Living on Earth

Wildfires have been raging in South America’s Patagonia, where until recently fires were rare. But invasive species and heat, drought, and dry thunderstorms connected to climate change are altering the natural fire regime.Also, children and adolescents are facing increasing health risks from extreme heat, and a new study looked at heat and pediatric emergency department visits and found that black and brown children are especially impacted.And the hit Netflix movie “Don’t Look Up” uses humor and the metaphor of an impending, Earth-obliterating comet to satirize climate denial, the political obstacles to climate action and the false promises of future technological fixes.Thanks to our sponsor this week:INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When President Biden took office a year ago, he laid out bold goals to halt federal oil and gas drilling, reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and rectify environmental injustices. We’ll look at where progress has been made on these initiatives and where it’s lacking.Also, the world’s largest financial institutions have formed an alliance to tackle climate change as pressure mounts to steer capital away from fossil fuels and towards ventures that can put the world on a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. And climate change in the form of things like wildfires, floods, and droughts can have devastating effects on mental health, and therapists are taking note. They are finding creative ways to tackle climate anxiety, often through community action and healing.Thanks to our sponsor this week:INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit Inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A conversation about how the Zen Buddhist practice of mindfulness can help us break out of a destructive cycle of consumption and live in harmony with the planet.Also, lead contamination in drinking water can have serious impacts on growing brains and even contribute to mental illnesses years down the road.And millions of Americans are breathing carcinogenic air pollution emitted from refineries and chemical plants, but EPA has failed to account for the cumulative cancer risk for people who live near several industrial facilities.Thanks to our sponsors this week:INKL: curated, ad-free news from the world’s best sources. Visit https://inkl.com/earth for 25% off your first year.And Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two leading naturalists who pioneered the field of conservation biology passed away at the end of December 2021. A look back on E.O. Wilson’s big idea to save half of the Earth for nature, and Tom Lovejoy’s gift for bringing people together to protect the planet.Also, the wildfire that torched around a thousand homes in the suburbs of Boulder, Colorado in late December highlights the growing risk of wildfires to many neighborhoods year-round. As many as 60 million homes in America are within a mile of a wildfire zone, and we’ll discuss what residents can do to reduce their risk.And scientists find that polar bears use tools to hunt formidable walruses as access to other food sources for the bears declines in a warming Arctic.Thanks this week to our sponsor Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From one woman’s dream of swimming with marine iguanas, to uncommon encounters with common rabbits, to a Native American tale of how the dog came to be our loyal companion, and much more, this Living on Earth holiday storytelling special features stories of how other species on this Earth touch human lives. “Wildly Magical: Stories of Animal Encounters”, a storytelling special from PRX.Thanks this week to our sponsor Climate Talks, a new podcast from Meta. Learn more: https://sustainability.fb.com/blog/2021/10/29/introducing-climate-talks/ Thanks also to sponsor TenTree. Learn more at https://www.tentree.com/ and use the code EARTH to get 15% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Native American myths and tales help us endure or even enjoy the short days and long nights of winter. Living on Earth’s annual celebration of stories helps connect people with the natural world, and includes an Iroquois explanation of why the constellation Pleiades twinkles overhead and an Abenaki custom that asks forgiveness for any wrongs of the previous year. Seasonal stories and more, in this holiday special from Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Underwater explorer Craig Foster dives nearly every day in the near-shore waters of South Africa and it’s here that he befriended an octopus, a relationship captured in the documentary “My Octopus Teacher.” He’s coauthor of the 2021 book “Underwater Wild” and joined us for a recent Living on Earth Book Club event to talk about his encounters with cuttlefish, sharks, and Cape clawless otters, and the power of connecting with wild nature.Also, as the autism rate continues to rise among children, scientists and clinicians are connecting the dots between autism, genetics, folic acid deficiency, and chemicals like the endocrine disrupting plastic additives called phthalates.And in their last trip beyond the headlines of the year, Peter Dykstra and Steve Curwood remember environmentally influential people who passed away during 2021. They also talk about an opportunity for Maysfield, Kentucky when the town rebuilds following horrific tornado damage. And the two wonder why the Biden Administration does not make more of the fact that their plans for electric vehicle investments are designed in part to protect consumers from volatile gas prices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Americans prepare to travel and gather in the end-of-year holiday season, many may be questioning how to do so safely in this era of the pandemic. We’ll talk about the best practices for keeping safe during this time of year.Also, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide, and endocrine disrupting chemicals are partly to blame. One such chemical is DEHP, a phthalate chemical commonly used in plastic hospital intravenous bags and medical tubing, and a recent study finds that it’s interfering with breast cancer treatment and augmenting the odds of relapse.And the video game industry is taking its turn to help fight against climate change by cutting emissions and embedding environmental messages in games. A look at an eco-conscious video game.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Air pollution causes serious damage to our bodies, sometimes resulting in premature death, and it’s also messing with our minds. Depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder are among the mental health problems that researchers have linked to air pollution.Also, a groundbreaking meta-study correlates exposures to plastics containing phthalates with a wide variety of diseases including mental health problems as well as obesity and diabetes.And plastic is wreaking havoc on the health of the planet, too, especially in the oceans. Now a group of YouTube influencers calling themselves “Team Seas” are working together to raise $30 million to try to collect 30 million pounds of trash from the world’s oceans.Join the next Living on Earth Book Club event on December 9th at 6:30 p.m.! We'll be speaking with diver-filmmaker Craig Foster about his book Underwater Wild, which captures the underwater world of wonder seen in the Academy Award-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher.” Register at loe.org/events Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Reign of Wolf 21” is the true love story of an alpha pair who lead their Yellowstone pack with grace, courage, and an unbreakable bond. What these wolves can teach us about love, loyalty, and leadership.Also, our global food system feeds environmental crises like global warming and water pollution even as it fails to adequately feed billions of people worldwide. So in the 50th anniversary edition of “Diet for a Small Planet,” author Frances Moore Lappé renews her calls for a plant- and planet-centered food revolution for the sake of climate, health, and democracy.And in some Native cultures four more crops join the “Three Sisters” of corn, beans, and squash. The “Seven Sisters” and the importance of saving Native seeds. Join the next Living on Earth Book Club event on December 9th at 6:30 p.m.! We'll be speaking with diver-filmmaker Craig Foster about his book Underwater Wild, which captures the underwater world of wonder seen in the Academy Award-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher.” Register at loe.org/events Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices