Environment & Climate Change

Before the Fukushima disaster, nuclear power was being rebranded as a green form of energy. New York Times energy reporter Matt Wald explains how the situation in Japan is now raising questions about the safety and disposal of nuclear waste in the U.S.

In 1992, a cargo ship container tumbled into the North Pacific, dumping 28,000 toys into the ocean. What happened to those toys led writer Donovan Hohn on a worldwide journey filled with beachcombers, oceanographers, ship captains and environmentalists.

The worldwide lion population has declined a staggering 90 percent in the past 50 years. In their documentary The Last Lions, conservationists Beverly and Dereck Joubert track the giant hunters across Botswana and warn that without intervention, lions may soon go extinct.

Even recycling your old TVs and computers doesn't mean you're doing the right thing -- trashing certain items may mean major heath and environmental problems. Jim Puckett of the Basal Action Network talks about the best ways to ensure your electronics are being recycled correctly.

In Crude World, journalist Peter Maass argues that our relentless pursuit of oil has created a host of problems in the world — particularly in the countries that hold the most deposits. He explains why our dependence on the fossil fuel is not without social and environmental costs.

Almost half of the fish we eat has been raised on farms -- and the genetic modification of fish is increasing. Paul Greenberg writes about changes in the fishing industry -- and what the future holds for our dinner tables -- in his new book, Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food.

Sometimes, a dog or cat just won't do. In Forbidden Creatures, writer Peter Lauger enters the world of animal smuggling and exotic pets. He explains who's breeding pets for home consumers -- and how raising certain species can go horribly wrong.

Doug Inkley, the senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, says the population of sea turtles and brown pelicans in the Gulf is being decimated. Inkley details the ongoing efforts to save two of the most visible species affected by the BP oil spill.

Journalist Michael Klare says we've used up what he calls the "easy oil" on Earth. What's left is "tough oil" — deep underground, far offshore or in complex geological formations. Klare details the hazards of drilling in these environmentally hazardous areas in his book, Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet.

The BP disaster has raised questions about the oil industry's ability to manage the risks and challenges involved in drilling thousands of feet below the ocean floor. New York Times science reporter Henry Fountain explains how deep-water drilling is supposed to work — and what may have gone wrong on the Deepwater Horizon.

ProPublica reporter Abrahm Lustgarten uncovered internal documents from BP that he says point to the company's repeated disregard for safety and environmental rules. Lustgarten says the documents indicate BP was aware of problems as early as 2001.

A natural gas mining company sent Josh Fox a letter offering him $100,000 in exchange for the rights to drill on his land. Instead of saying yes, Fox made a documentary called Gasland about the unexpected results of natural gas drilling -- and why he believes there is continued cause for concern.

ProPublica reporter Abrahm Lustgarten uncovered internal documents from BP that he says point to the company's repeated disregard for safety and environmental rules. Lustgarten says the documents indicate BP was aware of problems as early as 2001.

More than 85 million bottles of water are sold every day in the United States. Freshwater expert Peter Gleick explains what's in them -- and why we drink them -- in the book Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water.

Ideas that writer Jeff Goodell used to regard as bad science fiction — like launching particles into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight — are now being taken seriously because of global warming concerns. Goodell examines the science behind tinkering with the Earth's climate in his new book, How to Cool the Planet.

Writer George Prochnik says there's plenty of evidence that noise can be harmful as well as annoying, with studies pointing to hearing loss — and even risks of higher blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. His new book, In Pursuit of Silence, is a study of noise in the modern world.

New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg has reported that human excrement and dangerous chemicals are making their way into our waterways and then into our drinking water. Duhigg returns to Fresh Air to talk the problems with our nation's sewer system.

China expert Orville Schell explains to host Terry Gross how the gates of United States and China are connected, and how the protectionist policies of the past are no longer viable.

This is the second segment of Fresh Air's two-part interview with Daniel Pauly, a professor at the Fisheries Centre of the University of British Columbia. Pauly warns that the global fishing industry has drastically depleted the number of fish in the oceans.

Daniel Pauly, a professor at the Fisheries Centre of the University of British Columbia, warns that the global fishing industry has drastically depleted the number of fish in the oceans.