Living on Earth

Puerto Rico’s antiquated power grid has repeatedly failed catastrophically after hurricanes. Rooftop solar offers a more reliable way to power the island.

Also, as extreme heat, wildfires, and severe storms intensify, the already hazardous work of farmworkers is likely to become even more dangerous. But these essential workers continue to be excluded from crucial safety protections.

And young Puerto Ricans are working to improve the sustainability of farming on the island by applying ecological concepts to mimic the way nature works while growing food.

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Support for Living on Earth comes from maude. Get 15% off your first order using the code LIVINGEARTH.

Support also comes from https://www.bio.org/podcast”>the I Am Bio podcast, with powerful stories of biotech breakthroughs, the people they help, and the global problems they solve.

And you’re invited! Join the Living on Earth Book Club and the New England Aquarium on October 13th for an online chat with bestselling science writer Ed Yong about his fascinating new book, “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.”

Learn about beetles that are drawn to fire, fish that “talk” to each other with electricity, and more!

Register for this free event at loe.org/events.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years solar and wind power have had on again, off again financial support from the US government, limiting renewable energy development to fight the growing climate crisis. A utility scale solar CEO explains how the Inflation Reduction Act gives solar and wind a new day.

Also, as many as 1 in 6 U.S. tree species are at risk of extinction, largely due to pests, disease, and climate change. Even well-known species could face extinction: oaks, ash trees, and the Frasier fir, a common Christmas tree. How seed banking and conservation groves can help.

And set sail southeast of New York City, and about 100 miles out you’ll be coasting above an underwater chasm far deeper than the Grand Canyon. Descending ten thousand feet into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Canyon is a vast gorge and ecological hotspot that’s being considered for national marine sanctuary status.

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Support for Living on Earth comes from maude. Get 15% off your first order using the code LIVINGEARTH.

And you’re invited! Join the Living on Earth Book Club and the New England Aquarium on October 13th for an online chat with bestselling science writer Ed Yong’s fascinating new book, “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.”

Learn about beetles that are drawn to fire, fish that “talk” to each other with electricity, and more!

Register for this free event at loe.org/events.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environmental justice advocates are declaring victory after a Louisiana judge canceled permits for a plastic factory in the region known as ‘cancer alley’ for the high rate of the disease linked to emissions from some 150 petrochemical plants.

Also, the new climate law contains billions of dollars aimed directly at addressing environmental and climate injustice. What it will take to ensure low-income communities and people of color can access those funds.

And Puerto Rico was still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017 and a swarm of earthquakes that started in 2019 when Hurricane Fiona recently struck with extreme rainfall and flooding that triggered landslides in areas destabilized by the quakes.

Plus, scientists are sounding the alarm about a recent uptick in methane emissions. Methane is roughly 85 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas when it’s first emitted and reducing methane releases now may be one of the fastest ways to slow down climate change.

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Support for Living on Earth comes from maude. Get 15% off your first order using the code LIVINGEARTH.

And you’re invited! Join LOE and ProPublica online on October 4 for a live discussion about the climate debt crisis, which makes it hard for the most vulnerable countries to prepare for climate disasters and recover when they hit.

Register for this free event at loe.org/events.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Charles III, the former Prince of Wales, has acceded to the throne and brings with him a lifelong passion for nature and environmental causes. As His Majesty takes on a new role as sovereign, the environment and climate torch now passes to his son William, the new Prince of Wales. 

Also, California has been a national leader on tackling climate change and recently announced two changes to further green the golden state. First, California will ban the sale of most new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Second, and more controversially, Governor Newsom approved an extension for the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power station, which is carbon-free but not without risk.

And PFAS chemicals are known as “forever chemicals” because they hardly break down in the environment -- and they’re just about everywhere. How these chemicals are affecting us and what we can do about it.

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Join us online for a conversation with renowned conservationist Jane Goodall on Friday, September 23rd at 5:30 p.m. Eastern! Register for this free event at loe.org/events

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Scientists have understood for decades how global warming would put more moisture in the atmosphere, promoting climate disruption and extremes such as floods, wildfires and record-breaking heat. But there may be more impacts to come as climate models haven’t captured all the complex interactions of a warming world.

Also, as climate change brings higher temperatures and extreme weather to American cities, our rental and affordable housing stock remains largely under-equipped to deal with these new challenges. What renters and landlords can do to fortify homes against a changing climate while transitioning to cleaner energy.

And polls of environment-first registered voters showed that in July, as many as a third were planning to sit out the 2022 midterm elections, with most citing frustration with the lack of Congressional action on climate. Now the passage of the landmark climate legislation in the Inflation Reduction Act may be stirring up some voter turnout among climate conscious voters.

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Whistleblowers at the EPA say they have been forced to delete cancer warnings about new chemicals.

Also, flaws in the way EPA calculates cancer risk.

And a discussion about keeping people healthy by keeping the planet healthy, with a healthcare clinic in Indonesian Borneo.

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Greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production in the United States are on track to outpace domestic coal emissions.

Also, until recently landfills in America were often sited in coastal wetlands. Now rising seas are threatening to unleash their trash, toxics, and even nuclear waste into coastal areas.

And a conversation with Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate about how the climate crisis is impacting Africa and the discrimination she’s faced in speaking up.

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Extraction of minerals on U.S. public lands is based on a 150-year-old law that doesn’t require royalty payments or adequate protection for the environment and local people. We talk about a proposed lithium mine in Nevada and efforts to reform the antiquated mining law.

Also, a study found that three-quarters of young people surveyed believe the future is frightening because of climate change. What young people are expressing about their eco-anxiety and how parents can safely talk to their kids about climate.

And a conversation about how the Zen Buddhist practice of mindfulness can provide an antidote to burnout and help us break out of a destructive cycle of consumption to live in harmony with the planet.

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Support for Living on Earth comes from the I Am Bio podcast, with powerful stories of biotech breakthroughs, the people they help, and the global problems they solve.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress has passed a historic climate bill with the enactment of the 2022 budget reconciliation measure called the Inflation Reduction Act. This first serious federal climate legislation includes about $400 billion to address climate and clean energy over the next decade, as well as major tax reforms and mandated consumer cost cuts for health care. We analyze the new law and take a closer look at its expanded electric vehicle incentives.

Also, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide, and endocrine disrupting chemicals are partly to blame. One such chemical is DEHP, a phthalate chemical commonly used in plastic hospital intravenous bags and medical tubing, and studies have shown that it’s interfering with breast cancer treatment and augmenting the odds of relapse. 

And “The Reign of Wolf 21” is the true love story of an alpha pair who lead their Yellowstone pack with grace, courage, and an unbreakable bond. What these wolves can teach us about love, loyalty, and leadership.

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Underwater explorer Craig Foster dives nearly every day in the near-shore waters of South Africa and it’s here that he befriended an octopus, a relationship captured in the documentary “My Octopus Teacher.” He’s coauthor of the 2021 book “Underwater Wild” and joined us for a memorable Living on Earth Book Club event to talk about his encounters with cuttlefish, sharks, and Cape clawless otters, and the power of connecting with wild nature. 

Also, as the autism rate continues to rise among children, scientists and clinicians are connecting the dots between autism, genetics, folic acid deficiency, and chemicals like the endocrine disrupting plastic additives called phthalates.

And bald eagles were nearly driven to extinction in the 20th century but are now making a big comeback. These majestic creatures are becoming so common that people are spotting them in the most unexpected places, even the heart of Manhattan.

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Support for Living on Earth comes from the I Am Bio podcast, with powerful stories of biotech breakthroughs, the people they help, and the global problems they solve.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices