Environment

Whether you get your forecast from an app on your phone, a website or a meteorologist on TV, most of the underlying information comes from the federal government.

(Image credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Flamingos look silly when they eat, but new research suggests they're actually being smart.

(Image credit: Serhat Cetinkaya)

Government incentives for climate-friendly upgrades are confusing to navigate, and it can be hard to find businesses that sell them. So a new industry is emerging to help: the decarbonization coach.

(Image credit: Ryan Kellman)

Prosecutors say that as news of the crime spread, the two men exchanged messages relishing the outrage and sadness they caused. The tree in northern England was believed to be about 200 years old.

(Image credit: Oli Scarff)

Google, Microsoft and Meta have all pledged to reach at least net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Amazon set their net-zero deadline for 2040. To understand how these four tech companies could possibly meet their climate goals amid an artificial intelligence renaissance, Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong discusses the green AI movement. Speaking with scientists, CEOs and tech insiders, she explores three possible pathways: nuclear energy, small language models (SLMs) and back-to-the-future ways of keeping data centers cool.

Listen to Part 1 of Short Wave's reporting on the environmental cost of AI here.

Have a question about AI and the environment? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

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: Hiroshi Watanabe)

An Environmental Protection Agency plan to eliminate its Energy Star offices would end a decades-old program that gave consumers a choice to buy environmentally friendly electronics and save money on bills, consumer and environmental groups said.

(Image credit: Joshua A. Bickel)

Human eyes have only seen a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of the areas of the world that are covered by deep water. Scientists want to change how they explore these regions.

(Image credit: NOAA)

By 2028, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory forecasts that U.S. data centers could use as much as 12% of the nation's electricity. The reason: generative AI. Since 2022, AI innovation by four leading tech companies — Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon — has led to annual increases in both energy and water consumption. So, in this episode, Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong probes huge water footprint of AI. We begin with the rise of data centers, then look at how computers came to need so much water and, finally, what tech companies are doing to try to turn the ship around.

P.S. Part 2 talks about the leading solutions in the green AI movement. So don't miss our Friday episode!

Curious about tech and the environment? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

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: Deven Dadbhawala)

Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

(Image credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Attorneys general from 17 states and D.C. are challenging an executive order Trump signed on his first day in office pausing approvals, permits and loans for all wind energy projects.

(Image credit: Seth Wenig)

One national park boasts the most diverse collection of wildflowers in the country, and they're blooming right now.

The cartoonish-looking salamanders have faced an uncertain future in the wild. But researchers hope that breeding axolotls in captivity and releasing them in the wild can help their numbers.

(Image credit: Francois Guillot)

EPA announced plans to reorganize the agency, moving science-focused staff into different roles and reducing the overall number of employees.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

Rural communities are scrambling after the Trump administration canceled billions in disaster grants. Many were counting on the funds for infrastructure fixes meant to withstand future disasters.

(Image credit: Ryan Kellman)

The Justice Department has charged Amit Forlit with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, among other crimes.

(Image credit: Alberto Pezzali)

From starfish and sea slugs to jellyfish and sponges, the ocean's invertebrates are some of the most ancient and diverse critters on Earth. And so are their superpowers, as marine biologist Drew Harvell calls their unique abilities. In her new book, The Ocean's Menagerie, she chronicles the amazing abilities of some of these spineless creatures and showcases how they've inspired our science and medicine.

Listen to our past episode on nudibranchs — the potent slugs of the sea — HERE.

Want to hear more stories about underwater marvels? 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.

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.

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)

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.

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)