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Goats and Soda

STORIES OF LIFE IN A CHANGING WORLD

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Thursday June 28, 2018

China Has Refused To Recycle The West's Plastics. What Now?

A worker sorts plastic bottles at a recycling center in China. Jie Zhao/Corbis via Getty Images hide caption

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Jie Zhao/Corbis via Getty Images

China Has Refused To Recycle The West's Plastics. What Now?

June 28, 2018 • So where will all those bottles and bags end up? A new study looks at what's happening.

Monday June 11, 2018

Why Are Some of Africa's Biggest Baobab Trees Dying Off?

Baobab trees along a dirt road called the Avenue of the Baobabs in Morondava, Madagascar. Panoramic Images/Getty Images hide caption

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Panoramic Images/Getty Images

Why Are Some of Africa's Biggest Baobab Trees Dying Off?

June 11, 2018 • A new survey of baobab trees in Africa finds that many of the oldest have died or significantly deteriorated in the last decade. Scientists say climate change and human intervention could be culprits.

Thursday May 31, 2018

The U.N. Goal That Doesn't Get A Lot Of Respect

A Somali fisherman carries a fish to the market near the port in Mogadishu. One of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals calls for the world to "conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development." Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP/Getty Images

Environment

The U.N. Goal That Doesn't Get A Lot Of Respect

May 31, 2018 • Leaders in developing countries were asked to rank the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. One particular goal was typically at the bottom of their priority list.

Wednesday March 21, 2018

March 21 Is The Busiest Day On The U.N. Calendar

Malaka Gharib/NPR

History

March 21 Is The Busiest Day On The U.N. Calendar

March 21, 2018 • There are five — count 'em — five special events, from World Poetry Day to International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Saturday March 3, 2018

The Unbelievable Crocodile Problem In Mozambique

Portrait of a Nile crocodile. Matthijs Kuijpers/Getty Images hide caption

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Matthijs Kuijpers/Getty Images

Environment

The Unbelievable Crocodile Problem In Mozambique

March 3, 2018 • How did the country become a hotbed of croc attacks? The answers, found in the new book "Go Tell The Crocodiles," help explain why the country is mired in dysfunction and poverty.

Wednesday January 24, 2018

Is There A Ticking Time Bomb Under The Arctic?

The Permafrost Tunnel Research Facility, dug in the mid-1960s, allows scientists a three-dimensional look at frozen ground. Kate Ramsayer/NASA hide caption

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Kate Ramsayer/NASA

History

Is There A Ticking Time Bomb Under The Arctic?

January 24, 2018 • Just what exactly is permafrost? And what is happening now that it's warming up? To find out, we enter the Arctic Circle's secret world of ice and frozen history.

Is There A Ticking Time Bomb Under The Arctic?

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Saturday December 16, 2017

PHOTOS: Animals That Could Disappear Because Of Us

The Philippine eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi faces extinction from mining, pollution and poaching. Photographer Tim Flach used black backgrounds to create intimate portraits for his book. Tim Flach hide caption

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Tim Flach

Environment

PHOTOS: Animals That Could Disappear Because Of Us

December 16, 2017 • And the well-being of humans could suffer if the species go extinct. The images are from the new book Endangered by Tim Flach.

Thursday October 19, 2017

Report: Pollution Kills 3 Times More than AIDS, TB And Malaria Combined

A woman wears a mask and filter as she walks to work during heavy pollution in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Health

Report: Pollution Kills 3 Times More than AIDS, TB And Malaria Combined

October 19, 2017 • Researchers looked at the combined effects of air, water and soil pollution on global health to come up with an annual toll.

Thursday August 31, 2017

Why Some Muslims In Pakistan Won't Be Able To Buy A Goat This Year

Ghulam Siddique, a goat herder from Pakistan's Sindh province, has been forced to increase the price of his goats to offset the rising cost of the animals' feed. Amar Guriro for NPR hide caption

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Amar Guriro for NPR

Environment

Why Some Muslims In Pakistan Won't Be Able To Buy A Goat This Year

August 31, 2017 • Buying a sacrificial goat for the Muslim holiday of Eid l-Adha is the sign of a strong household. But harsh droughts in the Karachi area are making it hard for families to afford one.

Saturday August 26, 2017

What's Making These Dogs In Mumbai Turn Blue?

One of the stray dogs that turned blue hangs out on a street in the Taloja industrial zone in Mumbai. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP/Getty Images

Environment

What's Making These Dogs In Mumbai Turn Blue?

August 26, 2017 • Five dogs with this unusual hue were found in an industrial area of Mumbai. The hunt for its cause revealed a much bigger problem.

Sunday August 13, 2017

People In Nepal Used To Think Vultures Were Bad Luck. Not Anymore

A Himalayan griffon vulture perches in the mountains. Nepal is home to nine species of vulture, four of which are critically endangered. Mary Plage/Getty Images hide caption

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Mary Plage/Getty Images

Environment

People In Nepal Used To Think Vultures Were Bad Luck. Not Anymore

August 13, 2017 • The number of vultures in South Asia has plummeted. But "restaurants" to feed rescued chicks and wild vultures are good for the birds — and for the local economy.

Thursday July 20, 2017

Is It A Good Idea To Pay Villagers Not To Chop Down Trees?

A Ugandan baboon sits in a farmer's jackfruit tree. Megan Kearns/Courtesy of Innovations for Poverty Action hide caption

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Megan Kearns/Courtesy of Innovations for Poverty Action

Environment

Is It A Good Idea To Pay Villagers Not To Chop Down Trees?

July 20, 2017 • Governments dole out millions each year. Researchers debate whether the payouts actually work. A new study from Uganda offers some answers.

Friday June 9, 2017

A Little-Known Climate Fund Is Suddenly In The Spotlight

Wind turbines provide energy in Egypt's Sinai Desert. Helping developing countries harness energy from the wind is one of the Green Climate Fund's goals. Anton Petrus/Getty Images hide caption

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Anton Petrus/Getty Images

Aid

A Little-Known Climate Fund Is Suddenly In The Spotlight

June 9, 2017 • It's the Green Climate Fund. It was called out last week by President Trump, who said he would cut off U.S. "billions." What does it do, exactly, and what will be the impact of the cutback?

Wednesday June 7, 2017

If You See Dirty Water, Don't Just Gripe. Talk To The Cloud!

The Yamuna River, which flows through Delhi, is polluted by industrial discharges and domestic sewage. Barcroft Media/Getty Images hide caption

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Barcroft Media/Getty Images

Environment

If You See Dirty Water, Don't Just Gripe. Talk To The Cloud!

June 7, 2017 • Scientists and activists in India are training citizens to collect information on water issues like contamination — and upload it so it can be used to push for change.

Saturday May 20, 2017

Worms Land A Great Job Working With Gorgeous Indian Textiles

Sufiyan Khatri learned to make the dyes for the block-print textiles from his grandfather. But he likes to experiment with color and design: "Whenever I get the time, I do some innovation in our work." Shaina Shealy hide caption

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Shaina Shealy

Environment

Worms Land A Great Job Working With Gorgeous Indian Textiles

May 20, 2017 • After the craftspeople of Ajrakphur dye fabrics with a traditional block printing method, there's a lot of toxic waste water. Enter the earthworms.