Lauren Sommer
Lauren Sommer covers climate change for NPR's Science Desk, from the scientists on the front lines of documenting the warming climate to the way those changes are reshaping communities and ecosystems around the world.
Prior to joining NPR, Sommer spent more than a decade covering climate and environment for KQED Public Radio in San Francisco. During her time there, she delved into the impacts of California's historic drought during dry years and reported on destructive floods during wet years, and covered how communities responded to record-breaking wildfires.
Sommer has also examined California's ambitious effort to cut carbon emissions across its economy and investigated the legacy of its oil industry. On the lighter side, she ran from charging elephant seals and searched for frogs in Sierra Nevada lakes.
She was also host of KQED's macrophotography nature series Deep Look, which searched for universal truths in tiny organisms like black-widow spiders and parasites. Sommer has received a national Edward R. Murrow for use of sound, as well as awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Society of Environmental Journalists.
Based at NPR's San Francisco bureau, Sommer grew up in the West, minus a stint on the East Coast to attend Cornell University.
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Scientists are finding that Western wildfires can have far-reaching impacts. If they're burning while Central U.S. thunderstorms are forming, the rain and hail can be dramatically more destructive. -
Unprecedented heat waves are on the rise as the climate gets hotter. But experts say the country's heat warning system may be leading the public to underestimate the dangers. -
Extreme weather which is fueled by climate change is posing a bigger and bigger threat to the nation's water infrastructure.
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Our bodies couldn't endure the summer heat without sweating. But as the climate gets hotter, sweat isn't cooling us off like it used to.
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As record-breaking heat scorches the West, some disaster experts say our warning system may not be enough. Many people aren't getting alerted when heat can be deadly.
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President Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. We take a look at the viability of the law's provision concerning capturing carbon emissions.
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Many communities are still rebuilding after wildfires in recent years, but few states require homes to be built with wildfire-resistant materials. A new study shows it's not as expensive as some say.
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Many Western states lack building codes for wildfire-resistant homes. But a new study finds the costs can be minimal, undercutting long-held building industry arguments against such codes. -
Many people move without realizing the danger that wildfires pose to their new home. A new risk rating system could help buyers learn more on real estate sites. -
California broke its record for renewable energy when solar and wind provided enough to meet all consumer demand. At the time, natural gas power plants were still on, a necessity for the grid.
