Living on Earth

Coronavirus Shocks US Food System / Beyond the Headlines / The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court

The coronavirus has disrupted the economy, with grocery shortages and news of massive food dumping some of the most visible effects. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and other books, on how the pandemic exposes the vulnerabilities in the American food supply.

Also, the Supreme Court's 2007 landmark decision in Massachusetts v. EPA requires the government to regulate climate changing gases. The gripping behind-the-scenes story of Massachusetts v. EPA and the people who doggedly led the case to victory against the odds.

That 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-P13-00019. . . .

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

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Coronavirus Shocks US Food System / Beyond the Headlines / The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court

The coronavirus has disrupted the economy, with grocery shortages and news of massive food dumping some of the most visible effects. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and other books, on how the pandemic exposes the vulnerabilities in the American food supply.

Also, the Supreme Court's 2007 landmark decision in Massachusetts v. EPA requires the government to regulate climate changing gases. The gripping behind-the-scenes story of Massachusetts v. EPA and the people who doggedly led the case to victory against the odds.

That and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . .

FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . .

With shelter-in-place orders affecting much of the country, zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers have had to close their doors. Many of these facilities have gone online to continue their mission with virtual visits, exhibit livestreams, and enrichment programs. Zoos and aquariums like the New England Aquarium are also facing the question of how to care for their animals without visitor revenue during the coronavirus shutdown.

And Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender, witnesses an abundance of menhaden, and the creatures of the sea and air they help nourish.

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . .

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Migrant farmworkers are considered essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and if they don't continue to tend and harvest the crops that feed America, there will be food shortages. Many face special risks during the pandemic, as they work in crowded conditions and more than half of them are undocumented, with poor access to healthcare and federal aid. We'll hear from a longtime California farmworker about his fears and frustrations about working with little protection in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, a note on emerging science: as people around the world self-isolate and non-essential work is put on hold, the Earth has grown quieter, according to seismographic data.

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

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Farmworkers and the Virus / A Migrant Farmworker Shares COVID-19 Fears / Beyond the Headlines / Supreme Court Clean Water Win / Note on Emerging Science: The Days the Earth Stood Still / Zoos and Aquariums Online / Behind the Quarantine at the New England Aquarium / Sap-Iens: Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers

Farmworkers are considered essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and without them there will be food shortages. Migrant farmworkers face special risks as more than half of them are undocumented and many lack access to healthcare. We'll hear from a longtime California farmworker about his fears and frustrations about working with little protection in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, in a key decision for environmental law, by a 6-3 vote the US Supreme Court has created a major precedent that strengthens the Clean Water Act.

And while zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers have had to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have gone online to continue their mission with virtual visits and critter cams.

All that 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-P13-00018. . . .

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . .

FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . .

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

Farmworkers and the Virus / A Migrant Farmworker Shares COVID-19 Fears / Beyond the Headlines / Supreme Court Clean Water Win / Note on Emerging Science: The Days the Earth Stood Still / Zoos and Aquariums Online / Behind the Quarantine at the New England Aquarium / Sap-Iens: Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers

Farmworkers are considered essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and without them there will be food shortages. Migrant farmworkers face special risks as more than half of them are undocumented and many lack access to healthcare. We'll hear from a longtime California farmworker about his fears and frustrations about working with little protection in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, in a key decision for environmental law, by a 6-3 vote the US Supreme Court has created a major precedent that strengthens the Clean Water Act.

And while zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers have had to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have gone online to continue their mission with virtual visits and critter cams.

All that and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . .

FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . .

A great migration is underway in the northern hemisphere, as migratory birds head north to start a family. Throughout their journeys these long-distance travelers rely on well-stocked pit-stops, like Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts. That's where Host Steve Curwood meets up with ornithologist David Sibley one fine spring morning, to listen to copious birdsong and discuss the second edition of Sibley's popular Guide to Birds.

Also, Living on Earth's Explorer in Residence, Mark Seth Lender, marvels at the speed and diligence with which a pair of yellow-bellied sapsuckers build and maintain a nest.

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

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Writer Terry Tempest Williams' latest book, "Erosion: Essays of Undoing", grapples with the erosion of democracy, science, compassion, and trust, as her beloved Utah red rock landscape faces oil and gas extraction, and the planet faces destructive warming. At a Good Reads on Earth live event, Williams spoke with Steve Curwood about how science and Native knowledge alike can guide us on a more sustainable path, and why erosion also creates an opportunity for evolution towards a better future. After the interview, Terry responds to audience questions.

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . .

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Music in this episode:

Doctor Turtle, "The Ants Built A City On His Chest", The Double-Down Two-Step, CC BY 4.0

Doctor Turtle, "His Last Share Of The Stars", The Double-Down Two-Step, CC BY 4.0

Reflecting on 50 Years of Earth Day / Celebrating 30 Years of 'Living on Earth' / Beyond the Headlines / 50 Years of Environmental Law / Stories and Poetry for Earth Day

This year, Earth Day turns 50. And from humble beginnings Earth Day has grown into the world's largest secular holiday, celebrated around the world each year by more than a billion people. Activists, scientists, poets and pastors alike share their reflections for this special Earth Day.

1970 also saw the birth of major environmental laws including the Clean Air Act and NEPA. In the 50 years since, environmental law has brought improved air and water quality, but gaps in environmental protection remain.

And this Earth Day also marks 30 years since the launch of the "Living on Earth" program! Host Steve Curwood reflects on the challenges and rewards of covering environmental news.

Celebrating 50 years of Earth Day and 30 years of LOE, 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-P13-00017. . . .

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . .

FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . .

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

Reflecting on 50 Years of Earth Day / Celebrating 30 Years of 'Living on Earth' / Beyond the Headlines / 50 Years of Environmental Law / Stories and Poetry for Earth Day

This year, Earth Day turns 50. And from humble beginnings Earth Day has grown into the world's largest secular holiday, celebrated around the world each year by more than a billion people. Activists, scientists, poets and pastors alike share their reflections for this special Earth Day.

1970 also saw the birth of major environmental laws including the Clean Air Act and NEPA. In the 50 years since, environmental law has brought improved air and water quality, but gaps in environmental protection remain.

And this Earth Day also marks 30 years since the launch of the "Living on Earth" program! Host Steve Curwood reflects on the challenges and rewards of covering environmental news.

Celebrating 50 years of Earth Day and 30 years of LOE, and more, in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX.

LEARN MORE about these stories and everything in our decades of archives at loe.org. We've got audio, transcripts, links, photos and more! . . .

PITCH IN with your tax-deductible contribution at https://loe.org/about/donate.html. Thank you for your support! . . .

FOLLOW US and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. . . .