Living on Earth

As a slew of extreme weather events hits the headlines, the evidence mounts we are headed for dangerous thresholds of climate disruption beyond the reach of adaptation to cope. Why sea level rise could be counted in the dozens of feet by 2100, and how an unchecked climate emergency imperils human civilization.Also, the Biden Administration has now rolled out details of its environmental justice plan called Justice40, which aims to share at least 40% of benefits from federal climate and infrastructure spending with disadvantaged communities.And Charlotte McConaghy, the author of last year’s best-selling novel Migrations, talks about her newest book Once There Were Wolves. It’s a mysterious tale of a woman-led team working to re-introduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands, the people who confront them and the deadly toll of domestic abuse.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New research confirms that the damaged Amazon rainforest is now a net contributor to climate change overall, and parts of the Amazon are showing signs of nearing a crucial “tipping point”.But there is hope for protecting the forest: Indigenous people have taken care of these forests for millennia, and now with the help of a nonprofit they’re using GPS data to take a stand against illegal deforestation.Also, many of us are fixated on the now, and in fact much of the environmental damage we are causing is an outcome of seeking short-term rewards at the cost of long-term sustainability. But the author of the book “Deep Time Reckoning” is on a mission to get us to think far beyond. He profiles safety experts in Finland working on how to prudently store nuclear power waste, which can be radioactive for millions of years.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past four decades, sperm counts have dropped by more than 50% in the US, and female fertility is also declining. Some chemicals that disrupt hormones are key culprits, including those found in plastics, cosmetics and fracking solutions. Why this looming fertility crisis hits vulnerable communities especially hard.Also, a recent study finds the toxic class of chemicals called PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”, is widespread in lipstick, mascara, and other cosmetics. The ugly truth about your beauty products.And worried about the environmental degradation caused by increasing plastic pollution in her home country of Malawi, Gloria Majiga-Kamoto organized a grassroots movement to fight the plastic industry and to support a national ban on thin single-use plastic. She’s been recognized with a 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent data show the Earth’s oceans are warming much more rapidly than previously reported. That means rising sea levels, stronger storms, and more intense droughts.Also, fertilizer runoff can create massive algae blooms in water that suck up oxygen and create dead zones for most other forms of life. The Chesapeake Bay is particularly vulnerable but restaurants in Pittsburgh are pitching in to help.And a documentary miniseries seeks to unravel the secrets of whale behavior and understand whale cultures of orcas, humpbacks, narwhals, belugas, and sperm whales. “Secrets of the Whales” and more, this week on Living on Earth.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roughly 1.3 million species have been identified and recorded, but that’s just a fraction of life on our planet. A recent advancement known as DNA barcoding samples small but key parts of genomes to ID species.Also, the U.S. is extremely divided in many ways, from politics to race to wealth. But for a model of unity, we might look to the African concept of Ubuntu as a way to heal the many broken relationships in America.And insects far outnumber us on this planet, and they’ve shaped the course of human history. Stories about the ancient relationship between human society and insects, and the critical need to preserve insect biodiversity for future generations.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Activists are ramping up actions against the Line 3 pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil through delicate wetlands and the treaty territory of the Anishinaabe peoples in northern Minnesota.And while that oil would be coming from Canada, President Biden is hoping he can use his executive power to pause oil and gas leasing on U.S. public lands and waters like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But this is being challenged in the courts.Also, increasingly the oil and gas we extract from the ground is being turned into plastic that litters the oceans to the tune of 8 million metric tons every year. Much of that waste is take-away packaging, and a recent study found that only 20 companies are responsible for most of this waste. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juneteenth and African Foodways / One in Five Deaths from Fossil Fuels / Redlined Real Estate and Extreme Urban Heat / Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors / Farming While Black: A Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land June 19th marks the holiday known as Juneteenth, when African Americans gather to celebrate emancipation of ancestors from slavery with picnics and cook outs. The voyage from Africa isn't often on people's minds, but it is in their stomachs, by way of the foodways from across the Atlantic. Fast-forward to today, to the farmers who are working to cultivate justice, root out racism, and find liberation on the land, by reconnecting people of color to the earth. And systemic racism has set Black Americans up for far greater exposure to deadly air pollution, and extreme heat brought by climate change. Both environmental concerns have been primarily caused and exacerbated by white Americans, yet it's Black communities that bear the brunt of the harm. Dismantling racism, celebrating Juneteenth, and more, this week on Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Golden State Going Greener / Beyond the Headlines / The First All-Electric Ford Pickup / The EV RX / Backup: African Elephant and Chacma Baboon / Running Buffalo Clover / Roadsides as Vital Habitat California has often led the nation in environmental ambition, and now that his state finds itself with a big budget surplus Governor Gavin Newsom wants to invest 14 billion of it in climate initiatives, with a focus on vulnerable communities. We catch up with Jared Blumenfeld, California Secretary for Environmental Protection and the host of the podcast, Podship Earth, about California's climate ambitions. Also, electric vehicles like Ford's new F-150 Lightning are not only good for the environment, new research suggests that EVs are also better for our health. And some 17 million acres of green space line US highways and byways. It's vital habitat for pollinators, as well as small animals and birds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corruption In Brazilian Government / The G7 Gears Up to Talk Climate / Climate Activists Take Board Seats at Exxon / Beyond the Headlines / One Step Further: The Story of Katherine Johnson Brazil's environment minister and nine other government officials face allegations of corruption, including profiting from illegal deforestation in the Amazon. But despite public criticism, the Brazilian government continues to endanger the environment. Also, climate activists take three seats on ExxonMobil's board of directors, in the hopes of convincing the company that continuing to deny climate change hurts the "triple bottom line": people, planet, and profit. And from the Living on Earth Book Club: the story of NASA "hidden figure" mathematician, Katherine Johnson, and how she became one of the most critical contributors in the Space Race despite the racism she faced, as told by her daughter Katherine Moore. Thanks to our sponsors this week: Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia Christiana Figueres' podcast Outrage + Optimism And Nord VPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate and Infrastructure / Beyond the Headlines / Youth Climate Plaintiffs Try Again / Audio Postcard: Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica / "Animal, Vegetable Junk" President Joe Biden's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure bill presents a rare opportunity to pass climate legislation through Congress. But it won't be easy and will require lots of political maneuvering. Also, back in 2015 a group of young people sued the United States for failing to protect the climate and therefore their rights to a livable future, but the case was eventually dismissed. Now the youth plaintiffs have gone back to a lower court and this time the judge has ordered mediation with the Biden Justice Dept. Meanwhile young people recently won a similar case in Germany. And from the Living on Earth Book Club: columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman's new book traces the origins of our industrial agricultural system and how we can strive for a better and healthier future with food. Thanks to our sponsors this week: Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia And Christiana Figueres' podcast Outrage + Optimism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices