Trump Sues State Climate Action, Climate Wayfinding with Katharine Wilkinson, “Depaving” the Way to Greener Neighborhoods and more.
At the direction of President Trump the U.S. Department of Justice has sued four states -- Vermont, New York, Hawaii, and Michigan -- that are trying to recover some climate costs from major fossil fuel companies through climate superfund laws and litigation. The DOJ cases are seen by some as frivolous extensions of the other actions the Trump administration has taken to aid the fossil fuel industry.
Also, a project called Climate Wayfinding aims to tend to the deepest needs of climate activists by providing a space for reflection, connection, and clarity amid the chaos. Climate Wayfinding has its roots in the All We Can Save project, co-founded by Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, who shares her own story of moving from feeling lost to gaining clarity about her role in the climate movement.
And "depaving parties" of volunteers with sledgehammers are turning paved yards into pollinator havens and green space. That can help reduce climate impacts from extreme heat and flooding.
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52:11
Air Gets Worse, NOAA Climate Science Cuts, Parrot Brains and Our Own and more.
The latest “State of the Air” report by the American Lung Association finds that nearly half of people living in the U.S. breathe unhealthy levels of air pollution. Soot and smog are on the rise in part because climate change is bringing more wildfires and ozone-forming conditions.
Also, a key climate modeling program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA is slated for near-elimination, according to a draft White House memo. That could have consequences for weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, agriculture, military operations and more.
Plus - parakeets have astounding vocal abilities and are able to mimic as many as 1700 human words. And their brains may provide insight into how we humans talk. In a recent study, researchers found human-like neural activity during vocalization. They hope this research may help shed light on communication disorders in humans such as autism.
***Join us on Zoom Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. Eastern for
the next Living on Earth Book Club event! Catherine Coleman Flowers, author of Holy
Ground, will talk with Host Steve Curwood about activism, environmental
justice, and finding hope.
Learn more and register at loe.org/events.***
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52:11
Pope Francis and the Climate, Fighting PFAS, and “Evening” Poem by Dorianne Laux.
As the world remembers the legacy of Pope Francis we return to his groundbreaking writings on climate and environment that called for a fundamental shift in our economic system, and a rethinking of our relationship with God's creation: the natural world.
Also, a 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize recipient was repeatedly told there was nothing to worry about when it came to PFAS “forever chemicals” linked to illnesses in her community. But she did not back down, and her persistence paid off.
And as Poetry Month ends, we turn to poet Dorianne Laux, whose latest collection is titled Life on Earth. Her poem “Evening” from a few years ago simultaneously expresses her grief at her recent loss of her mother and the waning of the whole biosphere in the face of climate disruption.
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52:18
Earth Day Celebration, The Health Toll of L.A. Oil Wells, Fighting Climate Change with Geothermal and more
Living on Earth is celebrating 55 years of Earth Day with a solution-based broadcast. Grammy nominated singer and Earth Day ambassador Antonique Smith uses the art of storytelling and music to promote environmental justice and climate action in communities of faith and color.
Nalleli Cobo is a young activist who was awarded the 2022 Goldman Prize for North America after fighting an oil company whose wells were making her community sick.
Also, how shallow geothermal energy networks are presenting signs of hope for the climate crisis.
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52:12
Trump Attacks State Climate Laws, Eco Rollbacks Under Trump, Air Pollution Mixes and Public Health, Shrinking Clouds and more
President Trump has issued an executive order that directs the U.S. attorney general to identify and block state laws that deal with climate change, environmental justice, and carbon emissions.
A study from Johns Hopkins researchers found that residents near or on the fence line of polluting enterprises are at higher risk for multiple health problems because of the toxic mix of air they breathe. The lead researcher explains the study.
In terms of physics, global warming comes down to an energy imbalance as Earth is taking in more energy than it is releasing. An atmospheric scientist explains how a shrinking cloud cover is contributing to climate change.
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As the planet we call home faces a climate emergency, Living on Earth is your go-to source for the latest coverage of climate change, ecology, and human health. Hosted by Steve Curwood and brought to you by PRX.
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