Science, Tech & Environment
Living on Earth
September 23, 2014
Hurricane Katrina was bad, but the future could be considerably worse, a new report says. "One of the greatest environmental and economic disasters in the nation's history is rushing toward a catastrophic conclusion, so far unabated and largely unnoticed."
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Science, Tech & Environment
Five years later, the Gulf of Mexico is still recovering from Deepwater Horizon
Living on Earth
April 19, 2015
Things are getting better as oil and toxins from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill dissipate in the Gulf of Mexico — but slowly. Scientists researching the area say no one can be sure when the "pervasive" chemicals will finally disappear.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Louisiana's much-needed plan to save its wetlands is short almost $50 billion
Living on Earth
January 04, 2015
Louisiana’s rapidly sinking deltas threaten crucial oil, gas and fishing industries. Louisiana has an ambitious, expensive and first-of-its-kind plan to rebuild the region — but right now no one is willing to pay for it. What would be the cost of failure?
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Science, Tech & Environment
Louisiana's coastline is disappearing at the rate of a football field an hour
Living on Earth
September 23, 2014
Hurricane Katrina was bad, but the future could be considerably worse, a new report says. "One of the greatest environmental and economic disasters in the nation's history is rushing toward a catastrophic conclusion, so far unabated and largely unnoticed."
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Business, Economics and Jobs
A mystery oil tanker is anchored in limbo outside of Houston
PRI's The World
August 05, 2014
An oil tanker sitting 60 miles off the coast of Texas holds $100 million worth of crude oil. But for now, no one knows who's allowed to sell it, who the buyer is or even where the oil will eventually go.
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Science, Tech & Environment
The 'Texas miracle' is fueling huge economic growth — and the climate change that may end it
PRI's The World
December 03, 2014
Texas is the biggest climate polluter in the U.S. It’s also is also extremely vulnerable to some of the impacts of climate change. But the state’s most prominent politicians say they don't believe that climate change is real. It all adds up to a big problem for Texas and the rest of us.
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Mexicans near border rely on Texas media for news on drug violence
PRI's The World
August 29, 2012
The drug war in Mexico has turned local journalism there into a potentially deadly career choice. Powerful cartels often threaten or kill hometown journalists who dare to report on the latest violence. But an innovative system for getting information out quickly -- and safely -- has recently emerged.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Divers discover 50,000-year-old cypress trees on Gulf of Mexico floor
Living on Earth
July 19, 2013
Off the coast of Alabama is an underwater forest of cypress that are more than 50,000 years old. They were discovered by a fisherman, who passed along the scene to a diver buddy and environmentalists who's working to get them preserved before loggers can haul them up and destroy the scene.
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Science, Tech & Environment
For more accurate weather forecasts, follow the fish
NOVA Next
October 01, 2013
A pair of researchers in Florida developed a startling hypothesis over a round of golf: Tracking fish could tell us more about meteorological patterns around the world. Two years later, that hypothesis is bearing out, with great impacts for science.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Oil-chewing bacteria may be the future for quickly cleaning toxic oil spills
Living on Earth
April 13, 2014
Oil spills are ecological disasters. Whether it’s the oil itself or the dispersants used to break up the slick, spills wreak environmental havoc on marine life, shore life and human life. But hydrocarbon-chewing microbes could reduce the havoc and the danger.
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Science, Tech & Environment
Impact of oil spill on US energy policy
PRI's The World
May 03, 2010
The Obama administration bans oil drilling in new areas off the U.S. coast while the cause of the oil spill off Louisiana is investigated.