Living on Earth

The Pandemic And American Hunger / Beyond The Headlines / Ghanaian Climate Leader Wins Goldman Prize / Troubles For Science Research In The Pandemic / The Road To Darwin / Migrations: A Powerful Novel About A World Losing Life / BirdNote®: What In The World Is A Hoopoe? The 2020 novel Migrations is set in a future world where polar bears, chimpanzees and wolves are extinct, though not all is lost. For the novel's protagonist, this mass extinction is personal, sparking her perilous journey to follow what might be the very last migration of the Arctic Tern from pole to pole. Also, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the perilous economic state of many households in America, with one in four U.S. households experiencing food insecurity in 2020 despite an abundance of food overall. And we talk with a Ghanaian environmental activist whose grassroots youth campaign helped stop a coal plant that would have threatened a coastal fishing community and the climate. He's a recipient of the 2020 "Green Nobel", the Goldman Environmental Prize. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Climate & Georgia Senate Showdown / Mustering Georgia's Environmental Voters / Beyond the Headlines / Making the Pill from Yams to Fish / The Dark / Note on Emerging Science: Sea Otters Protect Alaskan Reefs / Planetary Health The 2020 Presidential election had a historic turnout, especially with voters under age 30 and voters of color, who are more likely than others voters to list climate or the environment as their top priority when casting ballots. We look at how turnout among these voters might influence Georgia's run-off elections in January. Also, a new book drills down on the intersection of environmental change and human health. Why saving the planet can also save human lives. And most formulas for the birth control pill use the synthetic hormones progestin and estrogen, derived from crude oil and even plants such as yams. Once these hormones make their way through a human body and into wastewater systems, they can affect fish and other animals in the environment. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Biden Can Keep It in the Ground / Beyond the Headlines / Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch / Native American Traditions of Giving Thanks / Sustainable Thanksgiving Fare from the Sea How President-elect Joe Biden can "keep it in the ground" by halting or reducing fossil fuel extraction on federal lands for a new climate protection agenda. Also, oysters can be eaten in many ways beyond the half-shell, and when farmed correctly they help nourish local economies and ecosystems. Celebrity chef Barton Seaver whips up some oyster stuffing for Thanksgiving. And the pawpaw, which is the largest edible fruit native to the U.S., ripens in the late fall, after many of the better-known local fruits like apples. Tips for growing pawpaw trees and enjoying their fruits. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate and the Biden Transition / Beyond the Headlines / Lead in Hunted Meat / Midtown Coyote / Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings How the Biden transition team can best plan to fight climate disruption after four years of policy disruption while in incoming Administration also prepares to address the crises of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy, and equal justice. Also, millions of American families who eat game could get lead poisoning from the bullets that killed the animal. Patrons of some food banks are also at risk as hunters also donate some 2 million pounds of venison and other hunted meat to food banks across the U.S. each year, with no inspection in some states that detect lead contamination. And the author of "Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings" joins us to talk about how tree rings hold clues to the ancient climate on Earth, and human history too. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden, Republicans and the Climate / Green Questions on the 2020 Ballot / Beyond the Headlines / Ice Hockey COVID Outbreaks / Tales of Two Planets: Stories of Climate Change and Inequality In A Divided World Some Republicans see opportunity for bipartisanship with a Democratic president, especially on the climate. How climate solutions can find support on both sides of the aisle if Congress remains divided amid a Biden presidency. Also, advice about getting through the Northern winter safely during the coronavirus pandemic. And a new anthology collects poems, short stories, essays, and reportage about the relationship between social inequality and the climate emergency. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arctic Sea Ice Overdue / Beyond the Headlines / All We Can Save / How Wildfires Benefit Wildlife / Remembering Mario Molina / Fall Gardening Tips An influential new collection of essays seeks to elevate women's voices in the climate movement and makes a strong case that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to addressing the climate crisis. Also, after record heat in the far north this summer, Arctic sea ice is unusually late to re-form this year. What this delay could mean for the Arctic ecosystem, volatile weather, and the climate system. And when the COVID-19 pandemic began, people found themselves stuck at home, and many turned to gardening as a way to pass the time. Tips from a gardening expert about how to continue this new hobby into the fall and winter months. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environmental Justice Debated / Climate and Senate Races in North Carolina and Georgia / Rapid Ice Melt and Rising Seas / Overcoming Climate Anxiety / Beyond the Headlines / Hiking in 6-Inch Heels The final presidential debate and US Senate races in North Carolina and Georgia underscore the growing climate concerns of voters. The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are melting at alarming rates thanks to climate change, and will continue to do so for decades even if the Paris Climate Agreement goals are met. Why their melting necessitates both climate mitigation and adaptation to protect vulnerable coasts. Also, climate disruption is causing deep anxiety, especially for the young people organizing to address it. A new book called A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety lays out strategies for addressing climate-fueled anxieties and moving beyond them to help Gen Z activists envision a resilient future. And a queer environmental activist finds his calling and breaks down barriers with an alter-ego drag queen named "Pattie Gonia". Hiking in 6-inch heels and more, next time on Living on Earth from PRX. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prairie Senate Races Show Climate Divide / Beyond the Headlines / Note on Emerging Science: Puffins Use Tools / China Leads on Climate / California's Electric Vehicle Future / EPA Devalues Science To Downplay Chemical Risk / BirdNote®: October Migrants / Urban Farming During COVID Studies show that children exposed in utero to the pesticide chlorpyrifos suffer brain damage. But in a new risk assessment the EPA is claiming that data is "inconclusive" because it protects the identities of study participants. Also, China takes the lead on climate as President Xi pledges that his nation will peak its carbon emissions before 2030 and hit net zero emissions by 2060, without revealing how it plans to reach those goals. Also, as the prairie states experience increasingly destructive weather linked to climate change, the Senate races in Iowa and Kansas reflect a sharp divide between the Democratic and Republican candidates' talk on climate change. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judge Barrett and Environmental Law / Vice Presidential Debate on Climate / The Environment in Western Senate Races / Climate Change Disrupts Major Transportation Corridor / Beyond the Headlines / Enduring Against Seemingly Impossible Odds Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is a textualist who tends to interpret the law narrowly, meaning that if she is confirmed, she would generally rule against innovative environmental advocacy legislation. Also, Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris clashed on the debate stage over fracking, the Green New Deal, and whether climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. And in 1914, British explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men set sail for Antarctica. Disaster struck when their ship the "Endurance" became trapped in pack ice and later broke up, yet optimism and sheer perseverance carried all 28 men through what seemed impossible odds. How Shackleton used emotional intelligence to keep his crew going through and how we can all harness an optimistic mindset to carry us through difficult times. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maine Senate Race and the Environment / BirdNote®: Swallows on Wires / Climate on Chaotic Debate Stage / John Kerry Cochairs Biden Climate Plan / Black Lung and COVID-19 / Scylla and Charybdis on the Zambezi River / Beavers Return to England One of the key races in the 2020 elections is for the US Senate in Maine, where the environment is consistently rated as a priority issue for voters. Incumbent Senator Susan Collins is known for having a strong environmental record compared to her Republican colleagues, but many environmental groups focused on the campaign for a more environmentally-friendly Democratic majority in the Senate have switched their support to Democratic challenger Sara Gideon. Also, Democratic nominee for President Joe Biden is offering a $2 trillion climate plan as part of his "Build Back Better" economic recovery agenda. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, one of the plan's architects, discusses how it connects climate action to public health protection and economic recovery. And UK officials have confirmed that a five-year beaver reintroduction pilot in England was a success, so the first beavers to live in England for centuries will be allowed to stay and keep building biodiversity back in their local riverscape. Those stories and more in this episode of Living on Earth from PRX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices