Peter Dykstra and Host Steve Curwood discuss the high rates of solar panel ownership among National Rifle Association members and the record temperatures that have scorched the Northern hemisphere. Later, they look back on the blight epidemic that nearly wiped out the American Chestnut tree in the early half of the 20th century, and share good news about this iconic species’ gradual comeback.

The hot, dry early summer months in the desert Southwest usually give way in July to the intense rains of the monsoon season. And as BirdNote®’s Michael Stein reports, this reprieve from the searing drought gripping the Southwest can bring life back to the desert as some sparrows take the rain as a cue to begin their courtship songs.

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 was strengthened by a Congressional overhaul in 2016 that provided uniform federal review standards for thousands of everyday chemicals, and gave the EPA power to review them for safety. But just two years later, the EPA is narrowing the mandate. Britt Erikson of Chemical and Engineering News tells Host Steve Curwood that EPA is investigating ten chemicals of special concern out of the tens of thousands that need review with criteria focused on direct exposure that ignore air and water quality issues and overlook legacy uses of substances like asbestos.

Near Pittsburgh, a popular hiking trail named after a hero of the environmental movement winds up and down hilly terrain, passing busy suburban roads, power lines, pipeline rights-of-way and even a coal ash pile. Now, a shale gas well has been added along the trail and as the Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier reports, some hikers aren’t happy about this latest industrial feature.

Boston Medical Center, a major trauma center and teaching hospital, is reimagining what it means to care for patients, with a new rooftop agriculture project. Living on Earth Host Jaime Kaiser visited the hospital to learn more about the farm, which is providing fresh produce for patient and employee meals.

President Trump has nominated Appellate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Vermont Law School Professor Pat Parenteau tells Host Jaime Kaiser how Judge Kavanaugh’s conservative record could affect a range of environmental issues from endangered species protections to climate action.

With the departure of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, former coal lobbyist and Senate staffer Andrew Wheeler now takes over as Acting Administrator, and is expected to keep rolling back regulations. Britt Erickson, a senior editor at Chemical and Engineering News, spoke with Host Steve Curwood about what’s at stake in the EPA transition.

Living on Earth gives a voice to Orion Magazine’s longtime feature, “The Place Where You Live,” in which readers write about their favorite places. In this week’s edition, teacher Sasha Johnson shares her essay on living in Anchorage, Alaska, a place of bold, adventurous folks willing to endure hardship in chasing their dreams.