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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Los Angeles is in mourning after the sudden death of former basketball star Kobe Bryant. The five-time NBA champion and former league MVP played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The Australian bushfires are emitting huge amounts of climate warming carbon into the atmosphere. Normally, new vegetation that grows back would recapture it, but that may be changing. -
A mysterious die-off of freshwater mussels has scientists scrambling to find a cause. Freshwater mussels clean water and provide habitat to countless other species. -
In a historic African American community near Baltimore, residents put on virtual reality headsets and watch their homes flood. The town hopes they'll support efforts to prepare for sea level rise. -
Wildfires in Southern California have burned dozens of homes overnight and are forcing mandatory evacuations. They're being fueled by dry conditions and fanned by 70 mph winds.
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A staggering $750 million donation was given to Caltech to fund climate change and sustainability research. But can private philanthropists fill in the funding gap left by the federal government?
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The number of manned fire lookouts in the U.S. is dwindling, as technology is increasingly used to spot and monitor wildfires. But can technology replace a human watch? -
Cities, states, businesses and electric utilities are setting ambitious goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But it's not clear exactly how they'll do that or whether it will actually work. -
Research shows more people are linking climate change to extreme weather events, like the ongoing flooding in America's heartland. Experts are hoping it also inspires action. -
The Arkansas River is rising well above its previous record, and it's forecast to stay that way for days. That's putting pressure on old levees and making it hard for some residents to evacuate.
