Cool Effect CEO Marisa de Belloy discusses her non-profit crowdfunding platform that sells these offsets.
"Hadestown" Brings Climate Change To Broadway
listen / download
Tony Award-winning musical "Hadestown" retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with a Great Depression-inspired industrial post-apocalyptic setting. The show infuses themes like isolationism, exploitation of workers, and even climate change with New Orleans jazz, folk, and pop music. Director Rachel Chavkin illustrates the show’s environmental themes.
Camels at the Henbury Craters
listen / download
The wild dromedary camels of Australia's Henbury Craters are not native to the area, but they thrive in the dry heat nevertheless. Living on Earth’s Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender, bears witness.
BirdNote®: House Sparrows’ Dance
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Many wild animals go out of their way to avoid humans and our structures, but some seem to thrive in the built environment. Such is the case of the House Sparrow, a common sight and sound from home improvement stores to rural barns and churches. BirdNote®’s Michael Stein has more on this chirpy little bird.
Special Features
Field Note: Camels at the Henbury Craters
Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender, comments on the relatively minimal habitat needed to support the dwindling populations of non-native dromedary camels now living in Australia.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes
Field Note: Get the Lead Out!
Living on Earth’s Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender muses on an encounter with one of Earth’s most impressive birds: the California Condor.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes
...Ultimately, if we are going prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, we are going to have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground rather than burn them...
-- President Barack Obama, November 6, 2015 on why he declined to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.
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