Environment

people on the lawn outside of National Museum Of African American History & Culture
Ayana Byrd  Aug 21, 2019 2:45PM EDT

How City Planners Are Battling Rising Temps Across Nation

Global warming is causing major climate shifts. Now, cities are making major changes to protect their most vulnerable residents.
White teepees in the snow with a protest sign that reads "Defend the Sacred" on Standing Rock Reservation
Ayana Byrd  Aug 20, 2019 2:23PM EDT

ICYMI: Standing Rock Sioux Back In Court to Stop Dakota Access Pipeline

As the pipeline prepares to double its daily output, the tribe demands a new environmental assessment of the project.
Damaged electrical poles against a blue sky in Luquillo, Puerto Rico
Ayana Byrd  Aug 14, 2019 2:15PM EDT

ICYMI: Puerto Rico's New Governor Suspends Contract to Repair Power Grid

“I hope this isn’t a smoke screen and that there’s a real audit. That’s what all these people who have lost trust in the government expect.”
Ras Baraka. Black man in gray suit and white shirt talks into microphone.
Ayana Byrd  Aug 12, 2019 4:04PM EDT

Lead Concerns Push Newark to Distribute Bottled Water to Residents

The EPA says residents should not drink tap water, even if it’s been filtered. The city says more tests are needed.
Mauna Kea protestors. Black and white image of crowd with main shot of man with back to camera.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jul 19, 2019 11:10AM EDT

WATCH: The 50-Year History of Mismanagement at Hawai'i's Mauna Kea

In just six minutes, this film provides context for the recent protests at the sacred site.
hazy New York City skyline
Ayana Byrd  Jul 10, 2019 1:14PM EDT

Trump's Claim That Nation's Air Has Never Been Cleaner Disproved By His EPA

Pollution is actually up since President Barack Obama left office.
pride flag and person in a beauty pageant sash at San Juan pride parade in 2018
Ayana Byrd  Jul 8, 2019 2:52PM EDT

READ: A Push to Rebuild Safe Spaces For LGBTQ+ Puerto Ricans

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and recent legislative challenges to their rights, members of Puerto Rico’s queer community are working to restore life-saving spaces.
Ayana Byrd  Jul 3, 2019 2:15PM EDT

LISTEN: How Puerto Ricans Are Preparing For The Next Hurricane

NPR spoke to politicians and residents of the island about what they are doing in the face of government inaction.  
A Black man holds a Black boy standing in front of chemical plants
Ayana Byrd  Jun 26, 2019 12:51PM EDT

Louisiana Activists to Chemical Plant: 'Stop Poisoning Black People'

Cancer Alley activists travel to Japan to confront Denka, the company that is currently killing them.
Black man stands outside of New Orleans Superdome after Hurricane Katrina
Ayana Byrd  Jun 25, 2019 4:26PM EDT

Top Medical Orgs Declare Climate Change World's 'Greatest Public Health Challenge'

The 74 medical and health groups stressed that communities of color are the most at-risk.
Kē‘ē Beach. Hawai'i coastline shown over green forest.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 17, 2019 5:22PM EDT

Two Popular Hawai‘i State Parks Reopen Following 2018 Flood

Kaua‘i island’s Hāʻena State Park and Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park welcome visitors back after a 2018 flood forced them to close.
Protesters shout and raise fists outside a Flint, Michigan, municipal building.
Ayana Byrd  Jun 5, 2019 10:57AM EDT

Flint Update: Prosecutors Examine Phone And Hard Drive of Former Governor Rick Snyder

A search warrant was executed to delve into data stored on devices used by Snyder and 66 other government officials.
protestors hold signs against the Dakota Access pipeline
Ayana Byrd  Jun 4, 2019 4:25PM EDT

Trump Administration Seeks More Prison Time For Pipeline Protesters

The Department of Transportation wants Congress to update the law to send anti-pipeline activists to prison for up to 20 years.
Male farmers in a fruit field in Central Valley, California
Ayana Byrd  May 21, 2019 2:34PM EDT

READ: California Water Crisis Hits Latinx Farmworkers

A New York Times article examines how the success of the state’s agricultural industry is polluting the water of the people who work in it.
Baltimore City Hall
Ayana Byrd  May 14, 2019 1:46PM EDT

Does Your City Employ Environmental Justice Best Practices?

A new study examines how cities from San Francisco to Baltimore are making the environment safer for residents of color.
An oil refinery is shown near Houston following Hurricane Harvey August 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
Ayana Byrd  May 7, 2019 3:44PM EDT

EPA Reverses Rule That Curbed Power Plants From Releasing Toxins in Communities of Color

Texas won a lawsuit it filed against the government agency.
Robert Taylor. Black man wearing light blue buttondown shirt stands in front of brown brick building
Ayana Byrd  May 6, 2019 3:09PM EDT

Inside a Louisiana Town's Fight Against Environmental Racism

Reserve, located in “Cancer Alley,” is the focus of a year-long investigative series by The Guardian. 
Children in brightly colorled clothes in shelter in Puerto Rico, child in front wears red and white and carries blue bag
Ayana Byrd  Apr 29, 2019 1:39PM EDT

STUDY: How Hurricane Maria Affected Mental Health of Children in Puerto Rico

A new study from the  Puerto Rico Department of Education and Medical University of South Carolina found that nearly one-third of the children surveyed reported strong predictors of PTSD following the storm.
Black man stands among his family's ruined possessions
Ayana Byrd  Apr 23, 2019 11:42AM EDT

New Study Finds Global Wealth Inequality Is Tied to Climate Change

Wealthy nations are getting richer as countries inhabited by people of color get hotter and more economically disadvantaged, say researchers.
Black protestors holding signs to fix Flint
Ayana Byrd  Apr 22, 2019 11:36AM EDT

Flint Residents Get Greenlight to Sue EPA

Thousands have joined a lawsuit that says the federal agency was negligent in its response to the city’s water crisis.