Living on Earth

Living on Earth

Keep your finger on the pulse of the issues affecting the planet we call home.

Old growth Douglas fir trees stand along the Salmon river Trail on the Mt. Hood National Forest

1 in 6 trees in the US threatened with extinction

Environment

A recent study concludes that 1 in 6 US tree species are at risk of extinction, largely due to pests and disease.

City view at McCulloh apartments at Druid Hill Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, June 2019.

Rental housing stock in the US faces huge challenges adapting to climate change

Climate Change
The trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange

Proposed SEC rule would require companies to disclose risks from climate change

A natural gas power plant of RWE AG in Lingen, Germany

Can heat pumps help bring peace to Ukraine?

Ukraine
An aerial view of Fairbourne village in Gwynedd in Wales, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021.

Climate change may be the leading driver of tomorrow’s refugee crisis

Refugees
The Castillo de San Marcos, one of the major heritage sites in St. Augustine, Florida,

Rising sea levels along Florida’s coast threaten to damage valuable archeological sites

Climate Change

Flooding caused by climate change is threatening to destroy historic resources along the Florida coast, leaving archeologists scrambling to learn as much as possible before they’re lost.

The Thwaites Glacier is one of the hardest places in Antarctica to access, and scientists have only recently been able to go there to study it.

The melting and collapse of Thwaites Glacier could affect sea levels for years to come

Climate Change

Thwaites Glacier is considered the world’s most important one — not just due to its size, but because of the massive amounts of ice that will melt due to global warming.

Jennifer Lawrence attends the world premiere of "Don't Look Up" at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in New York.

‘Don’t Look Up’ exposes the absurdity — and consequences — of climate change denial

Climate Change

“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay’s latest feature film, uses humor and the metaphor of an impending, Earth-obliterating comet to satirize the ideological denial of climate change.

A boy plays in a fountain to cool off as temperatures approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, July 18, 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri. 

A warming climate leads to more pediatric ER visits, study shows

Health & Medicine

A new study found that children and adolescents face increasing health risks as global temperatures rise.

Plumes of smoke rise in the vicinity of Lake Steffen caused by a wildfire, near Rio Villegas, Argentina, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021.

Fire and climate change are altering Patagonia’s ecosystems

Climate Change

Wildfires have been raging in Patagonia, on the tip of South America, where until recently fires were rare — an unwelcome sign of things to come, scientists say.