In this week's trip beyond the headlines, Peter Dykstra and Host Steve Curwood take a look at the science that shows that microplastics can be absorbed into the flesh of fish. Then, the two take a look at the "freedom to drive" movement, a rallying cry made by the fossil fuel industry to deter people from using electric vehicles. Finally, a look back to when President Jimmy Carter offered an exemption to the Endangered Species Act for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The Trump administration’s latest rollback of Obama-era rules concerns the Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, policy, which had given the EPA authority to protect wetlands, small tributaries and ephemeral streams from pollution, industrial activities, and development. Vermont Law School professor Pat Parenteau explains to Host Steve Curwood what the rollback could mean for water quality and wetlands conservation across the country.

The warming world is on fire – but so is the movement that’s calling for action, writes journalist and activist Naomi Klein. In her book On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal, she lays out a case for why the climate crisis presents an opportunity to address economic inequality, racism, misogyny, and other societal problems. Naomi Klein tells Host Steve Curwood climate disruption can no longer be addressed with just singular policies as only radical systemic change will work.

Two years ago, Hurricane Maria made a direct hit to Puerto Rico, killing thousands, destroying homes, and crippling the island’s energy infrastructure, which led to the biggest blackout in United States history when Puerto Rico’s fossil fuel-dependent grid went down. Bobby Bascomb reports on how the territory is working towards getting 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2050 in an effort to improve resiliency.

Sept 23rd is the 2019 United Nations’ Climate Action Summit, an opportunity for nations to ramp up their greenhouse gas reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement. And Climate Week NYC, scheduled from September 23rd to September 30th, aims for sub-national governments, businesses, activists, and more from around the world to come together and discuss climate action. Alden Meyer, Director of Strategy and Policy with the Union of Concerned Scientists, joined Host Steve Curwood to discuss what to expect from the summit.