Living on Earth

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 share their reflections for this special Earth Day, and Host and Executive Producer Steve Curwood reminisces on 30 years of Living on Earth.

Also, Vermont Law School Professor Pat Parenteau reflects on the evolution of environmental law over the past 50 years, and what's ahead.

That's this week on 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! . . .

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COVID-19 appears to be deadlier to people with years of exposure to high air pollution, strengthening the case for cleaning up dirty air that already kills millions around the world every year. Climate mitigation could be a big benefit of the solutions, since much of the pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels.

Also, every year, citizen scientists around the world participate in brief, intensive surveys of biological diversity called BioBlitzes.

A backyard BioBlitz in the era of social distancing 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! . . .

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Music in this episode:

Mela, "Waltz for a Memory", Mela Two, CC BY-SA 4.0

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

April 22nd, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, when some 20 million Americans peacefully rallied for protecting the planet. Denis Hayes, coordinator of that very first Earth Day, discusses with Host Steve Curwood how this year's grand Earth Day plans have adapted to the coronavirus disruptions.

Earth Day at fifty, and beyond, 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! . . .

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Music in this episode:

Blue Dot Sessions, "Walking Shoes", Skittle

Dangerous Heat in the Gulf of Mexico / Beyond the Headlines / Earth Day Turns Fifty / Springtime Birding with David Sibley

April 22nd, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, when some 20 million Americans peacefully rallied for protecting the planet. Denis Hayes, coordinator of that very first Earth Day, discusses how this year's grand Earth Day plans have adapted to the coronavirus disruptions.

Also, on Easter Sunday, dozens of tornados tore through the southeast United States, resulting in the deaths of over 30 people. These deadly storms came as water in the Gulf of Mexico was three degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the long-term average. Why warmer Gulf water fuels strong tornados, thunderstorms, and hurricanes.

And now that the seasonal great avian migration is underway, wildlife refuges provide the perfect place to listen and watch for birds on a fine spring morning.

Springtime birding with David Sibley 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-P13-00016. . . .

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

Air Pollution Worsens COVID-19 / Beyond the Headlines / Poetry Month: "One Log Per Visit, Never The Same Log Twice" / A Backyard BioBlitz / Erosion: Essays of Undoing

COVID-19 appears to be deadlier to people with years of exposure to high air pollution, strengthening the case for cleaning up dirty air that already kills millions around the world every year. Climate mitigation could be a big benefit of the solutions, since much of the pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels.

Also, writer Terry Tempest Williams' latest book 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.

And every year, citizen scientists around the world participate in brief, intensive surveys of biological diversity called BioBlitzes.

A backyard BioBlitz in the era of social distancing 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-P13-00015. . . .

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

Air Pollution Worsens COVID-19 / Beyond the Headlines / Poetry Month: "One Log Per Visit, Never The Same Log Twice" / A Backyard BioBlitz / Erosion: Essays of Undoing

COVID-19 appears to be deadlier to people with years of exposure to high air pollution, strengthening the case for cleaning up dirty air that already kills millions around the world every year. Climate mitigation could be a big benefit of the solutions, since much of the pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels.

Also, writer Terry Tempest Williams' latest book 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.

And every year, citizen scientists around the world participate in brief, intensive surveys of biological diversity called BioBlitzes.

A backyard BioBlitz in the era of social distancing 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. . . .

Economic Recovery, the Virus and Climate / Beyond the Headlines / Science Denial and the Pandemic / BirdNote®: Trogons Nest with Wasps / Home Bound Gardening

The world is now facing the coronavirus pandemic crisis as well as the climate crisis. And while COVID-19 has brought economic carnage, it also presents an opportunity to build back the U.S. economy cleaner than before, says Rep. Kathy Castor. The Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis talks about how Congress can respond to the pandemic crisis with climate change in mind, and why the world's pandemic response gives her hope about addressing the climate crisis.

Also, the coronavirus pandemic appears well-managed in countries that acted swiftly, with the science of epidemiology as their guide, while others have seen a spiking death rate. Why governments sometimes fail to follow the science when responding to major crises like pandemics and climate change.

And the joys of tending a garden in the midst of a pandemic, from growing veggies to keeping chickens, plus advice about what to get in the ground now.

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-P13-00014. . . .

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

Warming Oceans And Toxic Shellfish / Beyond the Headlines / Major Ocean Currents Drifting Poleward / Misfit Produce at Your Doorstep / BirdNote®: Canada's Boreal Forests / The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age

The current moment is highlighting the perils of not planning ahead for challenges such as pandemics, or climate disruption. How we can tackle shortsightedness in our personal lives and in society, to plan better for the future.

Also, many coastal native Alaskans rely on harvested shellfish as part of their subsistence lifestyle. But mussels and clams can carry a lethal dose of a natural toxin, and as ocean waters warm, the algae that produces that toxin is thriving year-round.

And the warming oceans are also causing vital ocean currents to drift poleward, potentially disrupting the supply of nutrients for fisheries, and changing regional climates.

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-P13-00013. . . .

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

Wildlife Trafficking and the Novel Coronavirus / The Next California / Benefits of Free Transit / Beyond the Headlines / Nature in the Time of COVID-19

Wildlife trafficking is a highly lucrative form of organized crime, with deadly consequences. That's because in addition to threatening ecosystems, it plays a key role in spreading diseases including the novel coronavirus.

Also, around the world, people are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home. But that doesn't mean we can't take the time to connect with nature, says "Last Child in the Woods" author Richard Louv.

And a growing trend to make public transportation free has come to Lawrence, Massachusetts, the first minority-majority city in New England and the first in the state to provide free bus service through a pilot program.

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-P13-00012. . . .

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

Wildlife Trafficking and the Novel Coronavirus / The Next California / Benefits of Free Transit / Beyond the Headlines / Nature in the Time of COVID-19

Wildlife trafficking is a highly lucrative form of organized crime, with deadly consequences. That's because in addition to threatening ecosystems, it plays a key role in spreading diseases including the novel coronavirus.

Also, around the world, people are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home. But that doesn't mean we can't take the time to connect with nature, says "Last Child in the Woods" author Richard Louv.

And a growing trend to make public transportation free has come to Lawrence, Massachusetts, the first minority-majority city in New England and the first in the state to provide free bus service through a pilot program.

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. . . .