The Rollbacks of 2019 / The Best Science and Nature Writing / Endangered Species Success Stories / Barren-Ground Caribou

As we open a new year, Living on Earth looks back on key environmental developments of 2019. Last year saw the rollbacks of more than 80 environmental rules under the Trump Administration. Critics say these changes will harm more than the climate: they'll hurt business, the environment, and human health. Law professor Pat Parenteau joins us for an overview of some of the key regulatory rollbacks.

And 2019 brought both good news and bad news for endangered species. While the Trump Administration finalized changes to the Endangered Species Act that could slow species' recovery, birds like the Kirtland's warbler, least tern and more have bounced back thanks to the ESA. And from a quirky little fish, to a couple of stonefly species that depend on melting glaciers to survive, a few more species received much-needed ESA protections.

Also, the best science writing strives to entertain and educate in equal measures, and to help make the jargon of the scientific world accessible to the general public. And with bestselling science writer Sy Montgomery at the helm, the 2019 edition of the Best American Science and Nature Writing was sure to bring together some fascinating science journalism.

A look back at 2019 and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

Find this week's transcript here: https://loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=20-P13-00001. . . .

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