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Now Playing | Produced in the year 2007, a photographic essay realized in recognition of the indigenous roots, portrayed twelve adolescents belonging to Eleutério do katu, RN Brasil. Twelve years later the photographer returns to Katu in search of these protagonists, now adults, to know about his personal trajectories and his world views.

CNN published the story of a U.S. family that moved to Costa Rica, and it changed their lives completely. Kema Ward-Hopper and Nicholas Hopper decided to get married in the Central American nation, and years later, they made the decision to permanently relocate. Now, they live in one of Costa Rica’s blue zones, an area […] The post US Family Finds New Life in Costa Rican Blue Zone appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Two new AgustaWestland AW139s will be in use this year as total annual travel bill rises from £3.9m to £4.2mThe royal family spent more than £1m on journeys by helicopter last year, and will take delivery of two new ones to replace those they have used for the past 15 years.In total, royals made 170 helicopter journeys, costing a total of £1,096,300, official accounts reveal, with the total travel bill last year rising to £4.2m from £3.9m. Continue reading...

It’s safe, cheap, and gentle on the environment. But its true appeal is much deeper.

The oil and gas industry has reaped profits without ensuring there will be money to plug and clean up their wells. In Oklahoma, that work could cost more than $7 billion if it falls to the state.

How my climate-obsessed dad brought our family closer together.

Every Mexican Independence Day, Día de Muertos and Christmas, my grandmother would lovingly prepare classic dishes like Pozole and Romeritos using her prized glazed clay pottery. As a child, these meals were the highlight of my year — flavors immersed in tradition, memories carved into each plate. The kitchen alive with the aroma of spices, the laughter of family echoing through the air and the clay pottery, glowing under a soft light, holding the essence of our heritage. It was a scene straight out of a book. But little did I know within those beautiful pots lay a silent intruder into our culinary traditions and bloodstreams, casting a shadow over our most cherished moments. To read a version of this story in Spanish click here. Haz clic aquí para leer este reportaje en español.Despite seven years as a practicing physician, I’d remained oblivious to this danger in our kitchens well into adulthood. The revelation came after I left the medical field and became a toxicology student in the U.S., when I realized that Mexicans were unwittingly exposed to lead through this beloved tradition, as the brain-damaging metal lurked in many of these clay pots, leaching into our food and drinks.It was a personal awakening to insidious environmental harms and the health profession’s inadequate training and response to them. Cultural traditions hold deep meaning in our lives, often forming the backbone of our heritage and identity. However, when cherished practices pose hidden health risks, such as lead exposure from traditional glazed clay pottery, the conflict between preserving culture and ensuring safety emerges. Despite well-documented dangers of lead, this practice persists in many Mexican households, partly due to a lack of awareness and insufficient intervention from the medical community. My journey of discovering this danger highlights the urgent need for better environmental health education among healthcare professionals and underscores the importance of finding solutions that safeguard both our traditions and our health. Awakening to the importance of environmental healthLead exposure can have severe health consequences, especially for children. Lead is a known neurotoxin, which means it damages the brain. Even at low levels of exposure it can affect children’s brain development, reduce IQ scores, cause attention disorders and violent and aggressive behaviors. Lead exposure can also cause anemia, hypertension, kidney, heart and reproductive damage. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, according to the World Health Organization. Cultural traditions hold deep meaning in our lives, often forming the backbone of our heritage and identity. However, when cherished practices pose hidden health risks, such as lead exposure from traditional glazed clay pottery, the conflict between preserving culture and ensuring safety emerges. I couldn't shake the image of my grandmother's Pozole, a dish that symbolized love and heritage, now tainted by the very pots that gave it life. Discarding my grandmother's pottery felt like betraying our culture. It shouldn't be this way—we shouldn't have to sacrifice our traditions for safety. Thus began my journey of introspection and advocacy, fueled by the desire to protect our traditions while safeguarding our health.Returning to school after practicing as a physician for years in Mexico was daunting. Many considered it foolish. But amidst the skepticism and self-doubt, there was a glimmer of clarity: the more I understood the impact of the environment on health, the more my years in the medical field made sense. I treated countless patients with diseases that could have been prevented, but my lack of education in environmental health did not let me see that. This oversight remains widespread, as nursing and medical schools in Mexico have yet to incorporate any environmental health training. As one of my medical school professors used to say: “The eyes do not see what the mind does not know.” How can we expect healthcare professionals to be aware of these dangers if they were never taught to recognize or identify them? The neglected danger hidden in potteryOne of the hardest things about immigrating to a different country is remembering the things you can no longer do. For me, it was the weekends. Back in Mexico, I could visit my grandparents just down the road and enjoy a meal with them or with the whole family. The memories of being able to talk to my cousins about their lives and seeing my nephews grow up while enjoying my grandma's cooking were what kept me going. Every time I thought about those moments, the same image of glazed clay pottery came to my head.The lead in traditional glazed clay pottery is a practice passed down from Spanish communities. Although Spain eliminated this practice in the 18th century, in Mexico it remains deeply embedded in the artisanal pottery tradition, with an estimate of 70,000 pottery workers in the country. A recent study showed that other countries in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia seem to have a similar problem of lead in ceramic cookware. Returning to school after practicing as a physician for years in Mexico was daunting. Many considered it foolish. But amidst the skepticism and self-doubt, there was a glimmer of clarity: the more I understood the impact of the environment on health, the more my years in the medical field made sense.Due to the traditional process, most ovens in pottery workers' workshops are open and cannot reach the high temperatures needed to prevent lead from leaching into food and drinks. But even for those pottery workers who have closed ovens, they still expose themselves and their families to the toxic while working with the lead-containing glaze. This health threat is particularly strong for the most marginalized populations. While my family reserved the use of glazed clay pottery for special occasions, millions of Mexicans rely on these dishes for daily cooking. This reliance is especially pronounced among communities facing economic hardships or belonging to Indigenous populations. Unfortunately, the very areas where these communities reside often overlap with regions where polluting industries are concentrated, compounding the environmental injustices and pollution they face. In an ideal world, every Mexican should be able to enjoy their cherished dishes using their favorite pottery. So how do you solve an issue that affects the lives of millions of Mexicans while encouraging them to keep their traditions?Acting against leadIn 2019, I joined the Mundo Químico collaborative, a group of Mexican scientists and professionals committed to the development of environmental health policies and programs in the country. Lead exposure in Mexico often remains invisible to policymakers, resulting in scarce funding and neglect from the government. The insidious nature of environmental health issues makes them difficult to detect, especially for those not directly affected. Consequently, governmental initiatives are lacking, perpetuating the cycle of disregard. This invisibility undermines efforts to combat lead exposure and exacerbates the environmental injustices faced by marginalized communities. As a result, the last National Survey of Health and Nutrition in Mexico, found that around 17% of children between the ages of 1 and 4 have lead poisoning.In response to this issue, Mundo Químico has been collaborating since 2019 with various governmental entities to teach artisans how to produce the same beautiful pottery using a different, lead-free glaze, as well as developing a stamp for those lead-free products. This aims to preserve the cultural heritage while ensuring the safety and health of both the artisans and the consumers. Our greatest challenge is still how invisible these issues are for policymakers and the general public. The health effects often manifest over years, making it difficult for people to connect them to pollution sources—a daunting task, even for medical professionals. This ignorance gives polluting industries an unfair advantage.Governmental initiatives are lacking, perpetuating the cycle of disregard. This invisibility undermines efforts to combat lead exposure and exacerbates the environmental injustices faced by marginalized communities.For too long, Mexico has neglected to protect its people from chemical exposures. This needs to stop. We need comprehensive solutions that prioritize the health and well-being of every Mexican. We need to train healthcare professionals in environmental health to prevent oversights like the ones I made, inadvertently misdiagnosing patients exposed to common contaminants. We need stronger programs and stricter policies to eliminate lead-containing glaze from our cultural practices. It's time to shift from policies favoring industry interests over public health to measures that prioritize the safety of individuals and communities while safeguarding our traditions. Through these concerted efforts, we can pave the way for a healthier future, where cultural traditions and well-being harmoniously coexist.Nearly a decade since leaving clinical practice, I still face questions about my choice. Yet, this journey has affirmed my purpose. While I may not treat diseases directly, my advocacy has the power to shed light on environmental justice issues affecting millions of Mexicans. The fight is far from over, but I hold onto the belief that with perseverance and collaboration, we can create a future where tradition and health thrive hand in hand.Six months ago, I returned home and visited my grandma. Despite her memory not being as sharp and her struggle to walk, her face lit up with joy at seeing me. During this visit, I purchased lead-free pottery from the pottery workers we have been collaborating with, thus returning a cherished tradition to my family. It was a moment of triumph—a small step towards a larger goal. Every single Mexican should have the opportunity to do the exact same thing for their family and I will work tirelessly until this dream becomes a reality.This essay was produced through the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice fellowship, a partnership between Environmental Health News and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Agents of Change empowers emerging leaders from historically excluded backgrounds in science and academia to reimagine solutions for a just and healthy planet.

The increasing incidence of climate change-induced heat spikes, wildfires and life-threatening flash floods is engulfing pregnant and postpartum individuals in a wave of eco-anxiety and depression. "The mom is kind of guiding the ship," Jennifer Barkin, an expert on maternal mental health, told The Hill. "You're already worried about — are your kids eating enough...

Several family-friendly events, many of which are free, are being held around the Houston region before, on and after Earth Day, which is Monday.

A seemingly idyllic place to raise a family turns into a nightmare for Wisconsin residents whose water supply was contaminated by PFAS, Richelle Wilson reports.

Past Presentation | Story of a gopher tortoise who became lost in a development of homes, and the family who befriended him and helped him back to nature.

The EPA recently set new limits on the toxic chemicals used to make everything from nonstick pans to firefighting foam. Here’s how to protect yourself and your family.

The Crown Estate’s profits more than doubled in the past year, partly due to lucrative offshore wind farm leases on land owned by the monarchy, meaning a windfall for them and the government.

Soil bacteria use proteins to power nanowires, forming an underground electrical grid that supports life and impacts methane emissions. To “breathe” in an environment without...

From helping new parents to coordinating play dates and sharing information, MIT students who are parents are there for one another.

Ailton Krenak was a child when his family was forced to leave their land in Brazil. Now, as a writer, he advocates for a path forward that looks to nature and inherited wisdom.

Environmentalists are celebrating a legal settlement that will close historic family dairies they say are degrading Point Reyes National Seashore. Locals say the settlement shows no understanding of this place and its people.

According to the American Cancer Society, Black men are about 70 percent more likely than white men to develop prostate cancer in their lifetime and twice as likely to die from the disease.

A new species and genus of fairy lantern, tiny glass-like white plants that feed on fungi, has been discovered in Japan. In the country renowned...

Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter has died at age 100, the Carter Center said Sunday. The big picture: As the nation's 39th president, Carter said he tried to forge a "competent and compassionate" U.S. government. A former peanut farmer and U.S. Navy nuclear physicist, Carter led a life of service that started well before his first elected office on the Sumter County, Georgia, Board of Education — and endured long after his presidency.He has often been called the "nation's greatest former president" for the humanitarian work he conducted in his more than four decades after Washington.Carter, the nation's longest-living former president and first to reach triple digits, began receiving hospice care at home in February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays, the Carter Center announced at the time. Driving the news: "Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family," per a statement. Carter's son, Chip Carter, said in the statement that his father "was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.""The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs," Chip Carter said. Flashback: Carter's wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died in November 2023 at the age of 96. The former first lady, a lifelong mental health advocate, had been diagnosed with dementia earlier in the year and entered hospice days before her death.A 99-year-old Jimmy Carter traveled to Atlanta for her memorial service and attended her funeral in their hometown of Plains. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and first gentleman Doug Emhoff, and former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended the Atlanta service.All living former first ladies — Melania Trump, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush — were also there.Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter had the longest presidential marriage, per AP. Carter greets people as he leaves after the funeral service for Rosalynn Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church on Nov. 29, 2023, in Plains, Ga. Photo: Alex Brandon/Pool/Getty ImagesLooking back on Carter’s lifeCarter was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in the small farming town of Plains, Georgia, at a hospital where his mother worked as a nurse. He was the first future president born in a hospital.Carter, the oldest of four, grew up picking peanuts on his family's farm. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, becoming the first future president to graduate from the academy. That same year he married Rosalynn, a fellow Plains native who had known Carter her entire life.Carter served in Norfolk, Virginia, and Hawai’i before joining the Navy's nuclear submarine program in Schenectady, New York, as a nuclear physicist. When his father died in 1953, Carter resigned to run the family's farms and seed and supply company with Rosalynn — against her wishes. Following a stint on his local Sumter County Board of Education, Carter ran for the Georgia State Senate in 1962. While he initially lost in the Democratic primary, he successfully proved his opponent had won based on voter fraud. A judge threw out the results, and Carter held the office for two terms. After a failed gubernatorial campaign in 1966, Carter was elected governor of Georgia in 1970. While his campaign sought the support of segregationists, his inaugural address shocked many when he declared "the time for discrimination is over." His administration emphasized ecology, efficiency in government and the removal of racial barriers. The Carters at an inaugural ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1977. The two were married for 77 years. Photo: Warren K Leffler/PhotoQuest/Getty ImagesCarter's presidential term Though largely unknown in national politics, Gov. Carter announced his candidacy for president in December 1974 and accepted the Democratic nomination in July 1976. (An Atlanta Constitution editorial declared: "Jimmy Carter is running for what!?")On Nov. 2, 1976 — during the country's bicentennial year — Carter and his running mate Walter Mondale defeated incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford.Carter's presidential victories included arranging the Camp David Accords that established a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, and the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China.Under his administration, 8 million jobs were created and the budget deficit decreased. He championed environmental and renewable energy policies, had solar panels installed on the White House, protected more than 100 million acres of land in Alaska, and signed the Environmental Protection Agency's "Superfund" hazardous waste cleanup program into law.Carter championed a wave of industry deregulation including aviation, transportation and telecommunications, established the Department of Education, and appointed record numbers of women and people of color to government positions.But his term was marred by rising energy costs, climbing inflation and interest rates, and a struggle to negotiate the release of 52 Americans held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.In 2023, the New York Times confirmed that in 1980, allies of Carter's political opponent, former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, secretly urged Iran not to release the hostages until after the election — something Carter allies had long suspected. (The hostages were released minutes after Reagan's inauguration in 1981.)What he said: Carter often recalled how proud he was to have kept the U.S. out of war for his four years in office."We kept our country at peace. We never went to war. We never dropped a bomb. We never fired a bullet. But still we achieved our international goals," he told The Guardian in 2011. Carter in his hometown of Plains, Ga., following a press conference about receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Photo: Steve Schaefer/AFP via Getty ImagesPost-presidencyAfter his defeat to Reagan in 1980, the Carters returned to Plains and the family peanut business, which had been run into debt while in a blind trust during his presidency.In 1982, he and Rosalynn founded the Atlanta-based Carter Center — which today houses his presidential library and an active, influential nongovernmental organization focused on "waging peace, fighting disease and building hope."The center has undertaken a broad range of global programs, including conflict negotiation, election monitoring, and funding treatments to eradicate diseases such as river blindness and Guinea worm.Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace to international conflicts and advance democracy and human rights.From the end of his presidency until 2020, Carter regularly taught Sunday school at his home Baptist church, often with hundreds of people lining up overnight to attend. Since 1984, he and Rosalynn remained devoted to one of their favorite causes: volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, which builds and restores homes for individuals and families in need.In 2015, Carter told reporters that doctors had discovered a form of melanoma that spread to his brain. Remarkably, four months later he announced that he was cancer-free.In March 2019, at 94 years and 172 days, he became the longest-living former president in U.S. history. He and Rosalynn attended every presidential inauguration since his own in 1977 until 2021. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited the Carters in April 2021. Biden and Carter built a long-standing friendship over decades. (In 1976, the first presidential endorsement that then-Gov. Carter got from an elected official outside of Georgia came from a young Sen. Biden.)Carter leaves behind four children — John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffery (Jeff), and Amy — and more than two dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question' asks: With American society feeling more socially and politically polarized than ever, is it right to bring another person into the world?

Prime minister says Tory leader’s attacks on climate targets diminishes government ability to tackle central issueJohn Prescott: share your tributes and memoriesBritish prime minister Keir Starmer says he is “deeply saddened” to hear that Prescott has died, and called him a “true giant of Labour”.In a statement on X, he said, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of John Prescott. John was a true giant of the Labour movement. On behalf of the Labour Party, I send my condolences to Pauline and his family, to the city of Hull, and to all those who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace.”He possessed an inherent ability to connect with people about the issues that mattered to them – a talent that others spend years studying and cultivating, but that was second nature to him.He fought like hell to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol and was an unwavering champion of climate action for decades to come. I’m forever grateful to John for that commitment to solving the climate crisis and will miss him as a dear friend.” Continue reading...

A New York man who turned a rescued squirrel into a social media star called Peanut is pleading with state authorities to return his beloved pet after they seized it during a raid

Past Presentation | Daniel Balima is a senior horticulturist from Tenkodogo, a small Sub-Saharan African town in Burkina Faso, where he lives with his large family and has worked since he was born 67 years ago. Daniel as a child falls ill with polio and, although growing without the use of his legs, he is able to follow his father in the family nursery, walking on his hands. He works immediately with great passion and talent so much that his disability, which for many in Africa means a marked destiny, is for Daniel an opportunity: "I could take two paths: begging or taking my life in hand and devoting myself to work with dignity." Daniel has chosen and won this great challenge and, every day, he sows and cultivates with great effort and gratitude many vegetables and plants. In over fifty years of activity he has given life to more than a million trees and this is what is most important for Daniel because, as he tells us, his country, because of the drought, needs many trees and does not stop, on the contrary, he dreams of planting another million.

Environmental groups warn that next year's farm payments budget will not be enough to protect nature.

The photo taken by Bill Anders is one of the most famous images ever snapped in outer space.

Simpson, 93, died early Friday after struggling to recover from a broken hip in December.

Farmers in the heartland are restoring swaths of the prairie with government help. The aim is to reduce nutrient runoff from cropland, and help birds and bees.

Now Playing | Twenty minutes outside of Visalia, amidst the seemingly endless rows of citrus trees, Yolanda Cuevas packs enchiladas with shredded chicken for her husband Benjamin, their adult daughters and two teenaged grandchildren in her modest single-story home. Their house is the first one off the main drag, one of 83 lining the two crumbling roads that comprise the tiny town of Tooleville. Yolanda must wash the tomatoes for the salsa first in the sink and then again with a splash of clean water from a 5-gallon jug. The process is arduous, and though she’s resigned to do it, she’s not happy about it. Along with Tooleville’s several hundred other residents, Yolanda’s family has survived on bi-weekly delivery of water to their homes for the past 12 years. It’s an annoyance for the family, and it’s expensive for the State of California, which has been paying for the replacement water since the discovery of Chromium-6 (the same chemical featured in Erin Brokovich) in the water. The simpler solution would be to consolidate the town’s water system with that of its larger, affluent neighbor to the west, Exeter. And for this purpose, Yolanda has become a reluctant activist, attending community meetings in Tooleville and lobbying for consolidation at Exeter’s city council meetings under the expert guidance of Pedro Hernandez, an organizer with the Leadership Counsel. While Exeter has resisted the consolidation since it was first proposed, organizers like Pedro feel that this could be the year Exeter finally succumbs to the growing community pressure and brings Tooleville into the fold. The decision will echo around the Central Valley and across the state, as hundreds of similar community water systems find themselves in a nearly identical predicament.

Drexel and UCLA researchers conduct the first scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy analysis of a unique 2D material. Advanced imaging techniques have revealed the complex...

The former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus shared a lung cancer diagnosis last year

The winning photographs capture moving moments in the midst of tumultuous global events

Cinema Verde presents an interview with Casey Beck the director of "The Great Divide." Twenty minutes outside of Visalia, amidst the seemingly endless rows of citrus trees, Yolanda Cuevas packs enchiladas with shredded chicken for her husband Benjamin, their adult daughters and two teenaged grandchildren in her modest single-story home. Their house is the first one off the main drag, one of 83 lining the two crumbling roads that comprise the tiny town of Tooleville. Yolanda must wash the tomatoes for the salsa first in the sink and then again with a splash of clean water from a 5-gallon jug. The process is arduous, and though she’s resigned to do it, she’s not happy about it. Along with Tooleville’s several hundred other residents, Yolanda’s family has survived on bi-weekly delivery of water to their homes for the past 12 years. It’s an annoyance for the family, and it’s expensive for the State of California, which has been paying for the replacement water since the discovery of Chromium-6 (the same chemical featured in Erin Brokovich) in the water. The simpler solution would be to consolidate the town’s water system with that of its larger, affluent neighbor to the west, Exeter. And for this purpose, Yolanda has become a reluctant activist, attending community meetings in Tooleville and lobbying for consolidation at Exeter’s city council meetings under the expert guidance of Pedro Hernandez, an organizer with the Leadership Counsel. While Exeter has resisted the consolidation since it was first proposed, organizers like Pedro feel that this could be the year Exeter finally succumbs to the growing community pressure and brings Tooleville into the fold. The decision will echo around the Central Valley and across the state, as hundreds of similar community water systems find themselves in a nearly identical predicament. Our full catalog of video interviews and streaming films is available to members at cinemaverde.org.

He says state law gives him the right to turn his garage into an apartment. His HOA says it doesn’t. Who's right?

The photographer’s fight against environmental injustice and historical erasure, one frame at a time.

Discover how the term "no sabo kid" evolved from a put-down to a symbol of cultural pride, as Latinos embrace their identity beyond language fluency and challenge traditional expectations.

Past Presentation | The history of humanity and of our planet in four minutes. An eco-friendly statement developed in a single shot that has it all: humor, action and tragedy.

Neel Mukherjee’s new novel explores the reality that no decision—particularly as a parent—is perfect.

On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Chaves commented on the ongoing investigation regarding the alleged illegal logging case in Gandoca Manzanillo. He backed the National System of Conservation Areas’ (SINAC) decision to grant the permits to the businessman Allan Pacheco Dent. During the press conference, Chaves denied any irregularities or that he owed anyone a favor. The […] The post Costa Rica President Backs Disputed Logging Permits as Investigations Continue appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Now Playing | A man and his daughter are used to living in harmony and peace with nature, but some disruptions change their lovely little life.

Now Playing | Our garbage accumulates and gives life to a plastic monster. We wish his reign to be short. It is probably time to think over how we produce and consume to pollute less.

Jill Hunkler, an Ohio resident who considers herself a “fracking refugee,” is telling her family’s story at the global plastics treaty negotiations in Ottawa this week, where negotiators from about 175 countries are working to advance a treaty to address global plastic pollution.“I was forced to leave my home that I built with my own hands,” she told Environmental Health News. “I lived in Somerset Township, Ohio, where my sister, my mom and I had 13 acres of land and we had spent years building homes on it that we loved, but then 78 fracking well pads were built within five miles of our home.”Air pollution from the fracking operations sickened her and her family, Hunkler said, and they experienced symptoms like headaches, nausea, rashes, body aches and difficulty breathing that they hadn’t experienced before the wells were drilled. The family tried to get help from regulators, but after years of suffering with little action, they opted to move.Her family moved to another property, she said. “But eventually fracking showed up there too, and I moved again to try and escape it. So now I’m twice a fracking refugee.”More than 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, and as the world transitions to renewable energy, fossil fuel companies — particularly those invested in fracking — are driving a new plastics boom to stay profitable. For example, in the Ohio River Valley, where Hunkler is from, Shell recently began operations at its massive Pennsylvania plastics plant that converts fracked ethane gas into plastic pellets, many of which are used to create single-use plastic products like bags and packaging.Since starting up in 2022, Shell’s Pennsylvania plastics plant has been fined millions of dollars for violating clean air laws and is being sued by environmental advocacy groups over potential health impacts from harmful emissions. Last week, Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Michelle Henry also announced charges against Shell for violating Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams laws with industrial waste during construction of the pipelines that bring ethane feedstock from fracked natural gas to the plastics plant. Concerns about pollution from the plant have also caused families to move away from the region.After becoming a fracking refugee, Hunkler spent eight years fighting to stop a similar plastics plant from being built near her home in Ohio — a project that has been put on hold indefinitely.“When people think about the health impacts of plastics they tend to think about harmful microplastics in our bodies, which is really important, but it’s also important to look at the devastating public health impacts all the way down the supply chain” Hunkler said. “Fracking and building pipelines in order to create more poisonous plastic is ruining people’s lives.”Tensions at the plastic pollution treaty talksIf the current trajectory for the plastics industry continues unabated, plastic manufacturing is estimated to account for more than a third of the growth in oil demand by 2030 and nearly half by 2050—ahead of trucks, aviation, and shipping, according to the International Energy Agency.The stated goal of the global plastics treaty is to end plastic pollution by 2040. Hunkler, like many other activists, believe this goal won’t be achieved unless plastic production stops. They are supporting a version of the plastic treaty supported by a group of “High Ambition” countries that includes slowing down plastic production via bans, restrictions or caps."It’s important to look at the devastating public health impacts all the way down the supply chain" – Jill Hunkler, an Ohio resident who considers herself a “fracking refugee.” Meanwhile, plastic industry lobbyists – also attending the negotiations in Ottawa – are promoting plastic’s beneficial uses, such as medical products and reducing food waste. The plastics industry, alongside a coalition of mostly fossil-fuel-producing countries, are pushing “chemical recycling” as a solution to plastic pollution, but environmental advocates say the process is energy-intensive, creates toxic air and water pollution, and fails to actually reduce plastic waste. It has also proven difficult to profit from chemical recycling operations — none of the approximately ten operational plants in the US are currently operating at full capacity, according to a report from the advocacy group Beyond Plastic. This month a chemical recycling plant in Oregon was shuttered, and a proposed plant in Pennsylvania was canceled amid concerns about the efficacy and feasibility of chemical recycling.“I hope sharing my story will help the negotiators in Ottawa recognize that fracking and extracting fossil fuels to keep making more plastic is toxic,” Hunkler said. “With the exception of the small amount of plastic that’s needed for medical and other essential uses, we do not need plastic to function as a society. It’s a relatively new product on the planet, and the convenience of it is not worth jeopardizing the health of our children and future generations.”

Students, nonprofit groups and others are fund-raising to cap highly polluting oil and gas wells abandoned by industry.

Past Presentation | “Now, I think I'm the coolest of the creatures in the sea but sometimes it's confusing - even just for me! 'Cause I'm a little polyp - maybe not what you call 'hip.' They named me a 'cnidarian' - who knows, but some librarian??”

Now Playing | A boy is watching a soccer game on TV and gets so excited he forgets he’s in the middle of a haircut. Oops!

Past Presentation | This episode looks at a range of sustainable practices young Edmontonians are engaged in to bring local, healthy and delicious food to local tables. Host Paula Humby plants an apple tree.

Now Playing | An experimental short film from Iran.

Now Playing | A young girl trying to get to school on time… but sometimes you need to stop and pick a pomegranate! Right?!

The deaths of two elderly siblings and their 60-year-old caretaker at first mystified Brownsville. Extreme heat is a quiet but growing threat for Rio Grande Valley residents with chronic health conditions.

Now Playing | Jenny goes out for a drink with a polar bear, and they hit it off. But can they solve the bigger problems the world faces?

Do you think you are too young to get screened for cancer? Think again. It might save your life

Past Presentation | Year after year, family members of an indigenous ethnic group of Huicholes, from the Sierra Madre of Nayarit and Jalisco, leave their communities with their entire families to work as tobacco laborers. Including pregnant women and children, they live at the tobacco fields and are exposed continuously to chemicals that cause many chronic and serious illnesses.

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Past Presentation | In 1974 the Dolores Cyclone flooded the town of Charco Redondo and its inhabitants were forced to go into exile and found a new community. Four decades later, the Salinas Tello, an afromestizo family, lets us enter their privacy, while preparing the town's patronal celebration. Through them, we learn about their daily lives and “They made us the night” draws a sketch about their identity, marked by tonales, devils and cyclones.

Now Playing | In Sierra Maestra, Cuba, José Manuel explains to his granddaughter Malena his world view through deep knowledge of natures' mysteries. Plants and people have great resemblances and must respect each other. José Manuel hopes that Malena inherits the knowledge that he obtained from the father and she becomes a great mountain tree.

Past Presentation | A joyful film about connecting to the land and the community. Produced over 4 years it follows the Salatins, a 4th generation farming family who do ‘everything different to everyone else’ as they produce food in a way that works with nature, not against it. Using the symbiotic relationships of animals and their natural functions, they produce high quality, nutrient-dense products.

Now Playing | A man who lives alone on his island goes on an unknown journey caused by the rising ocean. After witnessing a catastrophe on the way, he finds hope again with other people. But when the ocean rises again, this time he makes an unexpected decision to another unknown.

Jade Sasser’s research explores one of the biggest questions facing the climate-conscious. Her new book focuses on the racial dimensions of eco-anxiety and reproduction decisions.

Now Playing | A little girl lives in a village with her mother where water sources are dwindling by day. Drought effects her imagination, even her doodles and drawings. Not only people but the nature struggles with the unrelenting aridness. This little girl though, never loses hope. She tries to do as best she can, sacrificing from herself for her beloved nature.

Past Presentation | Mountain Man is a social issue documentary that chronicles, in verite style, Joel's struggle to find a balance between an obligatory fast paced Orange County lifestyle and the natural beauty in Orange County and the greater Southern California area that goes seemingly unnoticed. This short documentary follows the ebbs and flows of Joel's work in Naturalist for You. He struggles to attract participants but also experiences the triumphs of fostering inspiration. He struggles to support his family, while also maintaining a constant dedication to his organization.