The state of the world’s environment is one of the most important stories of the new century. Debates over the impact of climate change reverberate throughout the globe. So do disputes about what actions might be necessary, both to preserve the environment and to develop sources of energy for a growing global community.
The World’s environment coverage, led by environment editor Peter Thomson, examines the health of the planet and explores the impacts of human activity on everything from the earth’s ecosystems to the food we put on our plates.
Environment
Devastation in Cuba Following Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy hit Cuba hard. The storm ripped through Santiago, in the southern end of the island, damaging an estimated 230,000 homes and leaving 11 Cubans dead. Sandy also wiped out thousands of acres of staple crops. Now concerns are growing that food will become scarce.
Scientists Find What’s Believed to be Rarest Whale Species: The Spade-Toothed Beaked Whale
Two years after they washed up on a New Zealand beach, scientists have identified two whale carcasses as members of what they believe is the world’s rarest whale species: the spade-toothed beaked whale.
A Journalist’s Call to Arms on Climate Change
A former member of the mainstream media argues that having finally come to terms with the reality of climate change, the mainstream media is still failing to come to terms with its seriousness.
With Climate Change Suddenly on the Agenda, a Look Back at the Candidates’ Positions
“Superstorm” Sandy has suddenly thrust climate change into the middle of the presidential election campaign. Neither major party candidate has wanted to say much about the issue up to now, but there are real differences in their policies on climate change.
The Energy Costs of Oil Production
How much does it cost to produce a barrel of oil? Ask an oilman and he’ll likely give you a dollar amount. Ask somebody who studies what’s called biophysical economics, which combines the disciplines of biology and economics, and you’ll get a more nuanced response.
In Haiti, Success Isn’t Enough to Keep Innovative Energy Program Alive
A model project, which put local youth to work cleaning up a Port-au-Prince slum and turning paper trash into cooking fuel, has been closed down for lack of funds. In a follow-up to a story she first reported two years ago, The World’s Amy Bracken explores the reasons for the demise of a program that everyone seemed to love.
Cyclone Trouble in India
As residents of the northeastern United States struggle to recover from this week’s huge storm, people in southern India are still being battered by a cylcone that’s caused 100,000 people to be evacuated.
Haiti Still Reeling from Sandy’s Punch
Hurricane Sandy had its start in the Caribbean, where it unleashed a head-on hit on Jamaica and Cuban, and then drenched Haiti in more than 20 inches of rain, devastating the south of the country. Cate Oswald, director of programs in Haiti for Partners in Health, offers details from Port-au-Prince.
Tsunami Reconstruction Scandal in Japan
As the US begins its recovery from Superstorm Sandy, Japan is gripped by a scandal over the money set aside for reconstruction from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of that country last year. Much of the allocated funds have been diverted into pork-barrel projects, far away from the disaster zone. Anchor Lisa Mullins gets the details from Hiroko Tabuchi of The New York Times.
Packaging You Can Eat
Have you ever eaten a cocktail? Held a mouthful of juice in your hand? A team of chefs, chemists, and designers has come up with a way for you to do just that. They’ve created a biodegradable shell that can enclose ice cream, mousses, cheeses, and liquids. Ari Daniel Shapiro of our partner program NOVA reports.
Sandy Brings Ashore Rare Birds
Hurricane Sandy brought with her a range of birds from distant places, giving American bird watchers a chance to see species they might have never encountered otherwise. Andrew Harnsworth of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology talks to Lisa Mullins about some of the rare species that are being spotted in and around New York.
Cities and Rising Waters
The flooding New York City experienced from Sandy could become a more common occurrence as climate change causes sea levels to rise. The World’s Rhitu Chatterjee explores how coastal cities in other countries are protecting themselves from inundation.
Hurricane Sandy Attracts Global Attention
Hurricane Sandy has knocked the US election out of the headlines overseas. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with The World’s Marco Werman, who is in London to report on how the American vote affects people around the globe.
Sandy and Climate Change – An Arctic Connection?
“Superstorm” Sandy is just the latest in a wave of extremely unusual weather events to hit the US and the rest of the world in recent years, leading many to wonder about the possible link to climate change. Host Lisa Mullins raises the question with The World’s environment editor Peter Thomson.
Hurricane Sandy Serves as ‘Wake-Up Call’ to the Dangers of Rising Sea Levels
Klaus Jacob, a geo-physicist and senior research scientist at Columbia University talks with host Lisa Mullins about how engineers in Japan and Bangladesh have devised unique solutions to cope with rising sea levels.
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