archive

February 12, 2013 Environmentalists, together with the Marine Stewardship Council, say that Day Boat's story reflects the good that the MSC system can do. But critics say the vigorous certification process is inconsistent.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

February 12, 2013 Consumers are increasingly being marketed seafood with labels that are supposed to certify that it's good for the environment. We asked about consumers' seafood eating habits and whether they prefer to buy "sustainably caught" fish.

Summary

February 12, 2013 Some U.S. meat producers add an obscure chemical called ractopamine to the feed that they give to their pigs, cattle or turkeys. But Russian safety officials haven't approved it, and they've stopped U.S. meat imports – worth a half-billion-dollars a year – until those imports are ractopamine-free.

Summary

February 12, 2013 Most fisheries certified by the MSC system have conditions that spell out how they have to change their operations to comply with MSC standards. But they can still be labeled "certified sustainable seafood" even though they have years to comply.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

February 11, 2013 Manure from pig farms doesn't just contain residues of antibiotics used in livestock. It also carries high concentrations of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a new study of Chinese pig farms finds. And researchers say "it's a global problem."

Summary

February 11, 2013 Industry demand for the "sustainable seafood" label, issued by the Marine Stewardship Council, is increasing. But some environmentalists fear fisheries are being certified despite evidence showing that the fish population is in trouble — or when there's not enough information to know the impact on the oceans.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

February 10, 2013 Every few million years or so, the Earth burps up a super volcano that can erupt continuously for thousands of years. A scientist who's mapping the planet's interior has an idea about what causes these super volcanoes and when we might expect another one.

Transcript

On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist

February 8, 2013 WNPROne of the state's biggest public universities is expanding — and so is its demand for water. In a region where water resources are already strained by development and changing weather, the University of Connecticut's plans have sparked controversy and calls for a comprehensive water plan.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

February 7, 2013 When salmon are ready to leave the ocean and go back to their birthplace, they use magnetism to find their home river. But scientists fear fish born in hatcheries might have a poor sense of direction if they're raised in places surrounded by man-made objects that drown out the planet's natural magnetic field.

Summary

February 7, 2013 A team of researchers from the British Antarctic Survey stumbled upon some interesting satellite images in 2009: a trail of penguin poop that showed signs of a huge colony of emperor penguins. A team of researchers finally made it out to visit the 9,000-strong colony last December, marking the first human contact the animals had experienced.

Transcript

On Talk of the NationPlaylist

February 7, 2013 A pristine rainforest in Ecuador sits on top of the equivalent of millions of barrels of oil. Ecuador has offered a deal to the rich countries of the world: Pay us billions of dollars, and we'll leave the rainforest untouched.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

February 6, 2013 A 48-acre area in California that housed more than 200 species of birds was stripped bare by the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the land. The Corps says the clearing was necessary to improve flood control and discourage homeless camps and drug dealing, but some are questioning whether the agency violated rules that protect wetlands and waterfowl.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist