Living on Earth

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

Warming Planet Slows Ocean Currents / Beyond the Headlines / 30x30 To Save Species / Protecting Badger-Two Medicine And The Grand Canyon / Regenerative Farming for Soil Health / Regenerative Farming In Action The climates of North America and Europe depend on tropical heat circulated by massive system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean. But research shows that climate change is slowing this thermal conveyor belt, which is currently the weakest it has been in at least a thousand years. Also, President Joe Biden has set an official goal of protecting 30% of US land and ocean for conservation by 2030 to help avert species extinction and fight climate change. We take a look at two conservation campaigns that are being led by Native American tribes: Badger-Two Medicine in Montana and part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. And regenerative agriculture practices that store carbon in the soil are a "win-win-win" for farmers, the economy and the environment, say advocates. Advocates claim widespread adoption of no-till, cover cropping, and other practices could perhaps store as much carbon as the global transportation sector emits every year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radioactive Water Dilemma at Fukushima / The New Climate War / Hard Times for Ginseng Farmers / Beyond the Headlines / Nature and the Beat Despite rising global temperatures and an increase in climate disruption-related natural disasters, climate denial still runs rampant. Renowned climate scientist Michael Mann's latest book describes how fossil fuel companies have spent decades deflecting blame and responsibility in order to delay action on climate change. Also, ten years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, Japanese authorities are planning to release some of the contaminated cooling water into the Pacific Ocean. What the release of this water means for marine and human health. And consumers in China and the U.S. prize American ginseng, most of which is grown in just one Wisconsin county, as a health food and traditional medicine. But demand has dried up in the midst of America's ongoing trade war with China, economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian rhetoric, and farmers are struggling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Power For The People In Texas / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Wild Bees a Boost to Crops / A Civilian Climate Corps / Searching for Life on Mars The coldest air to visit Texas in a decade killed dozens, crippled the state's power grid and revealed the risks of extreme deregulation. How America's electric power system has grown more unstable in recent decades. Also, Washington Governor Jay Inslee shares a vision for a climate corps that could aid conservation, combat climate disaster, and save energy while harnessing the energy of youth volunteers in America. And after a spaceflight of over 200 days, NASA's Perseverance rover has landed safely on Mars. Perseverance is the first in a series of missions with the goal of finding signs of ancient life on the red planet, with hopes of returning samples to Earth by the 2030s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India Climate Activist Jailed / Beyond the Headlines / A New Leader for USDA / The Butterfly Effect: Insects and the Making of the Modern World Amid ongoing massive farmer protests, the Indian government is cracking down on activists including Disha Ravi, the young climate activist who founded Fridays for Future - India. How climate activism connects with the Indian farmer protests, and the government's attempts to silence activists and journalists. Also, President Biden's pick for Secretary of Agriculture is Tom Vilsack, who would be reprising the role after his 8 years in the Obama administration. "Vilsack II" is showing signs that since then he's become more supportive of food assistance programs and reforming historically racist programs at USDA. And insects far outnumber us on this planet, and they've shaped the course of human history. A conversation with the author of "The Butterfly Effect: Insects and the Making of the Modern World" on this legacy and the critical need to preserve insect biodiversity for future generations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices