Living on Earth

In Ottawa the solution to a long commute is a slick one, don your skates and glide to work. For two and a half months of the year, a canal in the Canadian capital becomes one of the world's largest skating rinks, complete with on-ice cafes that serve up sizzling, hot beaver tails. Bob Carty has our story in this reporter's notebook. (published March 29, 2013)

President to Order Agencies To Consider the Climate / Shareholder Resolutions and the Carbon Bubble / Murders of Eco Activists on the Rise / Creating Tulips / Bald Eagles on the Connecticut River / Tornado Storm Kings! / Whales at Home in the Caribbean

President Obama is expected to direct government agencies to consider the effects on climate change before they approve new projects. Vermont Law Professor Pat Parenteau tells host Steve Curwood that authority for the directive comes from the Nixon era law, National Environmental Policy Act. (published March 22, 2013)

As climate change spurs calls for carbon taxes and emission limits, some experts argue that fossil fuel companies are overvalued. Corporate accountability group "As You Sow" president Danielle Fugere (FOO-jare) tells host Steve Curwood how shareholder resolutions could force fossil fuel companies to disclose their plans for a carbon-regulated future. (published March 22, 2013)

As natural resources around the world grow scarce, environmental activists in countries like Brazil, Cambodia and the Philippines face increasing threats. UK journalist Fred Pearce joins host Steve Curwood to discuss how this past year may have been the worst ever for violence against environmentalists. (published March 22, 2013)

The tulip, the iconic spring flower of Holland, comes in all shapes and colors. On his quest for One Species at a Time, reporter Ari Daniel Shapiro visits a Dutch geneticist trying to unravel the tulip’s complicated genome. (published March 22, 2013)

The Connecticut River is one place Bald Eagles gather to catch fish, but as writer Mark Seth Lender observed, they sometimes find other prey. (published March 22, 2013)

The vast majority of tornadoes touch down on the Great Plains of North America, tornado alley. Like many Midwesterners, Lee Sandlin has been fascinated by tornadoes since childhood. He joins host Steve Curwood to discuss his new book 'Storm Kings: the Untold History of America’s First Storm Chasers.' (published March 22, 2013)

In the spring, humpback whales begin their annual migration north to the cold, food-rich waters of the North Atlantic. But they spend the winter enjoying the warm waters of the Dominican Republic. Living on Earth’s Bobby Bascomb reports. (published March 22, 2013)

India’s Coal Killing Thousands / Voices of Coal / The Deep Carbon Observatory / Land Rising / GMO Food Labeling / Monarch Migration / Endangered Species Gain More Protection / BirdNote © Sage Grouse

India is developing rapidly, and much of that growth is fueled by one of the dirtiest energy sources, coal. With even more coal plants planned, a new study shows that pollution from coal-fired power plants is killing up to 115,000 Indians every year. Report editor Ashish Fernades joins host Steve Curwood to discuss the state of coal in India. (published March 15, 2013)

The US coal industry wants to build facilities in the Pacific Northwest to export their product to Asia. The planned ports have divided local communities. Ashley Ahearn, of the public radio collaborative EarthFix, tells host Steve Curwood about the debate and the EarthFix project, Voices of Coal. (published March 15, 2013)

Researchers at the Deep Carbon Observatory are probing the biosphere deep underground, which could give a clue to the origin of life on Earth. DCO Executive Director Robert Hazen tells host Steve Curwood about the exploration of the diverse and abundant forms of carbon below the surface. (published March 15, 2013)

Sea levels are rising around the world, swamping coastal areas as the climate changes and ice cover shrinks. Yet in some parts of Scandinavia the land is rising even faster than the sea, at least for now. From Finland, Rae Ellen Bichell reports. (published March 15, 2013)

From 2018 Whole Foods Market will require labeling for all genetically modified ingredients on products sold in its stores. Whole Foods’ Margaret Wittenberg tells host Steve Curwood that the grocery chain wants to give customers full information to make their own decisions. (published March 15, 2013)

Each spring, millions of Monarch butterflies migrate from Mexico north to the US. New research suggests that temperature plays a large role in signaling the butterflies to get moving. University of Massachusetts Medical School professor, Steven Reppert, tells host Steve Curwood that in the future, climate change could disrupt monarch migration. (published March 15, 2013)

The triennial conference of CITES, the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species recently met in Bangkok, Thailand. From the Center for Biological Diversity's Sarah Uhlemann tells host Steve Curwood that several species of sharks received unprecedented protection but the international community declined to give more protection for the polar bear. (published March 15, 2013)

In spring, male Greater Sage-Grouse go to traditional areas, called leks and compete to lure females to mate with elaborate and noisy displays. But as Michael Stein reports, the birds are endangered. (published March 15, 2013)

The Team to Tackle Climate / Fracking on Amish Land / Keystone XL Pipeline Report / Canadian Government Gag Order for Scientists? / Road Salt Report / The Hazards of Plastic Waste / The Cardinal's Growing Range

President Obama announces three nominations for his Green Team and roster of climate change fighters. Mindy Lubber, former EPA administrator and president of CERES, and Adam Kolton, Director of Advocacy at the National Wildlife Federation, join host Steve Curwood to discuss the picks. (published March 8, 2013)

Amish communities live a simple life, and mostly shun modern technology. But in Carroll County, Ohio, many Amish farms sit on top of rich gas shale beds, and most Amish there welcome fracking, and its rewards. Reid Frazier reports. (published March 8, 2013)

The State Department recently released a new environmental impact assessment of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The assessment argued that the project would not significantly affect the development of the Canadian Tar Sands, nor would it have great overall environmental impact. Steve Kretzmann of Oil Change International tells host Steve Curwood the report is misleading. (published March 8, 2013)

Canada's Harper Administration is allegedly restricting what environmental information government scientists can share with journalists, according to academics and media watchdogs. Host Steve Curwood learns more from Tyler Sommers, coordinator of Democracy Watch. (published March 8, 2013)

Every year, the nation uses more than 20 million tons of salt to clear snow and ice from winter roads. While it may make the roads safer, scientists say salt may have the opposite effect on drinking water and wildlife. Ashley Ahearn reports. (published March 8, 2013)

In a recent piece in Nature, a group of scientists called for reclassifying plastic as a hazardous waste. This would give environmental agencies more tools and funding to clean up plastic in ecosystems around the world. One of the authors, Chelsea Rochman, an marine ecologist at the University of California at Davis, tells host Steve Curwood about the dangerous pollutants inside many plastic produ...