Living on Earth

Damaged Amazon Adds to Global Warming / Belo Monte Dam Disrupts Amazon Floodplain Balance / Horse of a Different Color / Beyond the Headlines / Prehistoric Magnetic Flip Shook Up Life on Earth / Not Just Maple Syrup: Birch, Beech and Other Sappy Trees

The first broad study of all greenhouse gases in the Amazon rainforest reveals that the damaged ecosystem is now a net contributor to climate change, due mostly to warming and other human activities like logging, dam-building, and cattle ranching.

Also, Earth's magnetic poles wander around and flip every now and then, and now scientists have evidence for how these flips impact life on Earth. Linking a magnetic pole reversal about 41,000 years ago to megafauna extinctions, climatic changes, and even a rise in ancient cave art.

And it's maple syrup season, but these aren't the only sappy trees that can be tapped to make syrup. A trip to a syrup producer in New Hampshire to taste syrups made from birch, beech, walnut, and other trees.

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Madam Secretary Haaland / One in Five Deaths from Fossil Fuels / Note on Emerging Science: Oldest DNA Ever Sequenced / Families Sickened by Fracking / Beyond the Headlines / Carbon Bomb Fridges

Ultrafine particulate matter produced from fossil fuel combustion is known to cause numerous health issues. A recent study finds that this pollution is responsible for one in five deaths worldwide, or about 350,000 excess deaths in the U.S. every year.

Also, the fracking boom transformed rural towns from idyllic to industrial and is threatening the physical and mental health of many inhabitants. The stories of families whose lives have been completely upended by fracking.

And when climate reporter Phil McKenna needed a new fridge, he tried to steer clear of any appliance that would use super-potent greenhouse gases to cool his groceries. But he ended up with a "carbon bomb" containing a greenhouse gas thousands of times more potent than CO2. Why industry has made it so hard to find climate-friendly appliances.

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Warming Planet Slows Ocean Currents / Beyond the Headlines / 30x30 To Save Species / Protecting Badger-Two Medicine And The Grand Canyon / Regenerative Farming for Soil Health / Regenerative Farming In Action

The climates of North America and Europe depend on tropical heat circulated by massive system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean. But research shows that climate change is slowing this thermal conveyor belt, which is currently the weakest it has been in at least a thousand years.

Also, President Joe Biden has set an official goal of protecting 30% of US land and ocean for conservation by 2030 to help avert species extinction and fight climate change. We take a look at two conservation campaigns that are being led by Native American tribes: Badger-Two Medicine in Montana and part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

And regenerative agriculture practices that store carbon in the soil are a "win-win-win" for farmers, the economy and the environment, say advocates. Advocates claim widespread adoption of no-till, cover cropping, and other practices could perhaps store as much carbon as the global transportation sector emits every year.

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Radioactive Water Dilemma at Fukushima / The New Climate War / Hard Times for Ginseng Farmers / Beyond the Headlines / Nature and the Beat

Despite rising global temperatures and an increase in climate disruption-related natural disasters, climate denial still runs rampant. Renowned climate scientist Michael Mann's latest book describes how fossil fuel companies have spent decades deflecting blame and responsibility in order to delay action on climate change.

Also, ten years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, Japanese authorities are planning to release some of the contaminated cooling water into the Pacific Ocean. What the release of this water means for marine and human health.

And consumers in China and the U.S. prize American ginseng, most of which is grown in just one Wisconsin county, as a health food and traditional medicine. But demand has dried up in the midst of America's ongoing trade war with China, economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian rhetoric, and farmers are struggling.

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No Power For The People In Texas / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Wild Bees a Boost to Crops / A Civilian Climate Corps / Searching for Life on Mars

The coldest air to visit Texas in a decade killed dozens, crippled the state's power grid and revealed the risks of extreme deregulation. How America's electric power system has grown more unstable in recent decades.

Also, Washington Governor Jay Inslee shares a vision for a climate corps that could aid conservation, combat climate disaster, and save energy while harnessing the energy of youth volunteers in America.

And after a spaceflight of over 200 days, NASA's Perseverance rover has landed safely on Mars. Perseverance is the first in a series of missions with the goal of finding signs of ancient life on the red planet, with hopes of returning samples to Earth by the 2030s.

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India Climate Activist Jailed / Beyond the Headlines / A New Leader for USDA / The Butterfly Effect: Insects and the Making of the Modern World

Amid ongoing massive farmer protests, the Indian government is cracking down on activists including Disha Ravi, the young climate activist who founded Fridays for Future - India. How climate activism connects with the Indian farmer protests, and the government's attempts to silence activists and journalists.

Also, President Biden's pick for Secretary of Agriculture is Tom Vilsack, who would be reprising the role after his 8 years in the Obama administration. "Vilsack II" is showing signs that since then he's become more supportive of food assistance programs and reforming historically racist programs at USDA.

And insects far outnumber us on this planet, and they've shaped the course of human history. A conversation with the author of "The Butterfly Effect: Insects and the Making of the Modern World" on this legacy and the critical need to preserve insect biodiversity for future generations.

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India's Farm Crisis and the Climate Emergency / Beyond the Headlines / Angry Birds and the People's Climate Vote / Bottlenose Whales in the Arctic / Modernizing Mobility / BirdNote®: Here Come the Barred Owls / In Honor of Black History Month: Harriet Tubman and the Barred Owl

India is experiencing dramatic climate impacts that are hitting farmers especially hard. On top of that, the Indian government recently passed legislation that could make it harder for farmers to get a fair price for their crops, leading to massive protests.

Also, games like Angry Birds meet climate policy through the work of the People's Climate Vote, a United Nations survey of more than a million people around the world.

And in the United States transportation infrastructure is falling deep into disrepair with $2 trillion of deferred maintenance costs. President Joe Biden is seeking to modernize mobility infrastructure in a way that supports the broader overall goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

And as we celebrate Black History Month: Harriet Tubman was an unsung naturalist who used bird calls and her knowledge of woods and wetlands to lead some 70 people out of bondage.

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Biden's Pen and the Climate / Beyond the Headlines / GM in the EV Fast Lane / The COVID Biking Boom / An Owl-Inspired Hearing Test / Teddy Roosevelt's Conservation Legacy

President Biden has signed detailed executive orders focused on protecting the environment and fighting against climate change, laying the groundwork for strong climate policy and green investment.

And the private sector is already moving in that direction: General Motors recently announced a bold plan to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035, signaling a major step towards decarbonizing the economy and creating thousands of green jobs.

Also, a look back at President Theodore Roosevelt's complicated legacy for conservation in a time when it's being reimagined with more diversity and inclusivity.

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The Whole of Government For Climate Action / Resisting Line 3 Pipeline / COVID Risk for Tribal Cultures / Beyond the Headlines / Vista: A Break in the Storm / 'Becoming Wild' and Culture Among Animals

The Biden Administration is making big and early moves to tackle the climate crisis and show the rest of the world and major investors that the U.S. is committed to decarbonization.

Also, Native American communities have been hit especially hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly twice the mortality rate of white Americans. The deaths of tribal elders are also leading to losses of language and other cultural knowledge.

And biologists are finding that many animal species from sperm whales to birds use language and other hallmarks of culture.

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U.S. Back in Paris Agreement / Biden Reverses Trump Rollbacks / Little Time Left to Save Right Whales / Beyond the Headlines / Ubuntu and Unity for Healing

At his inauguration on January 20th President Biden called for unity at a time when America faces multiple crises. For a model of unity, Mr. Biden might look to the African concept of Ubuntu as a way to heal the many broken relationships in America.

Also, hours after taking the oath of office, President Biden signed several executive orders to restore environmental protections removed by his predecessor, and recommitted the U.S. to the Paris Climate Agreement. The Executive Director of Greenpeace International joins us to talk about how the U.S. can get back on track with the rest of the world, after 4 years of turning its back on climate diplomacy.

And the North Atlantic right whale is one of the world's most endangered species. With ship strikes and entanglement in fishing nets threatening its survival, environmental organizations have filed a lawsuit seeking expanded protections to save the whales before it's too late.

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