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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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on countries to step up their climate commitments. Meanwhile, the U.K. plans to backtrack.
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The coast guard and local officials have put up barriers to help avoid runoff from rain. Even though Lahaina is a dry place, what are the continuing threats to ocean health from the burn zone?
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The death toll from the Maui wildfires rose again on Monday as officials warned that number would rise, while also acknowledging public frustration from residents still barred from visiting Lahaina.
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Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he has ordered a comprehensive review to understand the actions taken before, during and after last week's wildfires on Maui.
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The Biden administration is moving ahead with what could be the largest national marine sanctuary in the continental U.S. A Native American tribe is hoping to be partners in managing it. -
Extreme weather has already taken a big toll this summer around the world. So as the climate keeps changing, how much worse should we expect disasters to get? And what are the lessons for next time?
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A wet winter in California has helped many plants and animals, but some species are struggling. An effort is underway to relocate endangered rabbits to higher ground.
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As Western wildfires get more destructive, scientists are finding a far-off connection to shrinking ice on the Arctic Ocean.
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The massive ice sheet on Greenland is shrinking as the climate gets hotter, pouring fresh water into the Atlantic Ocean. That could be setting off a chain reaction that's altering ocean ecosystems.
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The world's massive ice sheets and glaciers are melting as climate change raises temperatures. Scientists warn that disappearing ice is having surprising and far-reaching effects.
