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    <title>NPR Topics: Environment</title>
    <link>https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1025</link>
    <description>Breaking news on the environment, climate change, pollution, and endangered species. Also featuring Climate Connections, a special series on climate change co-produced by NPR and National Geographic.</description>
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      <title>NPR Topics: Environment</title>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/sections/environment/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>These major issues have brought together Democrats and Republicans in states</title>
      <description>Across the country, Republicans and Democrats have found bipartisan agreement on regulating artificial intelligence and data centers. But it&apos;s not just big tech aligning the two parties.</description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:22:21 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/26/nx-s1-5726431/data-centers-ai-trump-housing-states</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/26/nx-s1-5726431/data-centers-ai-trump-housing-states</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1913x1275+0+0/resize/1913x1275!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fff%2Fb8%2F90e47f5e41a3a1f98bd4554fd531%2Fap26043795166336.jpg' alt='A data center owned by Amazon Web Services, front right, is under construction next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Pa., Jan. 14, 2025.'/><p>Across the country, Republicans and Democrats have found bipartisan agreement on regulating artificial intelligence and data centers. But it's not just big tech aligning the two parties.</p><p>(Image credit: Ted Shaffrey)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5726431' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Regan McCarthy</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Why farmers in California are backing a giant solar farm</title>
      <description>Many farmers have had to fallow land as a state law comes into effect limiting their access to water. There&apos;s now a push to develop some of that land … into solar farms.</description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 05:25:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/26/nx-s1-5726411/farmers-california-san-joaquin-valley-solar-farm-westlands-water-district-golden-state-clean-energy</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/26/nx-s1-5726411/farmers-california-san-joaquin-valley-solar-farm-westlands-water-district-golden-state-clean-energy</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5061x3374+0+0/resize/5061x3374!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F74%2F62%2F30f5ee5f43d58745dc58940ee3a2%2Fap25072773459614.jpg' alt='The San Luis Canal flows alongside farmland in Huron, Calif. Some farmers in the region are leaving land fallow because water is increasingly scarce.'/><p>Many farmers have had to fallow land as a state law comes into effect limiting their access to water. There's now a push to develop some of that land … into solar farms.</p><p>(Image credit: Jae C. Hong)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5726411' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Dan Charles</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Under new regulation, common pesticide would require &apos;prescription&apos; for use</title>
      <description>Neonicotinoids are widely used pesticides, but they kill bees and harm ecosystems. New rules would treat them more like controlled drugs, requiring something akin to a prescription for their use.</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:40:56 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5720150/under-new-regulation-common-pesticide-would-require-prescription-for-use</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5720150/under-new-regulation-common-pesticide-would-require-prescription-for-use</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Neonicotinoids are widely used pesticides, but they kill bees and harm ecosystems. New rules would treat them more like controlled drugs, requiring something akin to a prescription for their use.</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5720150' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Rae Solomon</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>How more than 240 million gallons of sewage flowed into the Potomac River</title>
      <description>NPR&apos;s Erika Ryan reports from the site of one of the nation&apos;s largest sewage spills ever — just outside of Washington, D.C. — in January.</description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 16:37:38 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/20/nx-s1-5716215/how-more-than-240-million-gallons-of-sewage-flowed-into-the-potomac-river</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/20/nx-s1-5716215/how-more-than-240-million-gallons-of-sewage-flowed-into-the-potomac-river</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>NPR's Erika Ryan reports from the site of one of the nation's largest sewage spills ever — just outside of Washington, D.C. — in January.</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5716215' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Erika Ryan</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Scientists worry about lasting damage from Potomac sewage spill</title>
      <description>Drinking water around the District of Columbia hasn&apos;t been contaminated. But scientists say the environmental damage could be severe.</description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:16:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/20/nx-s1-5719779/environment-washington-dc-sewer-spill-sewage-potomac-river</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/20/nx-s1-5719779/environment-washington-dc-sewer-spill-sewage-potomac-river</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4080x2720+0+0/resize/4080x2720!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8b%2F16%2F1db3afd64c2894e25b9699c79b34%2Fap26023630088212.jpg' alt='Water samples are taken from the Potomac River in Maryland in January. A massive pipe that moves millions of gallons of sewage ruptured and sent wastewater flowing into the Potomac River northwest of Washington, D.C.'/><p>Drinking water around the District of Columbia hasn't been contaminated. But scientists say the environmental damage could be severe.</p><p>(Image credit: Nathan Ellgren)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5719779' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Michael Copley</dc:creator>
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    <item>
      <title>Surprise shark caught on camera for first time in Antarctica&apos;s near-freezing deep</title>
      <description>Many experts had thought sharks didn&apos;t exist in the frigid waters of Antarctica.</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 02:26:28 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/nx-s1-5718010/shark-caught-on-camera-antarctica</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/nx-s1-5718010/shark-caught-on-camera-antarctica</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2528x1685+0+0/resize/2528x1685!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fee%2F6c%2Fd9d4566c47a58769721fbf5ff9c9%2Fap26049118586151.jpg' alt='In this image made from video and released by the University of Western Australia, a sleeper shark swims into the spotlight of a video camera in Antarctica in January 2025.'/><p>Many experts had thought sharks didn't exist in the frigid waters of Antarctica.</p><p>(Image credit: University of Western Australia)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5718010' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>The Associated Press</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>What we know about the massive sewage leak in the Potomac River</title>
      <description>A collapsed sewer line, about 8 miles from the White House, pumped 368 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of wastewater into the Potomac. Repairs could take longer than previously expected.</description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 19:10:25 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/07/nx-s1-5705313/broken-pipe-sewage-spill-potomac-river</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/07/nx-s1-5705313/broken-pipe-sewage-spill-potomac-river</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5647x3770+0+0/resize/5647x3770!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F96%2Fe6%2Fdf6e407b4bde96c71430c8794df8%2Fap26023777740351.jpg' alt='A massive pipe leak has surged 243 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac river.'/><p>A collapsed sewer line, about 8 miles from the White House, pumped 368 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of wastewater into the Potomac. Repairs could take longer than previously expected.</p><p>(Image credit: Cliff Owen)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5705313' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Andrew Limbong</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Winter Olympics in Italy were meant to be sustainable. Are they?</title>
      <description>Italy&apos;s Winter Olympics promised sustainability. But in Cortina, environmentalists warn the Games could scar these mountains for decades.</description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 14:09:36 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/05/nx-s1-5687277/winter-olympics-italy-environmental-impact</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/05/nx-s1-5687277/winter-olympics-italy-environmental-impact</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='undefined' alt='An overhead shot captures the construction of the new Cortina Sliding Centre, a track spanning approximately 1.4 kilometers with 16 curves, designed to host bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge events for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The project has become a focal point for environmental protests after the felling of approximately 500 ancient larch trees in the Ronco forest to clear the path for the concrete structure'/><p>Italy's Winter Olympics promised sustainability. But in Cortina, environmentalists warn the Games could scar these mountains for decades.</p><p>(Image credit: Valerio Muscella for NPR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5687277' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Ruth Sherlock</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Trump administration exempts new nuclear reactors from environmental review</title>
      <description>The announcement comes just days after NPR revealed the administration had secretly rewritten safety and environmental standards.</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:09:46 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/02/nx-s1-5696525/trump-nuclear-safety-regulations-environmental-review</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/02/02/nx-s1-5696525/trump-nuclear-safety-regulations-environmental-review</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2500x1666+0+0/resize/2500x1666!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F26%2Ffc%2F8442905e43fab7412bc2170d4b94%2F32176873800-c43d69da1d-o-1.jpg' alt='The Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. The laboratory will soon be home to five new test reactors being built by private companies. Supporters hope the reactors will power data centers needed for artificial intelligence.'/><p>The announcement comes just days after NPR revealed the administration had secretly rewritten safety and environmental standards.</p><p>(Image credit: Idaho National Laboratory)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5696525' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Geoff Brumfiel</dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>FAQ: What is wind chill, and why is it dangerous?</title>
      <description>Strong winds can make it feel a lot colder than the thermometer suggests. Protect yourself by covering exposed skin and sheltering inside.</description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.npr.org/2026/01/30/nx-s1-5692734/what-is-wind-chill-cold-weather</link>
      <guid>https://www.npr.org/2026/01/30/nx-s1-5692734/what-is-wind-chill-cold-weather</guid>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3500x2333+0+0/resize/3500x2333!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4e%2Fb3%2Fc187cf4d4702ae7e3806bc34e84c%2Fap26025482592295.jpg' alt='A person walks across a street during a winter storm in Philadelphia on Jan. 25. High winds and frigid weather can lead to dangerous wind chill conditions.'/><p>Strong winds can make it feel a lot colder than the thermometer suggests. Protect yourself by covering exposed skin and sheltering inside.</p><p>(Image credit: Matt Rourke)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5692734' />]]></content:encoded>
      <dc:creator>Rebecca Hersher</dc:creator>
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