NPR News - Environment

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Breaking news on the environment, climate change, pollution, and endangered species. Also featuring Climate Connections, a special series on climate change co-produced by NPR and National Geographic.
Updated: 5 hours 31 min ago

New SpaceX site in Louisiana concerns some residents

Tue, 2026/09/15 - 1:10pm

Residents in Louisiana near SpaceX's next launch site are concerned about the project's impact on the environment and say they were kept in dark about the deal.

Categories: Environment

Tiny krill are turning up in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Scientists want to know why

Tue, 2026/09/15 - 9:53am

Antarctic krill serve as a crucial food source for penguins, seals, and whales. They recycle nutrients used by algae. Now researchers say they've found krill in a surprising place: hydrothermal vents.

Categories: Environment

EPA rolls back Biden-era rules for power plants that limit greenhouse gas emissions

Tue, 2026/09/15 - 1:44am

The EPA announced Monday its repealing limits on greenhouse gas emissions that come from power plants.

Categories: Environment

Trump's EPA repeals pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants

Mon, 2026/09/14 - 1:34pm

The Trump administration is eliminating limits on climate-warming pollution from the nation's fossil fuel power plants. Environmental groups say this will impact the climate and public health.

(Image credit: J. David Ake)

Categories: Environment

This summer was hot. August shattered global heat records

Thu, 2026/09/10 - 2:30pm

Scientists say that August was the hottest month ever recorded globally. In the U.S., summer temperatures also shattered heat records.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

Categories: Environment

Scientists say August was Earth's hottest month they've measured

Thu, 2026/09/10 - 1:54am

The European climate service Copernicus said the Earth just sweltered through its hottest month on record in August. Scientists said the heat surge is mostly due to human-caused climate change.

(Image credit: Ahn Young-joon)

Categories: Environment

'Her body temperature was 106': How heat is killing Americans in their homes

Mon, 2026/09/07 - 2:00am

Heat kills thousands of people across the U.S. every year. The risk is especially high for the millions of Americans who live in manufactured housing like mobile homes and trailers.

(Image credit: Ryan Kellman)

Categories: Environment

An island in Western Canada was spotted for the first time. Then it disappeared

Sun, 2026/09/06 - 5:20am

A floating island is playing peekaboo on Williston Lake in British Columbia. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe chats with BC Hydro's Bob Gammer about this natural mystery.

Categories: Environment

NPR's wildfire correspondent on one of the Western U.S.'s worst wildfire seasons

Sun, 2026/09/06 - 5:02am

The Western U.S.'s wildfire season has been one of the worst in years. More than 8 million acres have burned, at least seven wildland firefighters have died, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed.

Categories: Environment

He died of 'natural causes.' But his mother says she knows what killed him: heat

Wed, 2026/09/02 - 2:00am

When Arizona counts heat-related deaths, Adam Willson isn't included. His story shows how thousands of heat deaths can go uncounted every year in the United States.

(Image credit: Ryan Kellman)

Categories: Environment

NPR spent 2 years tracking deaths from heat. We found a staggering hidden toll

Mon, 2026/08/31 - 2:00am

An NPR investigation found that people in the U.S. are dying from heat much more often than official counts show. We explore the reasons why — and how lives can be saved.

Categories: Environment

A melting glacier contributed to the deadly Nepal floods. We can expect more like this

Fri, 2026/08/28 - 2:00am

As the climate continues to warm, scientists warn that the frequency of disasters like the floods in Nepal will increase.

(Image credit: Niranjan Shrestha)

Categories: Environment

Forest service to allow chainsaws to clear trails of downed trees despite ban

Fri, 2026/08/28 - 1:42am

This summer, fallen trees are blocking hundreds of miles of wilderness trails, following unusual weather events. Some forests will allow chainsaws as a controversial exception to a ban on motors.

Categories: Environment

The real cause of most wildfires? People

Thu, 2026/08/27 - 4:30am

More than three quarters of all wildfires in the U.S. are caused by human behavior including accidents, negligence and arson.

(Image credit: Margaret Albaugh for NPR)

Categories: Environment

Spokane wildfire evacuees return home, but it's 'still a hazmat situation'

Tue, 2026/08/25 - 2:00am

Most evacuees have been allowed to return to their homes near burn zones in Spokane, despite concerns about lingering toxins.

(Image credit: Margaret Albaugh for NPR)

Categories: Environment

Did climate change cause this heat wave? Most likely, and here's why

Tue, 2026/08/25 - 2:00am

As the senior climate editor at NPR, when extreme weather impacts us, I often send out guidance to the newsroom to help everyone understand the role of climate change. Here's what I tell them.

(Image credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Categories: Environment

Indonesians brave choking smoke to pray for rain as country battles wildfires

Mon, 2026/08/24 - 10:24pm

Huge blazes in central and western regions of Indonesia have scorched wide areas of forests and peatland, creating a choking haze that blanketed some cities.

(Image credit: Muhammad Fajri)

Categories: Environment

Drying springs in Arizona jeopardize the future of a key Navajo tradition

Mon, 2026/08/24 - 1:54pm

For centuries, Navajo shepherds have herded sheep in Arizona's mountains. Now, springs they rely on are drying up, putting a mainstay of the tribe's culture at risk.

Categories: Environment

A new Colorado River plan means big water cuts for some states

Fri, 2026/08/21 - 1:15pm

The federal government finally has a new plan for the shrinking Colorado River. With its two biggest reservoirs at record lows, Arizona, California and Nevada will have to make major water cuts.

Categories: Environment

Federal government thins the herds of wild horses in Colorado

Fri, 2026/08/21 - 2:00am

U.S. officials say the ever-growing population of wild horses that roam federal lands in Colorado is depleting natural resources. But some activists say efforts to remove the horses are inhumane.

(Image credit: McKenzie Lange)

Categories: Environment