Living on Earth

Living on Earth

Keep your finger on the pulse of the issues affecting the planet we call home.

Old growth Douglas fir trees stand along the Salmon river Trail on the Mt. Hood National Forest

1 in 6 trees in the US threatened with extinction

A recent study concludes that 1 in 6 US tree species are at risk of extinction, largely due to pests and disease.

1 in 6 trees in the US threatened with extinction
City view at McCulloh apartments at Druid Hill Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, June 2019.

Rental housing stock in the US faces huge challenges adapting to climate change

Rental housing stock in the US faces huge challenges adapting to climate change
The Thwaites Glacier is one of the hardest places in Antarctica to access, and scientists have only recently been able to go there to study it.

The melting and collapse of Thwaites Glacier could affect sea levels for years to come

The melting and collapse of Thwaites Glacier could affect sea levels for years to come
The trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange

Proposed SEC rule would require companies to disclose risks from climate change

Proposed SEC rule would require companies to disclose risks from climate change
A boy plays in a fountain to cool off as temperatures approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, July 18, 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri. 

A warming climate leads to more pediatric ER visits, study shows

A warming climate leads to more pediatric ER visits, study shows
The Castillo de San Marcos, one of the major heritage sites in St. Augustine, Florida,

Rising sea levels along Florida's coast threaten to damage valuable archeological sites

Flooding caused by climate change is threatening to destroy historic resources along the Florida coast, leaving archeologists scrambling to learn as much as possible before they’re lost.

Rising sea levels along Florida's coast threaten to damage valuable archeological sites
A natural gas power plant of RWE AG in Lingen, Germany

Can heat pumps help bring peace to Ukraine?

The horrors of Russia’s war in Ukraine are funded in large part by the fossil fuels it sells to the world. Climate activist and writer Bill McKibben says the US should rapidly manufacture electric heat pumps and send them to European homes as a way to permanently weaken Vladimir Putin’s oil-and gas-fueled war machine — and fight climate change, too.

Can heat pumps help bring peace to Ukraine?
An aerial view of Fairbourne village in Gwynedd in Wales, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021.

Climate change may be the leading driver of tomorrow's refugee crisis

If climate change continues on its current trajectory, over 200 million climate refugees could be displaced worldwide by the year 2050.

Climate change may be the leading driver of tomorrow's refugee crisis
Plumes of smoke rise in the vicinity of Lake Steffen caused by a wildfire, near Rio Villegas, Argentina, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021.

Fire and climate change are altering Patagonia’s ecosystems

Wildfires have been raging in Patagonia, on the tip of South America, where until recently fires were rare — an unwelcome sign of things to come, scientists say.

Fire and climate change are altering Patagonia’s ecosystems
Jennifer Lawrence attends the world premiere of "Don't Look Up" at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in New York.

'Don’t Look Up' exposes the absurdity — and consequences — of climate change denial

“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay’s latest feature film, uses humor and the metaphor of an impending, Earth-obliterating comet to satirize the ideological denial of climate change.

'Don’t Look Up' exposes the absurdity — and consequences — of climate change denial
Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, center, arrives for a great chanting ceremony at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on March 16, 2007.

'Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet'

A new book teaches that the Zen Buddhist practice of mindfulness can help us break out of a destructive cycle of consumption and live in harmony with the planet.

'Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet'
Workers prepare to replace older water pipes with a new copper one in Newark, New Jersey, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021.

Scientists link childhood lead exposure to adult mental health problems

Lead contamination in drinking water can have serious impacts on growing brains, including cognitive issues in the short term and mental illnesses years after the exposure ends.

Scientists link childhood lead exposure to adult mental health problems
The Shell Norco refinery in Norco, Louisiana, Thursday, March 8, 2018.

A new interactive map can help assess carcinogenic emissions risk

The nonprofit investigative newsroom ProPublica recently created an interactive map that highlights the EPA’s failure to account for cumulative cancer risk for Americans who live near several industrial facilities.

A new interactive map can help assess carcinogenic emissions risk
E.O. Wilson in his office at Harvard University

Remembering naturalist E.O. Wilson

We remember E.O. Wilson, one of the world’s leading naturalists who died on Dec. 26, 2021. “I like to call it, ‘one Earth, one experiment,'" he once said. "We’ve only got one shot at this. Let's be careful.”

Remembering naturalist E.O. Wilson
Ecologist Tom Lovejoy is being remembered for his decades of research and bringing people together to protect the Amazon rainforest and other ecosystems on the planet.

Remembering Tom Lovejoy, champion of biodiversity and the Amazon

Tom Lovejoy, along with his colleague EO Wilson, shaped humanity’s understanding of biodiversity and the importance of keeping vital ecosystems intact.

Remembering Tom Lovejoy, champion of biodiversity and the Amazon