Living on Earth

EPA Updates Signs of Climate Change / Beyond the Headlines / Rescuing the Planet / "Fight Card": Elk at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada / Brood X Emerges! / Cicada Cuisine Brood X is here at last: trillions of cicadas, underground for the last 17 years, are emerging in numerous Eastern and Midwestern states to transform, sing, and mate. Many will become a meal for birds, raccoons, squirrels and more. Also, eating cicadas isn't just for the birds. Insects are rich in proteins and nutrients while having a much smaller carbon footprint than meat. A Brooklyn chef who specializes in insect cuisine cooks up a dish with seasonal spring produce and, of course, cicadas. And climate change is placing stress on plants and animals to rapidly adapt but without intact habitat, that could become impossible for many. Tony Hiss is the author of the book Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth, which looks at several places across North America where communities are already working to protect habitat and biodiversity. Thanks to our sponsors this week: Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia And Nord VPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Youth Activists Win Stronger Climate Action in Germany / French Climate Bill Disappoints Activists / Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Biochar and Irrigation / The Colorado River's Dwindling Water Supply After a trial brought forth by youth climate activists, Germany's highest court recently ruled that present government commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient to protect future needs. Also, humans have undoubtedly altered the environment. We've reversed rivers, introduced invasive species, and even disrupted the climate. In the new book Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Elizabeth Kolbert explores cutting edge and controversial technologies aimed at solving the problems these changes have created. And the Colorado River is parched in a "megadrought," with two key reservoirs expected to drop to record low levels this year and trigger a formal water shortage declaration. Why supply continues to shrink as demand holds steady. Thanks to our sponsor this week: Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fixing America's Water Crises / Beyond the Headlines / Young Climate Activists / Gardening for Abundance and Generosity / Secrets of the Whales In a bipartisan vote the U.S. Senate approves $35 billion to address the public health hazards of lead pipes and overflowing wastewater. Why water infrastructure improvements to protect public health are long overdue and where the money would be spent. Also, as northern springtime advances, gardeners look forward to carefully tending to what's growing in their window boxes, raised beds, and greenhouses. How gardening fosters a spirit of generosity. 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. Thanks to our sponsors this week: The Crazy Town podcast from the Post Carbon Institute And Christiana Figueres' podcast Outrage + Optimism And Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Methane and Swift Climate Action / Senate Votes for Strong Methane Rules / Biden, LOE and Dykstra / Getting Bushmeat Off the Table / "Planet" by Poet Catherine Pierce / Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in An Age of Extinction Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas that doesn't last long in the atmosphere, so reducing it can have almost immediate benefits for the climate. But weak Trump administration standards allowed the oil and gas industry to leak massive amounts of methane. Now the U.S. Senate has voted to return to stronger Obama-era regulation of these leaks, and Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico joins us to discuss. Also, the forests of the Congo Basin are among the most biodiverse in the world, but its wildlife is being threatened by huge demand for bushmeat. A new campaign encourages people to cook traditional recipes with protein alternatives to wild meat. And animals like the American Bison, bald eagle, and giant panda have come dangerously close to extinction thanks to our own species. But thanks to some visionary humans, these animals and others have been saved from that fate and are now recovering. Science writer Michelle Nijhuis shares the stories of some conservation heroes. Thanks to our sponsors this week: The Crazy Town podcast from the Post Carbon Institute And Christiana Figueres' podcast Outrage + Optimism And Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greening the Economy / A Living Earth Called "Gaia" / Ecological Conversion and Solidarity As Living on Earth celebrates 30 years on the air, we share an Earth Day special that examines this decisive moment for the human species and our challenging relationship with our planet. We meet people who envision a future reshaped by an emerging energy system and new power structures, as we wean off of fossil fuels. Next we take a big-picture view of Earth as a complex and sustaining organism known as Gaia. Over billions of years life has interacted with the elements of this planet in cycles of constant change and adaptation. With the help of deep ecologists, children, an astronaut and more, we survey our place on this ever-evolving living planet. And while science and policy are vital in building a more sustainable world, they can't convey the values we need as we strive for ecological harmony. Indigenous stories, holy scriptures, East Asian cosmologies, papal encyclicals and divine revelation all shed light on our duties and relationship to each other and to our common home. Thanks to our sponsors this week: The Crazy Town podcast from the Post Carbon Institute And Christiana Figueres' podcast Outrage + Optimism And Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden's Climate Summit / Beyond the Headlines / "Stooping" Turns Trash to Treasure / When a Gas Plant Moves in Next Door / BirdNote®: The Power Of Albatross Partnerships / Poetry in the Time of Climate Troubles President Biden has invited 40 world leaders to a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate this Earth Day, a key moment in the international effort to address climate change. Also, when people move out or clean up their apartments, many leave discarded items on the stoop or curb for others to claim before it goes to the landfill. The Instagram page Stooping In Queens helps connect this free stuff with new owners. And poet Catherine Pierce grapples with unfolding climate disaster and other 21st century perils, and the ways they reframe parenting. She shares poems from her books Danger Days and The Tornado Is the World, and reflects on finding beauty and calls to action during the Anthropocene. Thanks to our sponsors this week: Giving Multiplier And Christiana Figueres' podcast Outrage + Optimism And Democracy in Danger, a podcast from the University of Virginia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exploring the Parks: Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve / Why I Wear Jordans in the Great Outdoors / Exploring the Parks: Cactus and Snow in the Desert Sky Islands / Spring Awakening / A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration Some stereotypes about who can be "outdoorsy" can leave people of color out, but a pair of beloved Air Jordan "Bred" 11 sneakers is helping one environmental educator encourage young American people of color to feel that they belong in the outdoors. Also, Arizona's Sky Islands are home to heat and cactus, but also many species that you're more likely to find far north of the desert Southwest - and even considerable snow. And a veteran field guide author discusses the incredible phenomenon that happens every spring and fall, as a journey of thousands of miles begins with a single wing flap. Thanks to our sponsors this week: Giving Multiplier And Christiana Figueres' podcast Outrage + Optimism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden Boosts Offshore Wind / The Ocean as Solution, Not Victim / Restoring Life in the Oceans / Beyond the Headlines / Tips for the Casual Gardener Enric Sala's love for the ocean drew him into a career in marine biology. But as he studied damaged marine environments, he began to feel he was writing the "obituary of the ocean." Now he advocates for marine protected areas that support ocean biodiversity and bring big economic benefits. Also, President Biden recently announced a plan to dramatically expand offshore wind power along the East Coast, with 30 gigawatts along the U.S. coasts by 2030, backed up by billions in federal loan guarantees. How this key part of Biden's infrastructure plan may especially help New York City meet its clean energy demands. Also, spring is the perfect time to start gardening -- and growing your favorite fresh produce doesn't have to feel like a chore! Tips for the casual gardener and more. Thanks to our sponsor: Giving Multiplier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damaged Amazon Adds to Global Warming / Belo Monte Dam Disrupts Amazon Floodplain Balance / Horse of a Different Color / Beyond the Headlines / Prehistoric Magnetic Flip Shook Up Life on Earth / Not Just Maple Syrup: Birch, Beech and Other Sappy Trees The first broad study of all greenhouse gases in the Amazon rainforest reveals that the damaged ecosystem is now a net contributor to climate change, due mostly to warming and other human activities like logging, dam-building, and cattle ranching. Also, Earth's magnetic poles wander around and flip every now and then, and now scientists have evidence for how these flips impact life on Earth. Linking a magnetic pole reversal about 41,000 years ago to megafauna extinctions, climatic changes, and even a rise in ancient cave art. And it's maple syrup season, but these aren't the only sappy trees that can be tapped to make syrup. A trip to a syrup producer in New Hampshire to taste syrups made from birch, beech, walnut, and other trees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madam Secretary Haaland / One in Five Deaths from Fossil Fuels / Note on Emerging Science: Oldest DNA Ever Sequenced / Families Sickened by Fracking / Beyond the Headlines / Carbon Bomb Fridges Ultrafine particulate matter produced from fossil fuel combustion is known to cause numerous health issues. A recent study finds that this pollution is responsible for one in five deaths worldwide, or about 350,000 excess deaths in the U.S. every year. Also, the fracking boom transformed rural towns from idyllic to industrial and is threatening the physical and mental health of many inhabitants. The stories of families whose lives have been completely upended by fracking. And when climate reporter Phil McKenna needed a new fridge, he tried to steer clear of any appliance that would use super-potent greenhouse gases to cool his groceries. But he ended up with a "carbon bomb" containing a greenhouse gas thousands of times more potent than CO2. Why industry has made it so hard to find climate-friendly appliances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices