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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As Americans stayed home during the pandemic, cars and planes produced less heat-trapping emissions. But the effect is only temporary. -
This year had a relentless number of extreme wildfires and hurricanes. They were driven by climate change, and global temperatures that were among the hottest ever recorded.
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2020 and 2016 are virtually tied for the hottest year on record. That means more powerful hurricanes, more intense wildfires, less ice and longer heat waves. -
Many communities are locking down again due to the case surges, giving scientists more of a chance to see how that's changing the environment. They're finding it's affecting air and water quality.
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Mary Nichols has been in charge of California's Air Resources Board for the past 13 years.
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Homeowners are rebuilding after wildfires, but many won't be required by governments to use fire-resistant materials. Without such improvements, communities face harm again with the next fire. -
Wildfires are still burning in the West at a time of year when fire activity is supposed to die down. Scientists say it's an example of how climate change is making the fire season longer.
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Many homeowners who lost everything in a wildfire had no idea they were at risk. Only two states require disclosing wildfire risk to buyers in the house hunting process.
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President Trump has forged a friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. NPR discusses what might happen to U.S.-India ties if there's a change in the White House.
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More and more Americans now live in wildfire-prone landscapes and have no idea of the perils they face. Here's how to find out.
