Chris Bentley

Producer, Here & Now

Chris Bentley is a producer for Here & Now, where he has produced daily news and features since 2015.

Chris came to the show from Chicago, where he was a reporter for WBEZ's Curious City and a freelance writer for publications including The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, CityLab and The Architect's Newspaper.

In addition to his work at Here & Now, Chris has reported on climate change and the environment for public media outlets including PRI, WGBH and RIPR. He has a bachelor's degree in natural resources from Cornell University and a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

You can follow his freelance work here.

Recently published

How scientists are enhancing the ocean's ability to capture carbon

As money pours into companies promising to take greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere, there’s a small but fast-growing sector of startups that want to leverage one of the world’s...

Here & Now

09:35Jul 25, 2024

Take a ride on a battery-powered electric semi truck

Big trucks make up only about 10% of all vehicles on the road, but they spew almost a quarter of the climate pollution from the U.S. transportation sector and almost...

Here & Now

09:43Jul 4, 2024

Reporters' notebook: Living off-grid for a night

Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd and Chris Bentley stayed overnight in an Earthship in Taos, New Mexico.

Here & Now

05:51Jun 27, 2024

Anita Otilia Rodríguez built her house out of adobe in the 1970s, using techniques she learned from enjarradoras — craftswomen in the Hispanic villages and Indigenous Pueblos of New Mexico. (Chris Bentley/Here & Now)

Green building meets Indigenous knowledge in Taos, New Mexico

Many people moved to Taos in the 1970s to break free from modern architectural conventions. Today, that tradition continues, with architects and builders pioneering the latest green building trends.

Here & Now

10:54Jun 25, 2024

The cover of "City Limits" and author Megan Kimble. (Courtesy of Crown Publishing Group and Lisa Woods)

'Freeway fighters' want to remove urban highways and reclaim cities for people, not cars

America's Interstate Highway System cut through the hearts of many downtowns when it was built in the '50s and '60s, leaving a legacy of inequality and urban impoverishment.

Here & Now

09:35May 29, 2024

Andrew Bird released a new album "Sunday Morning Put-On." (Alexa Viscius)

Andrew Bird's 'Sunday Morning Put-On' revisits a golden age of jazz

Andrew Bird says he approached tunes like “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily" as if they were his own.

Here & Now

11:11May 27, 2024

AI agents: Chatbots that do more than chat

There is a move toward AI "agents" that take actions on users' behalf rather than just regurgitate information.

Here & Now

05:33May 6, 2024

Justine Johnson, chief mobility officer with the state of Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. (Courtesy)

Detroit debuts 'road of the future' with wireless electric vehicle charging

Detroit is testing a new way to charge electric vehicles that don’t require plugging in. Just park or drive your car on the right strip of road and watch the...

Here & Now

09:32Apr 25, 2024

Planes pollute the planet, but new technology could clean up the aviation industry

A nonstop flight from Los Angeles to New York spews about 1,300 pounds of planet-warming carbon into the air — per passenger.

Here & Now

10:49Apr 23, 2024

Reverse Course: Battery-powered big rigs could haul the future of trucking

Short Run presents Here & Now's climate series "Reverse Course". Today's episode is about how the trucking industry is responsible for almost a quarter of all American greenhouse gas emissions...

Short Run

12:02Apr 22, 2024