Nathan Rott
Nathan Rott is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk, where he focuses on environment issues and the American West.
Based at NPR West in Culver City, California, Rott spends a lot of his time on the road, covering everything from breaking news stories like California's wildfires to in-depth issues like the management of endangered species and many points between.
Rott owes his start at NPR to two extraordinary young men he never met. As the first recipient of the Stone and Holt Weeks Fellowship in 2010, he aims to honor the memory of the two brothers by carrying on their legacy of making the world a better place.
A graduate of the University of Montana, Rott prefers to be outside at just about every hour of the day. Prior to working at NPR, he worked a variety of jobs including wildland firefighting, commercial fishing, children's theater teaching, and professional snow-shoveling for the United States Antarctic Program. Odds are, he's shoveled more snow than you.
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Wildfires are burning more frequently and intensely in a warming world, making them harder to put out. Some fire agencies are expanding support as they see increased cases of anxiety and depression. -
Despite Biden's ambitious climate plan, Haaland told lawmakers the country would not abandon fossil fuels "overnight." If confirmed, she would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary.
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The move is one of his more controversial campaign promises, and industry groups say they will sue. But it won't have much immediate impact on driving down climate-warming emissions. -
Deb Haaland would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary. She opposed many Trump environmental rollbacks and considers climate change "the challenge of our lifetime." -
The governors of California and New York have sounded the alarm that hospitals may be overwhelmed this winter if COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise.
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Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus are being hampered because many people don't believe it's real. "It's absolute garbage," said Craig Mann of Flathead County in northwest Montana. -
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is removing federal protections for gray wolves in the contiguous U.S., saying the species' recovery is a success. Wildlife groups are promising to sue. -
Despite the cascade of other crises this year, climate change has emerged as a key election issue. The two major-party presidential candidates' positions on it could not be more different. -
Scientists know that tiny particles from smoke can be inhaled deep into a person's lungs and even enter the bloodstream. But the long-term health effects of this are not fully understood. -
In another record-breaking year, communities are realizing the best way to survive wildfires is learning to live with them.
