Category: Environment

Despite extreme weather and surging activism, 2019 saw political paralysis on climate

01.02.20.

By almost any measure, 2019 was a year of especially sobering news on climate change, with grim warnings about what could happen in the future along with extreme weather events occurring now. The year also saw a global protest movement, initiated by young people, arise to try to tackle the problem. But as PBS NewsHour…
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Revisiting the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, with MyRadar

11.15.19.

Science journalist Miles O’Brien teamed up with homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem and meteorologist Leslie Hudson to travel to the Bahamas after the devastation of Hurricane Dorian. For the weather app MyRadar, the team investigated how and why Dorian wreaked intense damage to the island nation–and how the Bahamanians are recovering and planning for the…
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After Dorian, Bahamas’ path to recovery is obscured by uncertainty

10.10.19.

More than five weeks since Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, the complexities of the storm and the recovery are in some ways just beginning to reveal themselves. But scientists also say the long game for the Bahamas is very uncertain, just as the certainty grows linking climate change and a greater frequency of strong hurricanes.…
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What rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine mean for the state’s lobster industry

09.19.19.

The Gulf of Maine is known for lobsters, which form the foundation of an industry critical to the state’s economy. Due to climate change, the waters off southern New England have become too warm for the temperature-sensitive crustaceans, leaving Maine as the “sweet spot” for fishing them. But the Gulf’s own rising temperatures mean the…
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The danger of coal ash, the toxic dust the fossil fuel leaves behind

08.15.19.

Coal ash is a particularly dangerous byproduct of our dependence on fossil fuels. In communities that have dealt with coal ash spills, the incidents sparked concerns about toxins potentially seeping into water. Utilities have been pushed to adopt tougher safety standards — but activists say the companies are resisting rules necessary for public health. PBS…
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Artists harness the power of fire and ice to shape attitudes on climate change

05.16.19.

There’s no shortage of powerful images and video when it comes to natural disasters like wildfires and melting glaciers. But a pair of artists are now using those images in new ways, as part of their mission to warn people about climate change and its devastating impact on familiar landscapes. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles…
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