The World from PRX

Bobby BascombBB

Bobby Bascomb

Bobby Bascomb is a freelance producer based in South Africa. Formerly she was a producer and reporter for the public radio program Living on Earth since 2006. With a background in environmental studies and geography, her reporting focuses on the often-complicated relationship between human development and environmental conservation. She has reported on critical environmental issues ranging from indigenous land rights to climate change.Bobby has collaborated on a series of reports focused on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, including an hour-long documentary. That work explored a United Nations mechanism to mitigate climate change by reducing tropical deforestation. She also reported on the construction of a highly controversial dam installation on the Madeira River at the border between Brazil and Bolivia.
Fruits and vegetables are often wrapped in plastics containing chemicals harmful to human health
Health & Medicine
A new study highlights the urgent need to regulate phthalates in plastic
A coal-fired power station in Witbank, South Africa
Climate Change
World leaders agree to help South Africa phase out coal
Cattle graze on land recently burned and deforested by cattle farmers near Novo Progresso, Para state, Brazil.
Climate Change
World leaders pledged to end forest loss. What will it take?
A female North Atlantic Right whale entangled in fishing gear
Environment
North Atlantic right whales are shrinking in size as they struggle to survive environmental havoc
Nancy Sharabarin hands money to a customer buying strawberries at the Saturday farmers market as business opens up with a successful vaccination campaign in Portland, Oregon, Saturday, June 5, 2021.
Food
There’s still time for canning, preserving and freezing excess fruits and veggies
Climate change activists show hands in support of climate action during a climate strike rally, as part of a global youth-led day of global action.
Climate Change
Study finds widespread climate anxiety among youth
Anna's hummingbird
Environment
‘The Hummingbirds’ Gift’ sings the praises of this ‘superlative’ bird
An adult cicada rests after shedding its nymphal skin, on the bark of an an oak tree early Wednesday, May 5, 2021, on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland.
Food
17-year cicadas — noisy nuisance to some, delicacy to others
Adult cicadas cover a plant, Monday, May 17, 2021, at Woodend Sanctuary and Mansion, in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Environment
Have you seen the Brood X cicadas?
Humpback whales undergo one of the longest migrations of any mammal on Earth — over 6,000 miles.
Arts, Culture & Media
A NatGeo documentary reveals ‘Secrets of the Whales’
The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam stands in the Xingu River in Altamira, Para state, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. 
Environment
Plan to divert water to Brazil’s Belo Monte dam threatens Indigenous peoples and wildlife
An illustration of blue and black magnetic field lines that Earth generates today.
Science
Scientists link Earth’s magnetic reversals to changes in planet’s life and climate
Red and white trucks flank a tall drilling well pictured against the sky
Environment
Trying to measure fracking’s toll on human health
National Geographic Explorer and wildlife DJ Ben Mirin.
Music
‘Nature is always singing’: Now you can make your own music from nature’s sounds
Riparian forest in northern Mexico
Environment
This land and water preservationist is a ‘force of nature’ in northern Mexico
US-Mexico border Nogales
Borders
Tensions at the US southern border are putting scientists and their work at risk
Tulsi Gabbard
US politics
US should shift military funds to climate change fixes, says POTUS hopeful Tulsi Gabbard
Crops were damaged in Puerto Rico
Environment
After Hurricane Maria, farmers in Puerto Rico struggle to rebuild
PR road and electrical wires
Environment
In Puerto Rico, neighbors turn to each other in Maria’s aftermath
Hurricane Maria aftermath
¡Puerto Rico se levanta! Rebuilding after Maria
Puerto Rico’s tropical forests are showing resilience after Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria aftermath
With government sidelined, citizen scientists test water quality in Puerto Rico
Elkhorn coral is one of the main varieties of coral that workers on the northern coast of Puerto Rico have been able to restore following damage done by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Science
Local NGOs repair Puerto Rico’s coral reefs in Maria’s aftermath
The Rumney Marsh, a haven to both birds and fish, sits in a highly industrial area north of Boston. For decades, the marsh's welfare has been in jeopardy due to its close proximity to an incinerator.
Residents worry Massachusetts waste incinerator is contaminating waterways
Queen Conch
Environment
In the Caribbean, queen conches are living on the edge
Kids playing on tree
Education
Nature-based preschools, where children spend most of their day outside, are a growing trend in the United States
African woman in Lesotho
Justice
Women in Africa face increased risk from severe drought
White Rhino
Technology
Anti-poaching efforts may get a boost from a DNA database for rhino horn
Elephant
Justice
The largest-ever world wildlife conference made progress on stemming illegal wildlife trade
Lions
Environment
Why lions can feast during a drought
Mavis, a housekeeper from the Pretoria township of Mamelodi, depends on her garden to help provide for her five children and seven grandchildren. But with this year's region-wide drought, her garden is just a dusty patch of seedlings. “I want rain every d
Environment
For one South African house cleaner, this year’s big drought means crying, hungry children
Trevor Noah
Culture
Here’s a sneak peek at The Daily Show with Trevor Noah —and some advice from his South African fans
Rhino Rescue staff collect DNA samples from an animal during a procedure.
Environment
Poisoning rhino horns doesn’t hurt the rhinos, but it may keep poachers away
A Madagascar Biodiversity Project poster illustrates the symbiotic relationship between the black and white ruffed lemur and the forests they live in, centered on food and poop. The project aims to use lemur poop to help restore forest habitat for the ben
Environment
Lemur poop might save Madagascar’s forests — and economy
Modern Gleaning Helps the Hungry
The Green School
The Asian common toad has lived side by side with other creatures in its native habitat for millennia. But introduced into a new location the mildly poisonous species can wreak havoc on unsuspecting predators. That's why scientists were worried to find th
Environment
In Madagascar, invasive toads are threatening rare wildlife and frightening locals
Pesticides on Produce
Pesticides on Produce
Pesticides on Produce
Divesting From Fossil Fuels
Environment
Is your BPA-free water bottle as safe as you think it is?
Environment
Is your BPA-free water bottle as safe as you think it is?
Protecting the Amazon, Preserving Culture
Modern Gleaning Helps the Hungry
Power Shift – Generating Community Solar Power
Solar Powered Ship
Love That Dirty Water, Swimming in Boston’s Charles River
Romance and Spring Harvest At Paradise Lot
Fish Farm Food or Dog Treats?
Whales at Home in the Caribbean
Amazon Deforestation on the Rise
US Carbon Emissions At A New Low
Northeastern University Cited As America’s Greenest College
Marine Biologist Nancy Rabalais Wins MacArthur Genius Grant
Protecting Forests, Sequestering Carbon
Trees
Protecting Marine Biodiversity in Brazil
RIO+20: The Earth Conference Revisited
Caravan of Hope
Removing Dams in Maine