Living on Earth

The Congo Basin is home to one of the largest peatlands in the world and a massive repository of carbon dioxide. Locals have been sustainably hunting and fishing in the area for generations, but the threat of new development has scientists concerned. Also, in honor of Black History Month, we bring agronomist and humanitarian George Washington Carver back from the past to talk about his famous peanut recipes as well as the intersections between race and agricultural development in the United States.And the United Nations Environment Assembly meets in Nairobi, Kenya to begin drafting a treaty addressing the global crisis of plastic pollution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Black History month: Black Americans rose up from sugarcane slavery and built thriving communities along the lower Mississippi River, only to have the petrochemical industry move in and pollute the air, land, and water in what’s been dubbed Cancer Alley. An environmental justice champion shares her memories of what her home of St. James Parish was like before industry turned it toxic and talks about the ongoing struggle to protect its residents.Also, nearly 1 million environmentalists voted in the 2020 presidential election but didn’t show for the 2018 midterms. Why these so-called environmental drop-off voters could be decisive in the 2022 midterms if they show up at the polls.And amid the restrictions and stresses of COVID, throngs of visitors seeking the solace of nature at many of our national parks threaten to overwhelm the chronically underfunded and understaffed park system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The blocked Build Back Better budget bill contains half a trillion dollars of renewable energy and climate resiliency investments. So House Democrats now aim to include them in a revised budget reconciliation bill that can get all Senate Democrats on board.Also, when someone takes a bite of a hamburger or tofu or has a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, it’s hard to know if those foods added to the destruction of tropical forests that are so key for biodiversity and climate stability. So as part of the European Union’s Green New Deal the EU is moving to ban the importation of six key agricultural products from any newly deforested areas.And beavers are moving north in search of new habitat as the Arctic rapidly warms. These big rodents known as “ecosystem engineers” are bringing big changes to the Arctic landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A federal Judge revokes the largest offshore oil and gas lease sale in U.S. history by the Biden Administration, citing environmental concerns. What the legal battle says about how seriously the White House is taking its promises to phase out fossil fuels.Also, China and the International Olympic Committee say there are many sustainable aspects of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. But critics point to the environmental degradation caused by the creation of an alpine ski resort in an arid region, on the site of a nature reserve. And as Earth warms due to climate change, suitable places to host winter sports are disappearing around the globe.Thanks to our sponsor this week:INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfires have been raging in South America’s Patagonia, where until recently fires were rare. But invasive species and heat, drought, and dry thunderstorms connected to climate change are altering the natural fire regime.Also, children and adolescents are facing increasing health risks from extreme heat, and a new study looked at heat and pediatric emergency department visits and found that black and brown children are especially impacted.And the hit Netflix movie “Don’t Look Up” uses humor and the metaphor of an impending, Earth-obliterating comet to satirize climate denial, the political obstacles to climate action and the false promises of future technological fixes.Thanks to our sponsor this week:INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When President Biden took office a year ago, he laid out bold goals to halt federal oil and gas drilling, reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and rectify environmental injustices. We’ll look at where progress has been made on these initiatives and where it’s lacking.Also, the world’s largest financial institutions have formed an alliance to tackle climate change as pressure mounts to steer capital away from fossil fuels and towards ventures that can put the world on a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. And climate change in the form of things like wildfires, floods, and droughts can have devastating effects on mental health, and therapists are taking note. They are finding creative ways to tackle climate anxiety, often through community action and healing.Thanks to our sponsor this week:INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A conversation about how the Zen Buddhist practice of mindfulness can help us break out of a destructive cycle of consumption and live in harmony with the planet.Also, lead contamination in drinking water can have serious impacts on growing brains and even contribute to mental illnesses years down the road.And millions of Americans are breathing carcinogenic air pollution emitted from refineries and chemical plants, but EPA has failed to account for the cumulative cancer risk for people who live near several industrial facilities.Thanks to our sponsors this week:INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit https://inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.And Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two leading naturalists who pioneered the field of conservation biology passed away at the end of December 2021. A look back on E.O. Wilson’s big idea to save half of the Earth for nature, and Tom Lovejoy’s gift for bringing people together to protect the planet.Also, the wildfire that torched around a thousand homes in the suburbs of Boulder, Colorado in late December highlights the growing risk of wildfires to many neighborhoods year-round. As many as 60 million homes in America are within a mile of a wildfire zone, and we’ll discuss what residents can do to reduce their risk.And scientists find that polar bears use tools to hunt formidable walruses as access to other food sources for the bears declines in a warming Arctic.Thanks this week to our sponsor Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From one woman’s dream of swimming with marine iguanas, to uncommon encounters with common rabbits, to a Native American tale of how the dog came to be our loyal companion, and much more, this Living on Earth holiday storytelling special features stories of how other species on this Earth touch human lives. “Wildly Magical: Stories of Animal Encounters”, a storytelling special from PRX.Thanks this week to our sponsor Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/ Thanks also to sponsor TenTree. Learn more at https://www.tentree.com/ and use the code EARTH to get 15% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Native American myths and tales help us endure or even enjoy the short days and long nights of winter. Living on Earth’s annual celebration of stories helps connect people with the natural world, and includes an Iroquois explanation of why the constellation Pleiades twinkles overhead and an Abenaki custom that asks forgiveness for any wrongs of the previous year. Seasonal stories and more, in this holiday special from Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices