Living on Earth

Jan 31 2025 1243 ep. 51 mins 5k
Living on Earth Podcast artwork

As the planet we call home faces a climate emergency, Living on Earth is your go-to source for the latest coverage of climate change, ecology, and human health. Hosted by Steve Curwood and brought to you by PRX.

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Bird Flu Warning, Life as an Incarcerated Firefighter, An Ancient Climate Solution and more.

Jan 31 2025 52 mins  
So far avian flu hasn’t been seen spreading from human to human, but recent mutations indicate some variants are becoming better adapted to infecting humans. Also, around a thousand of the firefighters who battled blazes around southern California in January 2025 were incarcerated. A formerly incarcerated firefighter shares what it was like and how the experience helped him forge

Trump Blocks Climate and Eco Action, EVs in the Trump Era, The “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” and more.

Jan 24 2025 52 mins  
Back in power, President Trump immediately took aim at climate and environmental protection with a flurry of executive orders such as blocking the Paris Climate Accord and boosting fossil fuel sales. The President may have over-reached but could still do lasting damage to the climate and environment. Also, one of President Trump’s Day One executive orders commands a reversal of t

Green Light for State Climate Cases, Redwood Rebirth After Fire, Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, and more.

Jan 17 2025 52 mins  
Facing huge costs for climate adaptation and disaster recovery, some states and localities are suing fossil fuel companies for damages. The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined an attempt to block these lawsuits, and we explain the significance of some of them proceeding to trial. Also, nearly all the tall coast redwoods in California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park burned in a 2

Wildfires Bring ‘Climate Trauma,’ U.S. Abdicates Climate Lead Again, Jimmy Carter’s Green Legacy, and more

Jan 10 2025 52 mins  
Wildfires like those hitting southern California take an enormous social and psychological toll on victims and observers alike. We hear how people and communities can heal from the “climate trauma” brought by wildfires and other disasters linked to the climate crisis. Also, President-elect Trump’s stated plans to again remove the U.S. from the Paris Accord would be just the l

New Climate Champion in Congress, Montana Climate Win, Last Call to Biden for Environmental Justice and more

Jan 03 2025 51 mins  
Freshman U.S. Representative Yassamin Ansari, a Democrat representing Arizona’s 3rd district, puts climate at the top of her priority list. She joins us to reflect on her work with the UN on the Paris Climate Accord, discuss how extreme heat is affecting her constituents, and preview her climate aims in Congress. Also, in a landmark 6 to 1 decision, the Montana State Supreme Cou

The Extreme Life of the Sea, Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction, How to Be a Good Creature and more.

Dec 27 2024 52 mins  
Underwater life has been a mystery to humans since the beginning of time. The Extreme Life of the Sea by Stephen and Anthony Palumbi is a book that sheds an entertaining and informative light on life for the ocean’s oddest creatures, making you think of fish as characters, not seafood. Also, animals like the American Bison, bald eagle, and giant panda are just a few of the charis

Hope For the Holidays

Dec 20 2024 52 mins  
Irish harpist Aine Minogue shares stories of mid-winter traditions like visiting friends, decorating with evergreens, and summoning longer days. She also plays traditional tunes of the season and sings about a creature from the Land Beneath the Sea. Slaves in the American South sang and shared stories to keep their sense of hope alive. Husband and wife duo Sparky and Rhonda Rucker

LNG Carbon Bomb, Pope and Postal EVs, Sacred Indian River Polluted and more.

Dec 13 2024 54 mins  
The carbon footprint of U.S. liquefied natural gas, or LNG exports is 33% higher than for coal, Cornell researchers report, showing the climate risks of a planned expansion of U.S. LNG exports. Also, the newest Popemobile for the Holy Father is an all-electric Mercedes-Benz, and most of the new U.S. Postal Service trucks are EVs, too. We talk about the shift to EVs among the Vatica

Why Exxon Is Pro-Paris, Plastic Health Toll, Giraffes in Trouble and more.

Dec 06 2024 54 mins  
Major fossil fuel corporations including ExxonMobil are clearly stating they would prefer the U.S. remain in the Paris Climate Agreement, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to take the country back out. We discuss oil majors’ long-term plans for an energy transition. Also, hormone-disrupting chemicals in plastics take a yearly economic toll in the hundreds of billions

UN Climate Summit Falters, Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer’s Guide to the Universe and more.

Nov 28 2024 52 mins  
The UN climate treaty summit known as COP29 teetered on the edge of collapse as less developed nations implored the rich countries of the global north to provide financial relief to help them cope with rising climate costs. Alden Meyer of E3G was at the COP and explains the frustrations with the process and the compromise delegates eventually reached. Also, astronomer Phil Plait w