Living on Earth

Merrick Garland and the Environment / Deb Haaland: 'Fierce for our Planet' / Interior's Next Frontiers / Beyond the Headlines / A Mayan Bee Guardian / Ice Visions

President-elect Biden's Attorney General pick, Judge Merrick Garland, has ruled over many environmental rules and regulations while on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. What an AG Garland could mean for environmental policy and enforcement.

Also, after four years in pursuit of extraction at the expense of conservation, the Department of the Interior is about to undergo a major change in how it manages federal public lands and relates to Native Americans.

Biden's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, Congresswoman Deb Haaland, will be the first Native American to lead DOI if confirmed and would bring a strong conservation, climate action, and tribal rights perspective to the Department.

And former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell joins us to discuss how the Biden administration can pause oil and gas extraction on public lands, attract more renewable energy and restore the sacred Bears Ears National Monument.

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Georgia's Green and Brown Voters / ANWR Oil Leasing / BirdNote®: The Oilbird's Lightless Life / Activism Cuts Plastic Waste in the Bahamas / Beyond the Headlines / Remembering Barry Lopez

The Democratic victories for both of the Senate seats in Georgia's runoff elections are thanks in part to the state's environmental voters, who are more likely to be people of color and young, and to live in urban centers.

Also, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge likely has billions of gallons of oil under it and for decades it's been one of the most high-profile environmental battles. Despite opposition from conservationists and native peoples, a judge allowed the Trump Administration to proceed with a last-minute auction of oil and gas drilling leases in the refuge.

And the late Barry Lopez is being remembered as a beloved environmental writer who authored National Book Award-winning "Arctic Dreams" and many other works. We share a conversation with Barry Lopez from 2019, when his final book "Horizon" was published.

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Care for the Common Critter / 'It Could Be the Last One': Stories of People Helping Rare Critters / Wildly Magical: Animal Encounters in the Galapagos / Native American Stories of Human and Animal Kinship From one woman's dream of swimming with marine iguanas, to uncommon encounters with common rabbits, to a Native American tale of how the dog came to be our loyal companion, and much more, this Living on Earth holiday storytelling special features stories of how other species on this Earth touch human lives. "Wildly Magical: Stories of Animal Encounters", a storytelling special from PRX.

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The Power Of Stories / Native American Tales / Stories of the Night Sky and an English Wassail Native American myths and tales help us endure or even enjoy the short days and long nights of winter. Living on Earth's annual celebration of stories helps connect people with the natural world, and includes an Iroquois explanation of why the constellation Pleiades twinkles overhead and an Abenaki custom that asks forgiveness for any wrongs of the previous year. Seasonal stories and more, in this holiday special from Living on Earth from PRX.

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UN Moves Forward with Paris Climate Agreement / China's Bold Climate Action Plan / Keeping Coal from Going to the Bank / Microfiber Pollution: Note on Emerging Science: Denim / Beyond the Headlines / The Reindeer Chronicles: Working with Nature to Heal the Earth / Story Time

Environmental destruction and habitat loss can feel overwhelming, but the trend can be reversed, as people around the world reclaim land and help mother nature heal herself. That's the focus of a new book called "The Reindeer Chronicles."

Also, the coronavirus pandemic has postponed important UN climate meetings, but the vital work of ramping up international ambition on climate must go on. The virtual "Climate Ambition Summit" recently showcased what nations are doing on that front, led by China.

And French environmental activist Lucie Pinson, a 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize recipient, recognized that the most efficient way to stop new climate-damaging coal development wasn't tackling projects one by one. Instead, she went straight to the big banks and underwriters who fund and insure these projects, and convinced the financiers to divest.

Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

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Africa's Low Covid Fatality Rate / Beyond the Headlines / Journeys North: The Pacific Crest Trail / Produce and Microplastics / 'Tis the Season for Green Gifts

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa has shown a surprisingly low fatality rate. Underreporting may not fully account for the discrepancy, so scientists are looking further to see if there may be other factors.

Also, every year, several hundred intrepid hikers walk all the way from Mexico to Canada, on the Pacific Crest Trail. Along their 2600-mile walk they encounter bears, trail magic, and the tight-knit community of the PCT.

And microplastics are everywhere, including in farm soil. They can range in size from the width of a strand of spaghetti, to as small as a virus. How microplastics get into our soil and the risks they could pose for food.

Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

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The Pandemic And American Hunger / Beyond The Headlines / Ghanaian Climate Leader Wins Goldman Prize / Troubles For Science Research In The Pandemic / The Road To Darwin / Migrations: A Powerful Novel About A World Losing Life / BirdNote®: What In The World Is A Hoopoe?

The 2020 novel Migrations is set in a future world where polar bears, chimpanzees and wolves are extinct, though not all is lost. For the novel's protagonist, this mass extinction is personal, sparking her perilous journey to follow what might be the very last migration of the Arctic Tern from pole to pole.

Also, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the perilous economic state of many households in America, with one in four U.S. households experiencing food insecurity in 2020 despite an abundance of food overall.

And we talk with a Ghanaian environmental activist whose grassroots youth campaign helped stop a coal plant that would have threatened a coastal fishing community and the climate. He's a recipient of the 2020 "Green Nobel", the Goldman Environmental Prize.

Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

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The Climate & Georgia Senate Showdown / Mustering Georgia's Environmental Voters / Beyond the Headlines / Making the Pill from Yams to Fish / The Dark / Note on Emerging Science: Sea Otters Protect Alaskan Reefs / Planetary Health

The 2020 Presidential election had a historic turnout, especially with voters under age 30 and voters of color, who are more likely than others voters to list climate or the environment as their top priority when casting ballots. We look at how turnout among these voters might influence Georgia's run-off elections in January.

Also, a new book drills down on the intersection of environmental change and human health. Why saving the planet can also save human lives.

And most formulas for the birth control pill use the synthetic hormones progestin and estrogen, derived from crude oil and even plants such as yams. Once these hormones make their way through a human body and into wastewater systems, they can affect fish and other animals in the environment.

Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

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How Biden Can Keep It in the Ground / Beyond the Headlines / Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch / Native American Traditions of Giving Thanks / Sustainable Thanksgiving Fare from the Sea

How President-elect Joe Biden can "keep it in the ground" by halting or reducing fossil fuel extraction on federal lands for a new climate protection agenda.

Also, oysters can be eaten in many ways beyond the half-shell, and when farmed correctly they help nourish local economies and ecosystems. Celebrity chef Barton Seaver whips up some oyster stuffing for Thanksgiving.

And the pawpaw, which is the largest edible fruit native to the U.S., ripens in the late fall, after many of the better-known local fruits like apples. Tips for growing pawpaw trees and enjoying their fruits.

Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

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Climate and the Biden Transition / Beyond the Headlines / Lead in Hunted Meat / Midtown Coyote / Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings

How the Biden transition team can best plan to fight climate disruption after four years of policy disruption while in incoming Administration also prepares to address the crises of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy, and equal justice.

Also, millions of American families who eat game could get lead poisoning from the bullets that killed the animal. Patrons of some food banks are also at risk as hunters also donate some 2 million pounds of venison and other hunted meat to food banks across the U.S. each year, with no inspection in some states that detect lead contamination.

And the author of "Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings" joins us to talk about how tree rings hold clues to the ancient climate on Earth, and human history too.

Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

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