Month: October 2021

Children being born now will experience extreme climate events at a rate that is two to seven times higher than people born in 1960, according to a new study in the journal Science.

The researchers compared a person born in 1960 with a child who was six years old in 2020. That six-year-old will experience twice as many cyclones and wildfires, three times as many river floods, four times as many crop failures and five times as many droughts. Read more about the study here.

These extreme changes not only endanger the environment, they take a toll on our mental health. KNAU reporter Melissa Sevigny spoke with residents in Flagstaff, Arizona who are reeling from a summer rife with fires and floods.

And NPR’s Michel Martin spoke with two climate activists of different generations — Jasmine Butler and Denis Hayes — about their outlook on the planet’s future amid new climate change reports.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are all on the decline in the U.S. — with September marking a turning point in the delta surge.

People are likely to be confused by climate change terms like “mitigation” and “carbon neutral,” according to a recent study. Yet, these terms are ubiquitous in climate research and reports that are meant to be accessible to a general audience.

Michelle Zauner is best known as the frontwoman of indie rock band Japanese Breakfast and like most musicians, she’s trying to tell a personal story through her music. But she’s spent the last couple of years composing music that has nothing to do with her — for a video game soundtrack.

Like lawmakers across the country, the Republican majority in Texas is getting ready to redraw the lines that define state and congressional voting districts. Those lines cement the shape of political power in the state for the next decade — and it’s perfectly legal for the party in power to draw them to its own advantage.

Texas Tribune reporter James Barragán and Michael Li of the Brennan Center discuss redistricting in Texas, and around the country.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.