Trees Lost to Katrina May Present Climate Challenge January 21, 2008 • Hurricane Katrina destroyed hundreds of millions of trees. As those trees decay, they're emitting tons of carbon dioxide, making them part of the problem that makes intense storms more frequent.
With Climate Change Comes Floods January 14, 2008 • A warming atmosphere also means a warming ocean. As water heats up, it expands and triggers a sea level rise around the world. By 2080, a U.N. panel predicts this will have devastating consequences for millions of people around the world rich and poor alike.
In Texas, Climate Creeping onto Agenda November 26, 2007 • Texas is the nation's largest energy hog because it has a lot of industry, a lot of people, a lot of air conditioning, a lot of miles and a lot of big cars. But in a state where many think bigger is better, there are a few signs that attitudes toward consumption are changing.
Web Site Tracks Carbon Emission Sources November 14, 2007 • Power plants are the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for 40 percent of the CO2 pumped into the atmosphere. A new Web site shows how much carbon is coming from each plant or power company around the world.
Soybean Trade Drives Forest Destruction in Brazil November 12, 2007 • In Brazil, a fast-growing soybean industry is fueled by demand from Europe and China. But foreign consumers are also pressuring Brazilian farmers to stop clearing tropical forests, a major storehouse of the carbon that contributes to global warming.
Amazon Fire Wars Exacerbate Global Warming November 5, 2007 • In Brazil, people use fire as a weapon in range wars to push other ranchers off their land. Scientists say these fires, along with the seasonal fires to clear land, is not just destroying parts of the Amazon's southern forests, but altering the climate as well.
How a Volcano Eruption Wiped Away Summer October 22, 2007 • Two centuries ago, an enormous volcanic explosion on an Indonesian island spewed molten rock and clouds of gas into the atmosphere, causing a "year without summer" as far away as America. Within the next millennium, the Earth is due for another such blast.
Public Works Endanger Japan's Environment October 9, 2007 • Shinto is a distinctly Japanese religion and it attributes souls to animals, vegetables and even rocks. But for decades, construction driven by public works projects has turned Japan into the ugliest country in the world, according to one expert.
America's Car Culture Clashes with Climate Change September 3, 2007 • For the last century, Americans have had a love affair with their cars. Americans drive bigger cars than any other country. And, even if they're currently trendy, fuel-efficient cars still don't sell as well in the United States as elsewhere. Can America change?
Is the Planet's Carbon Sink Getting Too Full? August 2, 2007 • The ocean's job is to keep the planet cool by absorbing carbon dixoide from the atmosphere. These days, it's working overtime
Gas Flaring Disrupts Life in Oil-Producing Niger Delta July 24, 2007 • Natural gas is a byproduct of drilling for oil. Nigeria disposes of it through burning, emitting millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. The practice is wreaking havoc on the country's environment and the health of its people.
What We Can Do About Global Warming July 19, 2007 • The world, long content with living off carbon, is now restless with new ideas. And a range of solutions are on the table, from carbon "vacuums" to energy sources relying on wind, water and trash.
When Carbon Falls in Love, the World Heats Up July 3, 2007 • An almost unbreakable connection sparks when the polygamous carbon hooks up with not one, but two oxygen atoms. But as more and more CO2 is released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, the atmosphere heats up, causing the sizzling but unwanted — effect of global warming.
Scientists Study Changing Seas on Australian Island June 25, 2007 • On Heron Island, off the coast of Australia, weird moans of mutton birds surround scientists who have come to this outpost to study how global warming is changing life in surrounding seas.
Break a Carbon Bond and — Presto! — Civilization June 25, 2007 • One could argue that civilization began when we figured out how to break a carbon bond through fire. Breaking carbon bonds releases a cheap and addictive energy. It's a habit many countries find hard to kick.
Episode 2: Carbon's Special Knack for Bonding June 14, 2007 • In a cartoon series, NPR's Robert Krulwich explains how the behavior of this very social atom leads to global warming. In the latest installment, a look at the carbon atom's special talent: It's seriously good at hooking up with other atoms.
And the Biggest Producer of Greenhouse Gases Is … June 6, 2007 • Finding out what single entity produces the most greenhouse gases in the United States is difficult, it turns out. But the government knows which power plant emits the most carbon dioxide.
Resource-Rich Hawaii Depends On Fossil Fuel May 29, 2007 • Despite its vast sources of renewable energy, Hawaii is 92 percent dependent upon fossil fuel. That's more than any other state in the country, and environmentalists are trying to raise awareness of the impact.
China Sets Ambitious Domestic Emissions Goals May 28, 2007 • In international negotiations, Beijing has resisted calls for global caps on greenhouse gas emissions. But at home it has set ambitious goals for saving energy and reducing emissions.
Global Warming: From Theory to Fact May 21, 2007 • Today's realization that humans are influencing Earth's climate is rooted in more than a century of scientific research. At a glance, the six scientists who helped turn climate change from theory to fact.
Taking an Icy Look at Global Warming May 20, 2007 • Two young researchers find out just how difficult global warming research can be when they venture onto the Arctic ice sheet, north of Alaska. Data gathered there is critical to advancing knowledge of the phenomenon.
Air Pollution Grows in Tandem with China's Economy May 17, 2007 • The city of Linfen in Shanxi province has topped China's pollution charts for the past three years. A visit there illustrates how the industrial revolution transforming the world's most populous country is also destroying its environment.
Coalbrookdale and the History of Coal Power May 2, 2007 • Coal is a major source of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Massive coal burning began with England's industrial revolution. In Coalbrookdale, the origins of coal power are on display.
China's Coal-Fueled Boom Has Costs May 2, 2007 • Seventy percent of China's energy comes from coal, the dirtiest of all fuels to produce energy. Coal is literally powering China's seemingly unstoppable rise to superpower status, but not without costs to people and land.