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Scientists are raising the alarm about Trump's deep sea mining executive order
President Trump signed an executive order aimed at making it easier for companies to mine the ocean floor. Scientists and environmentalists worry it could harm an ecosystem we don't know much about.
The U.S. takes a step toward allowing mining on the ocean floor, a fragile ecosystem
President Trump signed an order Thursday aimed at making it easier for companies to mine the ocean floor. Scientists and environmental groups say it could harm a fragile ecosystem.
(Image credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research)
Trail advocates say Trump administration puts active transportation projects at risk
Spring means more people hitting biking and hiking trails. But trail advocates say a Trump administration review of grants made under President Biden puts active transportation projects at risk.
Air pollution still plagues nearly half of Americans. That does a number on our health
Despite improvements in air quality in past decades, 156 million Americans still breathe in too much soot or ozone, says the annual State of the Air report from the American Lung Association.
(Image credit: ETIENNE LAURENT)
Environmental groups say Trump administration violated their free-speech rights
A lawsuit alleges the Trump administration violated the free-speech rights of nonprofits and municipalities that have had federal funding for climate and environmental projects frozen or cancelled.
(Image credit: BRYAN DOZIER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty)
Our medications are leaking into waterways — and may be changing fish behavior
A fish walks into a pharmacy ... well, not exactly. Fish aren't being prescribed anti-anxiety drugs. But they are experiencing the effects. Researchers have found more than 900 different pharmaceutical ingredients in rivers and streams around the world, though they're not yet sure how this could change the behavior of fish and other aquatic animals in the wild.
"We can't, you know, dump a bunch of pharmaceuticals into the river," says Jack Brand, biologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Instead, Jack's team did the next best thing – with some surprising results.
This episode was reported by NPR science correspondent Jon Lambert. Check out more of his reporting.
Want to hear more stories about animal behavior? Email us and let us know at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Meet the artists behind the U.N.'s second annual nature sounds mixtape
Thirty artists release songs with nature sounds to generate royalties for nature conservation in second annual United Nations Earth Day mixtape.
(Image credit: Poyenchen, Andrew Quinn)
Flowers and trees are blooming earlier. Is it because of climate change?
Welcome!! This is the first episode of Nature Quest, a monthly Short Wave segment that answers listener questions about your local environment. This month, we hear from a listener in California who's concerned that the flowers in his neighborhood are blooming way, way earlier. Is that normal? And is climate change the culprit? Short Wavers Emily Kwong and Hannah Chinn investigate.
Got a question about changes in your local environment? Send a voice memo to shortwave@npr.org with your name, where you live and your question. We might make it into our next Nature Quest episode!
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
(Image credit: Beata Whitehead)
Need Earth Day optimism? Here are some environmental do-gooders in your backyard
At a time when communities feel fractured, here's a look at online communities taking a pragmatic approach to changing the world for the better.
(Image credit: Igor Dudkovskiy)
Destroying endangered species' habitat wouldn't count as 'harm' under proposed Trump rule
The Trump administration is reinterpreting a key word in the Endangered Species Act that could have big consequences for the habitats of species at risk.
(Image credit: Greg Vaughn / VWPics)
Tracking Wolves in Italy
After being hunted to near extinction, wolves have made a population comeback in recent decades with the help of conservation efforts. Now, the country with the most wolves in Europe is Italy. Our correspondent in Rome set's out for the Italian forest with an organization that takes small groups to try to see wolves in the wild.
(Image credit: Paolo Picciotto)
California battery facility fire raises concerns over energy storage plant regulation
Following a lithium-ion battery fire at the Moss Landing plant in Monterey County in California, communities nationwide are expressing concerns about hosting similar plants.
Trump orders coal revival, but market favors natural gas
The president signed four executive orders to reverse the trend away from coal-fired electricity in the U.S., but there's little economic incentive for utilities to bring it back when natural gas is so much cheaper.
(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)
Trump orders coal revival, but market favors natural gas
Four new executive orders aimed at reviving coal mines include plans to keep coal fired power plants open even if companies operating them want to close.
Exclusive: Climate activists were hacked. There was a link between victims and an alleged attacker
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Prosecutors say the operation was aimed at gathering information to foil lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry over damage communities have faced from climate change.
(Image credit: John Minchillo/AP)
Spring allergies are in bloom. Here's why and what to do about it
Plants are blooming right now – and so are people's allergies. And if it feels like those pesky symptoms are getting worse ... you're probably right. Wednesday, a review published in the journal The Laryngoscope looked at the link between climate change and increasing rates of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. So today, we turn back to a classic Short Wave episode from Brit Hanson and Maddie Sofia, who spoke to allergy expert Dr. Juanita Mora about some quick tips for managing seasonal allergies.
Want more of the science behind your health questions? Send us an email at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
(Image credit: Roy Morsch)
Federal funding freeze halts key infrastructure projects in tribal communities
Riverbank stabilization, lead and asbestos contamination are just some of the projects tribes planned to address before the Trump administration froze funds.
(Image credit: Mark Ralston)
Millions watch as underwater camera documents daily life on a Miami coral reef
For five years, the Coral City Camera has given viewers a live look at aquatic reef life near Miami. It's documented the declining conditions and shown a surprising vitality among some coral species.
A changing ecosystem is depleting the whitefish population in the Great Lakes
Changes in ecosystems mean bad news for lake whitefish and those who love it. The species' population is rapidly declining in some areas of the Great Lakes.
Major budget cuts proposed for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The agency forecasts weather, manages fisheries, and researches the world's oceans, atmosphere, and climate. The proposed budget cuts would slash the climate work entirely.
(Image credit: Handout/Getty Images)