A decade ago, a federal task force announced a plan to help monarch butterflies along their great migration. The six-sta

Data center distrust is so strong that Kansans are putting forward petitions to stop local governments from developing t

Wendell Berry championed small farms, agrarianism and conservation for decades.

Hundreds of pesticides are legal, but that doesn’t mean that their impacts on health are fully understood. Cleaning prod

Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department got money to restore a range of habitats in the region — including prairi

Inflation in food prices can hit even harder for people in their 60s and older as they also juggle fixed incomes, health problems and changes in federal law. Experts say the age group is a “forgotten…

U.S. Geological Survey researchers developed models to better understand the timing and sources contributing to nutrient

New federal data shows that AI demand helped push U.S. power sector emissions up last year.

Together, wind and solar generated 44 percent of Germany’s electricity, while fossil fuels generated roughly 43 percent, according to data from the Energy Institute, a think tank based in London. The figures represent a major milestone for the German “Energiewende,” or “energy turnaround,” a national push to ramp up renewable energy and phase out gas, coal, and nuclear power. 

Pesticide pollution is a problem especially in the middle of the country. And sometimes there's enough of it to possibly hurt aquatic plants and animals.

New federal rules for dicamba aim to help cotton and soybean farmers control weeds. But the herbicide, which can kill other crops and trees, remains controversial.

Outfitted with a little eyelash glue and tiny, solar-powered tags, Kristen Baum and her team at Monarch Watch will be able to watch the progress of monarch butterflies hatched in Lawrence as they fly ...

When a species is facing extinction, it takes an enormous human effort to stave it off. Case in point: the painstaking campaign to save the frosted flatwoods salamander.

A decade ago, a rush of illicit gold mining brought hunger and disease to the Yanomami people of the Brazilian Amazon. New research finds a clear link between mining and the spread of malaria.

Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall while Steve Kraske interviews the movers and shakers from around the KC metro? Here's your chance.

There aren't many details on what Monarch or NextEra envision for western Sedgwick County, in part because people selling land have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements with the companies.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s agriculture business grows hemp without irrigation, insecticides or plowing. Now its product is helping to build a home in Ogden.

Deep Fission says it plans to install a nuclear reactor underground at an industrial park in southeast Kansas. State and local government leaders are on board. It’s part of a national push for new nuc...

Every two and a half miles of barbed wire is responsible for killing one deer, elk or pronghorn a year, one study estimated.

A major breach of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department reveals for the first time, a list of alleged officer misconduct including dishonesty, sexual harassment, excessive force, and false arrest...

As the federal government shutdown drags on, tens of millions of people are at risk of losing food and nutrition aid as a result. KCUR and NPR want to hear from you about the potential loss or delay of these food benefits.

Deep Fission is a fledgling startup that says it can help tech companies meet the "explosive demand" for more energy to power artificial intelligence.

A company cofounded by Bill Gates will explore building a reactor in Kansas. It would generate power without emissions, but environmental groups have concerns.

A company cofounded by Bill Gates will explore building a reactor in Kansas. It would generate power without emissions, but environmental groups have concerns.

For the first time, NPR's Student Podcast Challenge has a returning champion: a California fifth grader who explored a dark chapter in U.S. history during World War II.

Surveillance footage shows Philip March being pummeled and robbed of his car keys in 2022. Hazelwood is prosecuting him for property damage.

In dry years, Tuttle Creek Lake and other reservoirs keep the Kansas River flowing strong enough to provide drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. But these manmade lakes are disappearing...

Last month, Kansas City, Kansas, planning commissioners delayed their vote on a permit for 30 days and told the company that it must do more to meet with the public. Members of the community are conce...

The Senate voted by a razor-thin margin late Tuesday to advance debate on a package of funding cuts requested by President Trump that would claw back $1.1 billion previously allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Well-designed lighting lets people see at night while reducing the negative impacts of artificial light on pollinators and birds. It's also better for human sleep.

A narrow majority of the House voted to rescind existing funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, sending the proposal to the U.S. Senate. If approved, this bill represents an existential...

President Trump is asking lawmakers to claw back the $1.1 billion in federal subsidies for public broadcasting that Congress approved earlier this year. Such a funding cut would directly impact local ...

We have inadvertently filled our world with poorly designed outdoor lighting. The price? We’re losing our starry skies, hurting our health, killing pollinators, wasting billions of dollars and releasi...

As the Colorado River’s reservoirs have declined, even larger amounts of groundwater have been drained from aquifers. Using satellite data, scientists have estimated the vast water losses.

NPR and three Colorado public radio stations are suing the Trump administration over the president's executive order seeking to ban the use of federal money for NPR and PBS.

Insects are often under pressure from several threats at once, from pesticides to habitat loss to pollution.

President Trump signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease direct and indirect funding for NPR and its member stations, which include KCUR and Classical KC. H...

Researchers are starting to pay closer attention to the widespread damage wrought by agricultural herbicides. Drifting sprays may not kill trees, shrubs, and other nontarget plants outright, but exper...

Podcast Episode · Up From Dust · 05/06/2025 · 24m