Science/Environment

From NPR

Pipeline Flip Turns U.S. Oil World 'Upside Down'

A pipeline built to bring oil from Texas to the Midwest will now send it in the other direction.

NASA, SpaceX Aim To Launch Private Era In Orbit

A new mission plans to send the first commercial spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Ancient Deep-Sea Bacteria Are In No Hurry To Eat

Hardy bacteria on the bottom of the Pacific are living out the most Spartan lifestyle ever known.

Fracking's Methane Trail: A Detective Story

How much pollution does natural gas drilling create? Nobody really knows.

From KQED

South Bay Water Supplier Investigated For Oil Spills

The Santa Clara Valley Water District could face fines for spilling hydraulic oil into the reservoirs that provide drinking water to Silicon Valley.

Looking to Migrating Birds for Clues About Climate Change

Scientists are studying migrating birds, to determine what migration patterns can tell us about climate change.

Easing Pressure on the Delta

California is always just one long drought away from a crisis. At the center of the state's complicated and aging water system is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Polls show many Californians aren't sure what or where the Delta is -- but the fate of cities, farmers and even fish depends on it. Efforts to relieve some of that pressure on the Delta often result in political deadlock. We look at the latest effort to break the Delta log jam.

Leonard Mlodinow: 'Subliminal'

We'd like to think that the choices we make are the product of deliberate, conscious reasoning. But Leonard Mlodinow says that's not the whole story. In his new book, "Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior," Mlodinow discusses the many hidden quirks of the human brain that shape our decisions and understanding of the world.

PBS NewsHour

Bugs for Dinner? Join the Rest of the World

Many Americans would squirm when thinking of eating an insect. But a fledgling movement praising insects' health benefits and low environmental impact is encouraging Americans to swap steak sandwiches for salted crickets tostadita.

Why Clean, Safe Water Is Still Out of Reach for Liberia

Since 1980, Liberia has tackled a cycle of civil war, claiming over 200,000 lives while developing an impossible water crisis. In partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, correspondent Steve Sapienza and two local journalists unearth why the government and aid agencies can't crack the country's water problems.

News Wrap: 3 More Secret Service Agents Lose Jobs Over Scandal

In other news Tuesday, another three Secret Service agents lost their jobs as a result of the ongoing prostitution scandal ahead of President Obama's Colombia trip. A total of nine have now been forced out and three have been cleared. Also, a Kofi Annan spokesman accused Syria's government of subverting U.N. observers' efforts.

Baby Dolphin Die-Offs Continue in the Gulf

An unusually high number of dead dolphins - including stillborn and infant calves - have washed up along the Gulf of Mexico shores in the two years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded into flames, unleashing tens of thousands of barrels of oil into the ocean.

More from NPR

What Killed Orca Victoria? Some Point To Naval Tests

Experts say the whale may have been exposed to a bomb or sonar; the Navy denies responsibility.

Town's Effort To Link Fracking And Illness Falls Short

Despite residents' fears, scientists say they can't link health woes to gas wells in Dish, Texas.

'Close Encounters' With Gas Well Pollution

A quest to find answers on fracking pollution becomes too polarizing to pursue.

With Gas Boom, Pennsylvania Fears New Toxic Legacy

From truck traffic to toxic water management, fracking raises new concerns for industry and locals.