Ashley Ahearn

Scientists dig into booming coal exports and their effects on wetlands

Living on Earth

October 17, 2014

While the US is using less coal than we have in the past, we plan to export more coal to Asia. That means transporting it by trains, as we’ve done for decades. But there’s very little research on the effects coal has on the environment when it escapes from coal hoppers bumping along the rails.

Worried about radioactive 'Fukushima' fish in the US? Don't be, scientists say

January 20, 2014

Nearly three years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, many consumers in the US remain concerned about radiation in fish from the Pacific Ocean. One Seattle fisherman finally got his fish tested, and found what many scientists have also found: there's nothing to worry about.

Environmentalists and coal interests fight it out in a small Washington State election

October 28, 2013

With national policy on climate and energy in political gridlock, the opponents are fighting in local and state trenches. That's why money is pouring into a small county north of Seattle, where there's a debate over a shipping terminal that would send coal to Asia.

Oil Train Concerns in the Pacific Northwest

Living on Earth

July 19, 2013

Plans are underway to build several port terminals in the Pacific Northwest that would transfer North Dakota oil from trains onto ships bound for West Coast refineries, but the recent oil train disaster in Quebec may put the brakes on the proposed projects.

Another Coal Port Bites The Dust

Living on Earth

May 10, 2013

Developers are trying to build port facilities in the Pacific Northwest to ship Powder Ridge Basin coal to Asia, but half of the proposed projects have been canceled. Most recently, Kinder Morgan dumped its plans to build a facility at the Port of St. Helen’s on the Columbia River in Oregon.

Voices of Coal

Living on Earth

March 15, 2013

In order to market coal to Asia, the western US coal industry wants to build export facilities in Oregon and Washington. The planned ports have divided local communities. EarthFix, a public radio collaborative based out of Washington State, has been following the debate with their project, Voices of Coal.

Road Salt Report

Living on Earth

March 08, 2013

Every year the nation uses more than 20 million tons of salt to clear snow and ice from winter roads. While it may make the roads safer, scientists say salt may have the opposite effect on drinking water and wildlife. Living on Earth’s Ashley Ahearn reports.

A Look Back at the Birth of the Clean Water Act

Living on Earth

December 28, 2012

When rivers were on fire and fish were washing up dead by the thousands Americans came together to demand "swimmable" "fishable" waterways for all. 1972 marks the creation of the Act that changed the way water pollution is managed in America.

Plan to ship Wyoming coal to Asia runs into opposition from Northwest greens

September 12, 2012

With coal use falling fast in the US but still growing in Asia, western coal producers are pitching a plan to build five big new coal export terminals in Washington and Oregon, but opponents warn of big new environmental risks.

Skin Color and Vitamin D

Living on Earth

August 31, 2012

Dark-skinned African Americans are twice as likely to be vitamin-D deficient as white Americans, and that may have major health repercussions.

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Dial-A-Fish

Living on Earth

July 25, 2008

When you're in the supermarket or ordering fish at a restaurant, ever have trouble remembering which species has high mercury, which is overfished, and which is the most sustainable? Now, a new text messaging service can tell you everything you need to know, whether one fish, two fish, red fish or blue fish.

Manure magic

Living on Earth

July 04, 2008

Dealing with large amounts of manure on industrial livestock farms has never been easy, environmentally sustainable, or profitable, but that's starting to change. Living on Earth reports on a growing industry that capitalizes on the power poop.

Obama's Pledge

Living on Earth

November 21, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama says when he takes office the United States will take strong action to combat climate change. Living on Earth's Ashley Ahearn reports that leaders and legislators have praised Obama for this promise.

Turning Toward the Sun

Living on Earth

November 11, 2005

An increasing number of homeowners are finding that solar heating makes economic sense, if they can afford the installation costs.

Smoke Gets in Your Lungs

Living on Earth

February 03, 2006

California becomes the first in the nation to declare secondhand tobacco smoke a toxic air pollutant.

Got Organic?

Living on Earth

February 17, 2006

The organic market is getting bigger, raising fears among some in the industry that the ethical farming commitment has been traded for market competition.

Redefining a Region

Living on Earth

March 31, 2006

The nation's largest landowner has new plans for close to a million acres surrounding Moosehead Lake in Maine's North Woods.

Out to Sea

Living on Earth

May 12, 2006

With various bills pending to renew the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act, Living on Earth tests the waters in the Northeast.

Stemming Red Tide

Living on Earth

June 09, 2006

The red tide algae that wreaked havoc on the shellfish industry last year has a predator of its own, and scientists in Woods Hole are studying a certain parasite with an appetite for red tide.

Dioxane on the Defensive

Living on Earth

February 16, 2007

A study highlights the amounts of a "probable" carcinogen in bath time bubbles.

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