Lauren Sommer
Lauren Sommer is a correspondent for NPR's climate desk, where she covers scientists on the frontlines of documenting the warming climate and how that science is — and isn't — being used by communities to prepare for increasing disasters.
Since joining NPR, she's looked at how a lack of building codes is putting people at risk of wildfires, how cities are failing to plan for stronger storms and how communities are allowing development in flood-prone areas. Sommer also scaled ice sheets to explore how melting polar ice is having mysterious impacts around the planet. That project won gold in the 2023 Kavli Science Journalism Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Prior to joining NPR, she spent more than a decade covering climate and environment for KQED Public Radio in San Francisco, where she delved into the impacts of California's historic drought and record-breaking wildfires. On the lighter side, she's run from charging elephant seals and searched for frogs in Sierra Nevada lakes.
Sommer 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. She has received a national Edward R. Murrow, as well as awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Society of Environmental Journalists.
She can be reached via encrypted message at sommer.55 on Signal.
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A mysterious disease has been ravaging sea stars off the West Coast, leading to loss of entire kelp forests. Now, researchers have finally identified the culprit, opening new strategies for combatting it.
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Illegal fishing has plagued oceans worldwide, and new technology is providing a view of its extent. New studies show that while it still happens, protected areas where fishing is banned are thriving.
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Nations have a duty to act on climate change under international law — and if they don't, they could be held liable. That's the ruling of the top United Nations court.
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The International Court of Justice ruled that nations have an obligation to act on climate change under international laws protecting the environment and human rights. -
Kerr County applied for federal grants to build a warning system to protect residents from flash floods. Under the Trump administration, that kind of funding is drying up. -
New York, North Carolina, New Mexico and Texas have all suffered serious flooding this month. Climate change is causing even more rain to fall during the heaviest storms. -
In places like Antarctica, small things can make a difference. Scientists are finding that penguin waste is helping form clouds, which could be offsetting the effects of climate change.
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The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cameron Hamilton, has been replaced. The shake up comes weeks before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. -
Rural communities are scrambling after the Trump administration canceled billions in disaster grants. Many were counting on the funds for infrastructure fixes meant to withstand future disasters. -
California is one of the few states with building codes for wildfire protection, because using fire-resistant materials helps homes survive. Now, more than 500 additional homeowners rebuilding after Los Angeles' Eaton Fire are being required to use them.
