Living on Earth

Earth’s complex, interconnected climate system means that changes in one part of the world can impact atmospheric moisture and the climate thousands of miles away. Research shows that when trees die in California from drought, wildfires, and bark beetles, that can hinder plant growth all the way across the continent in Eastern North America.

Also, every year, several hundred intrepid hikers walk all the way from Mexico to Canada, along the Pacific Crest Trail. At more than twenty-six hundred miles long, it covers some of the most challenging and spectacular terrain in North America. But with a tight-knit community of thru-hikers, the PCT isn’t just about the pretty scenery. 

And a walk in the woods might be just what your health care provider ordered. Numerous studies suggest that taking in the peaceful atmosphere of a forest can have significant health benefits. Now the practice of “forest bathing,” which originated in Japan in the 1980s as a form of nature therapy, is becoming more popular around the world.

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Small particulates from fossil fuels are linked to as many as 300,000 excess deaths in the United States each year. And these small, PM 2.5 particulates may also be harming the mental health of children and teens by worsening depression, anxiety, suicidality and more.

Also, the Colorado River that carved the Grand Canyon and now quenches the thirst of much of the American West is parched in a “megadrought.” Two key reservoirs are expected to drop to record low levels this year and trigger a formal water shortage declaration. Why supply continues to shrink as demand holds steady. 

And a healthier planet also means a healthier society. We’ll look at the intersection of environmental change and human health, and how saving the planet can also save human lives.

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As a slew of extreme weather events hits the headlines, the evidence mounts we are headed for dangerous thresholds of climate disruption beyond the reach of adaptation to cope. Why sea level rise could be counted in the dozens of feet by 2100, and how an unchecked climate emergency imperils human civilization.

Also, the Biden Administration has now rolled out details of its environmental justice plan called Justice40, which aims to share at least 40% of benefits from federal climate and infrastructure spending with disadvantaged communities.

And Charlotte McConaghy, the author of last year’s best-selling novel Migrations, talks about her newest book Once There Were Wolves. It’s a mysterious tale of a woman-led team working to re-introduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands, the people who confront them and the deadly toll of domestic abuse.

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New research confirms that the damaged Amazon rainforest is now a net contributor to climate change overall, and parts of the Amazon are showing signs of nearing a crucial “tipping point”.

But there is hope for protecting the forest: Indigenous people have taken care of these forests for millennia, and now with the help of a nonprofit they’re using GPS data to take a stand against illegal deforestation.

Also, many of us are fixated on the now, and in fact much of the environmental damage we are causing is an outcome of seeking short-term rewards at the cost of long-term sustainability. But the author of the book “Deep Time Reckoning” is on a mission to get us to think far beyond. He profiles safety experts in Finland working on how to prudently store nuclear power waste, which can be radioactive for millions of years.

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Over the past four decades, sperm counts have dropped by more than 50% in the US, and female fertility is also declining. Some chemicals that disrupt hormones are key culprits, including those found in plastics, cosmetics and fracking solutions. Why this looming fertility crisis hits vulnerable communities especially hard.

Also, a recent study finds the toxic class of chemicals called PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”, is widespread in lipstick, mascara, and other cosmetics. The ugly truth about your beauty products.

And worried about the environmental degradation caused by increasing plastic pollution in her home country of Malawi, Gloria Majiga-Kamoto organized a grassroots movement to fight the plastic industry and to support a national ban on thin single-use plastic. She’s been recognized with a 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize.

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Recent data show the Earth’s oceans are warming much more rapidly than previously reported. That means rising sea levels, stronger storms, and more intense droughts.

Also, fertilizer runoff can create massive algae blooms in water that suck up oxygen and create dead zones for most other forms of life. The Chesapeake Bay is particularly vulnerable but restaurants in Pittsburgh are pitching in to help.

And a documentary miniseries seeks to unravel the secrets of whale behavior and understand whale cultures of orcas, humpbacks, narwhals, belugas, and sperm whales. “Secrets of the Whales” and more, this week on Living on Earth.

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Roughly 1.3 million species have been identified and recorded, but that’s just a fraction of life on our planet. A recent advancement known as DNA barcoding samples small but key parts of genomes to ID species.

Also, the U.S. is extremely divided in many ways, from politics to race to wealth. But for a model of unity, we might look to the African concept of Ubuntu as a way to heal the many broken relationships in America.

And insects far outnumber us on this planet, and they’ve shaped the course of human history. Stories about the ancient relationship between human society and insects, and the critical need to preserve insect biodiversity for future generations.

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Activists are ramping up actions against the Line 3 pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil through delicate wetlands and the treaty territory of the Anishinaabe peoples in northern Minnesota.

And while that oil would be coming from Canada, President Biden is hoping he can use his executive power to pause oil and gas leasing on U.S. public lands and waters like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But this is being challenged in the courts.

Also, increasingly the oil and gas we extract from the ground is being turned into plastic that litters the oceans to the tune of 8 million metric tons every year. Much of that waste is take-away packaging, and a recent study found that only 20 companies are responsible for most of this waste.

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

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