Living on Earth

Defending Public Lands / Beyond the Headlines / Ocean Warming Speeding Up / Youth Activists Call for a Minnesota Green New Deal / Brazil's President Targets Amazon / An Amazon Tribe Turns to Modern Technology to Save Their Trees In this episode we hear how protections for the Amazon Rainforest and its indigenous peoples are being weakened by Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro.

And new data shows the Earth's oceans are warming much more rapidly than previously reported. That means rising sea levels, stronger storms, and more intense droughts.

Also, youth activists in Minnesota aren't waiting for a national Green New Deal. They're working with the state government on moving the state away from fossil fuels, while creating clean energy jobs and other sustainable economic growth.

The push for a Green New Deal in Minnesota and more, next time on Living on Earth from PRI.

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Capitol Hill Panel on Climate Crisis / Beyond The Headlines / Lead in Newark's Water / 'Forest Bathing' for Health / The Conservation Costs of Shutdowns Florida Democrat Kathy Castor tells Living on Earth that the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis she's chairing will press for climate change to be taken into account for all House legislation.

Concerns abound about the impacts of government shutdowns on national parks and forests. Examples range from the National Mall to Joshua Tree, where the lack of services can mean trash cans overflow and visitors off-road in sensitive areas.

Also, a Japanese practice known as "forest bathing" encourages spending time in nature for health benefits - and studies show spending time amongst the trees may in fact be good for human health.

Join us for a walk in the woods and more, in this week's Living on Earth from PRI.

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A Greener U.S. Congress / Kerala's Ambitious Organic Pledge / Pesticide Peril in Paradise Democrats now hold a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in nearly a decade. Under Speaker Nancy Pelosi the House leadership now recognizes the science of climate change and has created a new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Also, locals call the lush tropical Indian state of Kerala "God's own country". But food there is laden with chemicals and cancer rates are rising. So the government has called for all organic food by 2020, and residents are pitching in with their own organic gardens on roof tops and terraces.

That's in this week's installment of Living on Earth from PRI.

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Rebuilding Puerto Rico's Battered Farms / "Pa'lante": Puerto Rican Resilience After Maria / Volunteers Test Drinking Water in Puerto Rico / Repairing Puerto Rico's Corals Puerto Ricans continue to rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which killed thousands and wiped out basic services.

Now a new and more resilient Puerto Rico is emerging: from a nascent local food movement, to citizen scientists testing water for safety, to Puerto Ricans restoring their island's coral reefs.

How Puerto Ricans are forging ahead with a spirit of resilience and preparing for future hurricanes, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI.

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Christmas Candles / Mary's New Year's Eve / Superbowl Sundae / A Green Message for the Next Generation / A Mainer's Family Traditions At this coldest, darkest time of year, draw near the fire and the radio, join with family and friends, and savor the warmth and joy of good company, good food, and good stories.

It's Living on Earth's story telling special - with some joyous tales, environmental insights and musical surprises.

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Rules To Save The Climate / Beyond The Headlines / Climate Action Off Track / Most Republicans Believe In Climate Change / Creating The Earth And Moon UPDATE: Rules for reporting climate protection progress were adopted at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, as almost all 190-plus countries in the climate treaty called for stronger international commitments on climate action. But the United States joined a faction promoting global warming coal.

Also, while nearly 80% of Americans believe that the planet's climate is changing, only a third believe immediate action is necessary.

And a novel theory for how the moon was formed sheds light on earth's origin.

From Paris to Katowice to the Moon and back, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI.

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Meet Deb Haaland, Native American Congresswoman / Beyond The Headlines / The Environmental Voting Gap / The Right To Repair / Is Shopping In A Store Greener Than Buying Online? / Green Gifts For The Holiday Season / Smeagull The Seagull: A True Story New Mexico's 1st Congressional District is sending Deb Haaland to Capitol Hill in January. A Democrat, she's one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress and campaigned on climate change and other environmental issues.

Also, some 20 million registered voters in the U.S. list the environment as one of their top two priorities. The largest fraction of these "super-environmentalists" are young people, African Americans and Hispanics, but they tend to vote at lower rates than the rest of the population.

And the tradition of exchanging gifts at the holidays often ends up creating a lot of needless consumption and environmental harm. But greener ways to show loved ones that you care abound, and the Living on Earth team is here to share their "green gift" ideas.

That and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI.

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Trump Climate Change Report / Saving The Sumatran Rhino / Climate Dangers of Palm Oil / BirdNote®: Long-Lived Wisdom, The Albatross / Beyond The Headlines / New England's Stone Walls The latest National Climate Assessment brings the most serious warning yet about present and future climate impacts in the U.S. But the Trump Administration is downplaying the findings of its own agencies as it continues to pursue rollbacks of climate protection regulations.

Also, with fewer than 80 Sumatran Rhinos left in the wild, a new captive breeding program is hoping to learn from the mistakes of past attempts to bolster the species' numbers.

They've plummeted in large part because of habitat loss, as a booming palm oil industry in Indonesia rapidly converts tropical forest into vast monocultures. And the destruction of these tropical peatlands is also causing a sharp uptick in carbon emissions.

The climate consequences of palm oil and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI.

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Keystone XL Blocked Again / Beyond The Headlines / Emerging Science Note: Coral Reefs Wrecked By Rising Seas / Fighting Climate Change, Naturally / Let The Leaves Be And Feed The Birds / BirdNote®: How Much Do Birds Eat? / Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land In a major setback for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, a federal judge has halted the project, citing poor environmental reviews.

Also, it turns out that a lazy fall yard-work ethic can help feed hungry native birds, which feed on the insects that thrive in leaf litter.

And meet the farmers who are working to cultivate justice and root out racism, by reconnecting people of color to the earth. Liberation on the land and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI.

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The Climate For Wildfires / Beyond The Headlines / Beyond Gas For Cooking / A Tasty Vegan Thanksgiving / Rewilding The English Countryside Fueled in part by climate change, California's 2018 wildfire season is the most deadly on record. And mega-fires are becoming increasingly common in California and elsewhere.

Also, a vegan Thanksgiving feast may not have turkey or gravy, but meat and dairy substitutes and some creativity in the kitchen can make for a delicious meal all the same.

And a gas pipeline disaster becomes an opportunity to highlight induction cooking technology as a more efficient alternative to cooking with gas.

All that and more, in this installment of Living on Earth from PRI

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