After announcing at the end of May it was dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative, the National Science Foundation faced widespread public criticism and the Senate passed a bipartisan measure to preserve the vital ocean monitoring network. NSF then reversed its decision and says an array that was already being removed will be redeployed. Living on Earth’s Aynsley O’Neill joins Hosts Steve Curwood and Jenni Doering to discuss this reprieve for climate and ocean science.

Our sixth and final installment of interviews with the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize winners features Latin American winner Yuvelis Morales Blanco, honored for fighting against fracking in Colombia. Living on Earth’s Paloma Beltran spoke with Yuvelis about her activism and the death threats she received. The recent presidential elections in Colombia put fracking back on the table, after four years of an administration that signaled a desire to transition away from fossil fuels.

Hosts Steve Curwood and Jenni Doering continue their conversation with forest ecologist Suzanne Simard about her latest book When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World. They discuss the interconnections between forests, the climate, salmon, Indigenous peoples and more.

James Bruggers, who passed away in June, was a champion of environmental justice reporting who helped build the Society of Environmental Journalists with 13 years on its board and another two as its president. As a reporter for Inside Climate News, Jim appeared on Living on Earth over the years, and we remember his inspiring impact.

An intricate web of roots and fungi connects life in an old growth forest, allowing ancient “Mother trees” to nourish and protect their kin. Forest ecologist Suzanne Simard studies these connections at the University of British Columbia and takes readers into the field with her in her book, Finding the Mother Tree. She joins Living on Earth’s Jenni Doering to share her research findings and reflects on how these trees helped her through the challenges of motherhood and a cancer diagnosis.

In the lower Mississippi River region commonly known as Cancer Alley, communities of color live among industrial pollution while white neighborhoods have been mostly spared from heavy industry. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is now considering whether to allow a landmark environmental racism lawsuit brought against the local government to go to trial. Inside Climate News reporter James Bruggers discusses the case background and context with Host Aynsley O’Neill.