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Hints of Life on Mars
On Mars, our planet’s rocky twin, NASA’s Perseverance Rover is seeking signs of past life in Jezero Crater. Now, scientists say they may have uncovered some of the most compelling evidence yet, in the form of complex carbon molecules in Martian mudstones. Planetary scientist Dr. Kevin Hand of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains the buzz about these “potential biosignatures.”
Trump Attempts to Shrink Bears Ears -- Again
On July 13, 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation reducing the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah by about 90 percent, to remove almost 3 million acres from monument status. We discuss the significance of these places to several local tribes who co-manage them, and why in their view the President lacks the authority to slash monuments.
Saving the Klamath, Salmon, and Yurok Culture
The Yurok tribe has inhabited the lower stretches of the Klamath River in Northern California since time immemorial, and their culture is deeply intertwined with the river’s salmon. So, when toxic conditions caused by the dams on the river resulted in a massive fish kill, the Yurok people sprang into action and secured the historic removal of four dams, a story captured in The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family’s Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life.
Climate Change Speeding Up
Current climate change has been well underway for decades, but the rate of that change is now going up so fast that people are noticing things like tornados and extreme heat waves are occurring in places where they have rarely been seen before. How greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, the loss of reflective ice and snow, and other changes are increasingly causing the Earth to retain extra heat energy from the Sun.
Smog and Sunshine--CA's Cleaner Air
Decades ago, the Los Angeles basin was often cloaked in a thick blanket of choking smog, but today the skies are comparatively clear. This striking improvement was no accident and is a testament to how scientists, government, and engaged citizens can work together to solve difficult environmental problems. UCLA Environmental Law Professor Ann Carlson reflects on that success as described in her 2026 book, Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air.
"Vanilla Frosting" -- Elk at Great Sand Dunes
One of the national parks you might visit this summer, or any time of year is Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado, with the tallest dunes in North America. That’s where Living on Earth Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender watched the landscape and a local herd of elk as weather came in.
The Problem with Plastic
Cheap and convenient plastic products are everywhere you turn, and the microplastics they break down to are now in our water, soil, air, and deep inside our bodies. Joining us to discuss her 2025 book The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late is Judith Enck, a former EPA Regional Administrator and the founder and President of the advocacy group Beyond Plastics.
Celebrating 30 years of Living on Earth!
Host Steve Curwood in the Living on Earth studio
Join the Living on Earth Book Club on October 13th!
Bestselling science journalist Ed Yong joins us to talk about his new book. Click here to learn more and register!
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Saving the Klamath, Salmon, and Yurok Culture
The Yurok tribe has inhabited the lower stretches of the Klamath River in Northern California since time immemorial, and their culture is deeply intertwined with the river’s salmon. So, when toxic conditions caused by the dams on the river resulted in a massive fish kill, the Yurok people sprang into action and secured the historic removal of four dams, a story captured in The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family’s Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life.
Trump Attempts to Shrink Bears Ears -- Again
On July 13, 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation reducing the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah by about 90 percent, to remove almost 3 million acres from monument status. We discuss the significance of these places to several local tribes who co-manage them, and why in their view the President lacks the authority to slash monuments.
Hints of Life on Mars
On Mars, our planet’s rocky twin, NASA’s Perseverance Rover is seeking signs of past life in Jezero Crater. Now, scientists say they may have uncovered some of the most compelling evidence yet, in the form of complex carbon molecules in Martian mudstones. Planetary scientist Dr. Kevin Hand of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains the buzz about these “potential biosignatures.”
This Week’s Show
July 31, 2026
listen / download
Hints of Life on Mars
listen / download
On Mars, our planet’s rocky twin, NASA’s Perseverance Rover is seeking signs of past life in Jezero Crater. Now, scientists say they may have uncovered some of the most compelling evidence yet, in the form of complex carbon molecules in Martian mudstones. Planetary scientist Dr. Kevin Hand of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains the buzz about these “potential biosignatures.”
Molten, Mushy Planet - Note on Emerging Science
listen / download
35 light years away from Earth is a planet a bit bigger than ours that’s probably not hospitable to life -- because it’s molten. Scientists have known about L98-59d for years, but new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope helped reveal an atmosphere rich in hydrogen sulfide, which could only be explained if the planet was in a rare molten state.
Trump Attempts to Shrink Bears Ears -- Again
listen / download
On July 13, 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation reducing the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah by about 90 percent, to remove almost 3 million acres from monument status. We discuss the significance of these places to several local tribes who co-manage them, and why in their view the President lacks the authority to slash monuments.
Saving the Klamath, Salmon, and Yurok Culture
listen / download
The Yurok tribe has inhabited the lower stretches of the Klamath River in Northern California since time immemorial, and their culture is deeply intertwined with the river’s salmon. So, when toxic conditions caused by the dams on the river resulted in a massive fish kill, the Yurok people sprang into action and secured the historic removal of four dams, a story captured in The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family’s Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life.
Special Features
Field Note: "After the Storm"
Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence, Mark Seth Lender, ruminates on the storm as it meets the shore.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes
Field Note: "Countermeasures"
Living on Earth's Explorer-in-Residence, Mark Seth Lender, shares observations about shorebirds in flight.
Blog Series: Mark Seth Lender Field Notes
...Ultimately, if we are going prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, we are going to have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground rather than burn them...
-- President Barack Obama, November 6, 2015 on why he declined to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.
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