Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

As wildfires rage, infrastructure bill aims to mitigate their impact

Aug 10, 2021
As it stands, the bill would fund several agencies' efforts to predict, control and plan for blazes caused by climate change.
"You can pay kind of a lot to get us where we need to be on the front end of a disaster...or you could pay twice or three times as much to rebuild and recover," said Mark Ghilarducci,  Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
David Odisho via Getty Images

U.N.'s urgent call for emissions cuts means fewer cars, experts say

Aug 9, 2021
Climate scientists say in the U.S., the transportation sector is the largest source of carbon emissions. Expanding public transit is key, they say.
Investments in public transit could help curb U.S. emissions. Above, a subway train arrives at a Brooklyn station in New York City in November 2020.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images

Lake Mead business struggles to stay afloat as water drops to historic low

Jul 29, 2021
“It’s a tough season this year,” says Lisa Duncan of Temple Bar Marina. Slips are filled, but the boat launch is closed for now.
The closure of Lake Mead’s Temple Bar boat ramp due to low water levels has impacted revenue at the restaurant, hotel and retail store that Lisa Duncan, manages at Temple Bar Marina, she says.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

More frequent, extreme heat waves linked to workplace injuries

Jul 26, 2021
New research from UCLA shows climate change-induced heat waves pose a growing threat to workers.
People wait to buy ice cream from a Washington, D.C., vender during a June heat wave. A recent study links heat waves to worker injuries, which were highest in low-wage industries that require physical labor.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

As wildfires intensify in the West, scientists look at how they spread

Jul 23, 2021
On a farm in Oregon, they try to figure out what kinds of trees and shrubs produce the most flying embers.
Student Will Heffernan (left) and researcher Sampath Adusumilli clear debris around a burned chamise branch during an experiment measuring the embers produced by vegetation.
Jes Burns/OPB

Benefits of clean energy far outweigh costs, report shows

Jul 13, 2021
Clean Energy Futures found that a U.S. transition to 80% clean electricity by 2030 would produce a net benefit over $1 trillion.
The transition to clean energy would be a net positive economically but easier said than done.
Peter Macdiarmid via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Coal use rises as natural gas prices spike

Jul 7, 2021
Long term, coal isn't a good option as an energy source. But the competition between coal and natural gas is what matters now.
Although the U.S. and other developed nations still use carbon-heavy coal in electricity production, the industry is declining.
Sean Gallup via Getty Images