Episodios

  • Environment and Rule of Law Under Trump, Sea of Grass and the Disappearing Prairie, An Indigenous Bison Harvest and more.

    Environment and Rule of Law Under Trump, Sea of Grass and the Disappearing Prairie, An Indigenous Bison Harvest and more.
    Jan 9 2026
    In its first year, the second Trump Administration slashed environmental regulations and programs, overstepping its executive authority in the eyes of some environmental advocates. But the judicial and legislative branches appear unable or unwilling to provide a check on what legal expert Pat Parenteau sees is abusive executive power threatening the health of people and planet. Also, the American prairie is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, but today just one percent of eastern tallgrass prairie remains, and western shortgrass prairie is disappearing at a rate of more than a million acres a year. The author of Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie joins us to discuss. And efforts to bring back bison that once roamed those plains are helping to revive Indigenous culture on lands across the US West, including in the city of Denver. --- If you’re not yet signed up for the Living on Earth newsletter, the start of the new year is a great time to join! Don’t miss out on our weekly exclusive content and notes behind the stories you hear on Living on Earth. Just go to loe.org/newsletter to get started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    53 m
  • A City on Mars and the Perils of Settling Space; and Out-of-this-World Discoveries from 2025

    A City on Mars and the Perils of Settling Space; and Out-of-this-World Discoveries from 2025
    Jan 2 2026
    As a new space race heats up, private companies and sovereign nations alike have their sights on setting up permanent human settlements in space – but huge technological, medical and legal challenges remain. Kelly and Zach Weinersmith join us to talk about their book A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? And 2025 brought some exciting extraterrestrial scientific discoveries, including new evidence about the Martian environment and the possibility of past life on Mars, the discovery of important building blocks of life in samples from the asteroid Bennu, and observations of the third interstellar object that’s been documented in our solar system. --- If you’re not yet signed up for the Living on Earth newsletter, the start of the new year is a great time to join! Don’t miss out on our weekly exclusive content and notes behind the stories you hear on Living on Earth. Just go to loe.org/newsletter to get started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    52 m
  • The Earth Is Our Home For the Holidays and Always

    The Earth Is Our Home For the Holidays and Always
    Dec 26 2025
    At this coldest, darkest time of year, draw near the fire and the radio, join with family and friends, and savor the warmth and joy of good company, good food, and good stories. Master storyteller Jay O’Callahan shares some tales, including one about his community’s tradition of Christmas caroling and how it brought hope to his mother in a time of darkness and for Christmases to come. Also, Tem Blessed, an environmentally and socially-conscious hip-hop artist, discusses how contemporary music can communicate the importance of the environment and sustainability to young audiences. And Denny Breau, a singer/songwriter from Maine, joins us during these cold winter months to discuss some of the moments that warm his heart. He shares stories about one of his favorite holiday meals, ice-fishing, his Acadian family origins, and traditions of song that span the generations. Happy holidays from all of us at Living on Earth! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    52 m
  • Winter Solstice Stories and Songs

    Winter Solstice Stories and Songs
    Dec 19 2025
    In many cultures, stories passed down through the generations explain how the world got to be the way it is. The Haudenosaunee people of Northeastern North America have a story about how the star cluster known as the Pleiades came to be, told by Perry Ground, Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee. Also, a Cherokee myth, told here by storyteller Diane Edgecomb, explains why pines, spruces and firs stay green year-round. She joins us to talk about the value of bringing old stories alive for people -- what she calls “living myth” – and how stories have accumulated around this time of year, the winter Solstice, when in the Northern Hemisphere the Sun stands still on the horizon for three short days and three long nights. And Diane Edgecomb performs the Greek myth “Ceyx and Alcyone” about the origin of Halcyon birds, also known as kingfishers, which the ancients noticed would appear during the “Halcyon Days” when the seas became calm, around the time of the winter Solstice. She also shares how stories can help illuminate why we take part in old traditions at this time of year such as putting up lights, decorating evergreens, and hanging mistletoe. Happy holidays from all of us at Living on Earth! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    52 m
  • Bill McKibben on Abundant Solar and the Waning Power of Fossil Fuels, and more.

    Bill McKibben on Abundant Solar and the Waning Power of Fossil Fuels, and more.
    Dec 12 2025
    Climate activist Bill McKibben, who authored The End of Nature nearly 40 years ago, is back with Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization. He joins us for a wide-ranging discussion on the stunning growth of renewable energy from the sun and wind, led in part by China, even as the fossil fuel industry digs in. Living on Earth’s Explorer-in-Residence, Mark Seth Lender provides a refuge for hungry ducks during hunting season. He also observed something remarkable: these “dabbling” ducks have learned to dive for the seed he offers them. And as a preview for next week’s Winter Solstice storytelling special, we feature a traditional “Wassail Song” with storyteller Diane Edgecomb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    52 m
  • AI Power Demand and the Climate, MAHA and MAGA Divide Over Pesticides, and Robin Wall Kimmerer on The Serviceberry.

    AI Power Demand and the Climate, MAHA and MAGA Divide Over Pesticides, and Robin Wall Kimmerer on The Serviceberry.
    Dec 5 2025
    Artificial intelligence or AI’s huge appetite for power is reviving demand for older and dirtier fossil fuel energy. We talk about the massive data centers that power AI, community pushback, and how AI seems to be putting vital climate targets out of reach. Also, the Make America Healthy Again or MAHA movement has pinpointed some health concerns backed up by credible research, including concerns about pesticides such as the probable carcinogen glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. But after agribusiness lobbying the Trump Administration erased pesticides from its MAHA Commission report. And Braiding Sweetgrass author Robin Wall Kimmerer is also the author of a 2024 book that continues her explorations of gift economies. She shares insights from The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World and how gift economies can offer an alternative to overconsumption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    52 m
  • Bonus: Sy Montgomery on "The Chicken Universe", Earth Heat for Cozy Homes, and Hiking on Wheels

    Bonus: Sy Montgomery on "The Chicken Universe", Earth Heat for Cozy Homes, and Hiking on Wheels
    Dec 2 2025
    This Giving Tuesday, we've put together some favorite stories into a special bonus episode! Please enjoy, and don't forget to head to loe.org and click on Donate at the top of the page. Thank you so much for helping Living on Earth keep going strong. In this bonus episode you'll hear: Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery has trekked across the world to write about pink dolphins in the Amazon and tigers in Asia. But for her book, What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird, she stayed right in her own New Hampshire backyard. Sy joins us to talk about the social intelligence of chickens, how to handle a feisty rooster and much more. Also, using the Earth’s heat as an anchor for heat pumps yields virtually carbon-free energy. Surface geothermal energy drills down 500 meters or less and taps into the relatively constant temperature of the close to-the-surface earth, which sits around 55 degrees. The process is more efficient than air-coupled heat pumps, providing new hope for combatting the climate crisis. And physical disabilities can make getting outside more challenging, but adaptive devices and accessible trails can transform lives. Producer El Wilson, who has cerebral palsy, and producer Jenni Doering test an offroad wheelchair and meet a woman who has been able to reclaim the joy and freedom of hiking since becoming disabled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    42 m
  • Wildfire Threats and Resilience

    Wildfire Threats and Resilience
    Nov 28 2025
    Wildfire smoke is fouling air quality across the US with increasing regularity, and it carries a heavy toll. A September 2025 study published in the journal Nature found that every year around 40,000 Americans are dying from wildfire smoke, with more on the way as the planet warms. Air filters, face masks and low-intensity prescribed burning can help protect the public from this growing threat. Also, around a third of the firefighters who battle wildfires in California are incarcerated, and until recently they were paid just $5 to $10 a day. Under a state law enacted in October 2025, incarcerated firefighters are now paid at least $7.25 per hour while actively fighting fires. And around the world, Indigenous people have been using fire on the landscape for thousands of years. One such practice comes from the Métis tradition in Western Canada. A Cree-Métis scientist shares with us how this low-intensity “good fire” helps rekindle cultural traditions and cultivate healthier ecosystems. --- Do you have a story of recovery or rethinking your relationship with wildfire you’d like to share? Record and send us a voice memo at comments@loe.org, and we might feature your story on Living on Earth. To find out how, check out this week’s Living on Earth newsletter. Just go to the Newsletter tab at loe.org and click on “View previous newsletters.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    52 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_DT_webcro_1694_expandible_banner_T1