Sea Change

Sea Change

WWNO & WRKF

Living on the coast means living on the front lines of a rapidly changing planet. And as climate change transforms our coasts, that will transform our world. Every two weeks, we bring you stories that illuminate, inspire, and sometimes enrage, as we dive deep into the environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast and beyond. We have a lot to save, and we have a lot of solutions. Join us as we investigate and celebrate life on a changing coast. It’s time to talk about a Sea Change. Based in New Orleans, Sea Change is a production of...

Fueling Knowledge: Part Two

Fueling Knowledge: Part Two

Last time, we learned about the nearly century-old bond between the oil and gas industry and one university — LSU. In the second and final episode of our series, "Fueling Knowledge," we look at how much money is flowing into universities and what the industry may hope to get in return. This relationship comes with big benefits: student mentors, scholarships, research funding, and new buildings, among others. But is all that money truly free? No strings? Or could it be part of a corporate playboo

Mar 21, • 34:27

Fueling Knowledge: Part One

Fueling Knowledge: Part One

Universities have grown increasingly close with the fossil fuel industry. Oil and gas money is flowing into universities around the world, shaping everything from students’ careers to climate research that can influence global energy policy.  Some professors and students are sounding the alarm. They worry this influx of fossil fuel money could compromise the credibility of research institutions, tainting the information produced. That they are even being used as pawns in a fossil fuel propaganda

Mar 12, • 34:10

Keep Expanding Your Blue Mind

Keep Expanding Your Blue Mind

There’s this conversation from one of our early Sea Change episodes, and it's about our relationship with the ocean--with water. How being in or near water changes us for the better. The marine biologist Wallace J Nichols has said: “It is true that oceans give us life, but our planet’s wild places also make life worth living and help heal us when we are broken.” He said it's not going to be fear and guilt that motivates us to protect the ocean; it happens when people are connected to the value o

Feb 26, • 26:14

The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout

The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout

In February 2021, power went out for 4.5 million households across Texas. The blackout killed hundreds. And people wondered: “How could this happen in the energy capital of the U.S.?” Today, we bring you part of that fascinating backstory, and it starts with an East Texas con artist who inadvertently kicked off the biggest oil boom in US history. Reporters Mose Buchele and Audrey McGlinchy of KUT's podcast The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout take us on a Wild West story to un

Feb 15, • 32:41

Rising Water, Rising Risk

Rising Water, Rising Risk

More and more Americans face the threat of flooding. And as a country, we are woefully unprepared. Cities like Charleston and Miami already see routine coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene recently hammered many inland communities with flooding. And the risk is only rising. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) sells about 90% of the nation's flood insurance policies, but only a small percentage of Americans are covered. In an effort to account for climate change, expand coverage, and mak

Jan 30, • 34:41

Elevate or Relocate: FEMA's Dreaded Rule

Elevate or Relocate: FEMA's Dreaded Rule

Flooding is the most common natural disaster — by far. As more and more towns are devastated by floods, people are facing the tough question of how to rebuild — or even if they can. In this episode, we travel to two towns to discover how one obscure federal policy designed to stop the cycle of flood damage is leading to opposite destinies. Thanks for listening to Sea Change. This episode was reported and hosted by me, Carlyle Calhoun. This episode was edited by Jack Rodolico with editin

Jan 17, • 26:27

The Power of Hope

The Power of Hope

As 2024 comes to a close, we are taking this time to focus on hope. While this year has been rough for the climate and the environment in many ways, there is also so much good happening out there. There are wins to celebrate and reasons for optimism. Today, Sea Change sits down with an expert on hope, and learn why evidence-based hope is essential in our fight against climate change. To learn more about evidence-based hope and hope expert extraordinaire Elin Kelsey, click here!Thank you so much

Dec 31, 2024 • 30:30

All Gassed Up - 1 Hour Special

All Gassed Up - 1 Hour Special

There’s a lot going on in the world of liquified natural gas, or LNG. And we are here to tell you about it! The Department of Energy just released its big report on whether exporting more LNG is in the public interest…spoiler alert: it’s not. One of the largest LNG facilities in the world, located just south of New Orleans, recently began production. And there are a slew of other export terminals waiting in the wings for approval. Almost all of them are located on the Gulf Coast.There a

Dec 20, 2024 • 52:12

The Bridge to Nowhere

The Bridge to Nowhere

We kicked off this season of Sea Change with a globetrotting journey. A quest to understand a booming new industry on the Gulf Coast: liquified natural gas, or LNG.In a historic move, the Biden Administration froze any decisions on new gas export projects…until it could study how shipping so much American gas overseas could affect the economy, health, and the climate.Well, that long-awaited study was just released. The findings? Increasing LNG exports is bad news for American consumers,

Dec 20, 2024 • 26:21

Sacred and Submerged

Sacred and Submerged

The Lemon Tree Mound is a sacred place for the Atakapa/Ishak-Chawasha tribe. And it's disappearing under the rising waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In this episode, we travel out into the bayous of South Louisiana to understand what this one small sacred place means for the Land Back Movement and climate justice, and why efforts to save our coast matter, even if they really mean only buying time. Click here to read more about the return of the sacred land to the tribe, and here to learn m

Dec 4, 2024 • 23:55

Introducing: Hazard NJ "First a Miracle, Then a Curse"

Introducing: Hazard NJ "First a Miracle, Then a Curse"

They are called PFAS or “forever chemicals.” They originated in New Jersey decades ago with a promise of a future made easier by science. They’ve spread into countless products and polluted countless places throughout the world. Now, they are even in our blood.Today we are bringing you the first episode of Hazard NJ's new season that dives into the history of forever chemicals and efforts to solve the PFAS pollution crisis. This episode is hosted by journalist Jordan Gass-Pooré, and produced by

Dec 1, 2024 • 29:52

Classic Episode: Salty Chefs

Classic Episode: Salty Chefs

This is a time of celebrating food and giving thanks to the people who grow it, catch it, and prepare it. That’s why today we are bringing you an episode we first aired back in May of 2023. Food connects us to our past, to our memories, to each other, and to the world around us. It’s powerful. But food systems–from how we grow or catch things to how we transport them –are also incredibly complex. As climate change increasingly impacts the world, we are seeing some of the first effects o

Nov 27, 2024 • 39:13

From Sea to Rising Sea

From Sea to Rising Sea

Sea level rise is this big, scary reality. We’re always hearing predictions from scientists that the oceans will swallow islands, flood major cities, and wipe out huge stretches of coastline. The longer we burn fossil fuels, the bigger the surge. It sounds apocalyptic on this huge, global scale. But also totally abstract – it’s hard to picture. What will it mean for the sea to rise two feet… 4 feet…even 7 feet by the end of the century?Turns out, it depends where you look. In this episode, we’re

Nov 14, 2024 • 36:14

Lights, Camera, Action: Climate Change in Hollywood

Lights, Camera, Action: Climate Change in Hollywood

Hollywood has been cold on climate change, mostly relegating the issue to documentaries. We talk to two people who are trying to change that.We first talk to David Sirota, who co-wrote the Blockbuster hit, "Don't Look Up" with Adam McKay, and then we talk to Anna Jane Joyner, the founder of Good Energy, a nonprofit that supports TV and film creators in telling authentic stories that reflect our reality: a world in a climate crisis. For more about journalist and screenwriter David Sirota, check o

Oct 31, 2024 • 34:45

Fish to Fork: Bonus Interview with Chef Jim Smith

Fish to Fork: Bonus Interview with Chef Jim Smith

Want to know even more about sustainable seafood on the Gulf Coast? Listen to this bonus episode for an extended conversation with Chef Jim Smith of The Hummingbird Way Oyster Bar in Mobile, Alabama. We talk with Chef Smith about threats facing both fishers and fisheries on the Gulf Coast and how we, as consumers, can make a difference...and of course, we talk about some of the delicious seafood dishes he's cooking up!

Oct 19, 2024 • 15:12

Fish to Fork

Fish to Fork

Your expert guide to sustainable seafood is here! Get ready to feel the salt spray, and tuck into a wide-ranging conversation about what's on your plate and the future of our ocean. Seafood has been called our "last wild food." Humans have been enjoying seafood for a long time—over 2 million years. But in recent decades, how we catch and eat fish and shellfish has changed dramatically. Even though it might not always seem like it when we are digging into a Po'Boy with so much fried shri

Oct 18, 2024 • 26:42

The Future Is Not Yet Written: A Conversation with Ayana Johnson

The Future Is Not Yet Written: A Conversation with Ayana Johnson

What if we get it right? That's the question marine biologist, climate expert, and writer Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson explores in her new book. Ayana joins us to talk about climate solutions we have right now and what's possible for the future of our planet.  Looking for a link to the book? "What If We Get It Right? Visions of a Climate Future"This episode was hosted by Eva Tesfaye and cohosted by Halle Parker. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux. Our sound designer is Emily Jankow

Oct 2, 2024 • 29:14

Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Climate Action

Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Climate Action

TV Weather Gets Heated. In a world where weather is getting more extreme, the role of meteorologists is becoming more important—and controversial—than ever. Meteorologists have been fired over reporting on climate change, and others have left stations because of death threats. But that hasn’t stopped Jeff Berardelli, Chief Meteorologist for Tampa Bay’s WFLA News. He’s leaning in. In this episode, Jeff Berardelli tells Carlyle what it’s like to be a weatherman in the time of climate chan

Sep 18, 2024 • 34:59

In Hot Water

In Hot Water

Our oceans are heating up—what does that mean for all the life that lives in the sea...and us?Today we’re going on a trip to Florida…we’re hanging out in the Keys, and we're going fishing, and scuba diving all to find out what’s going on beneath the surface. Just how bad is hotter water for sea life in South Florida, and for the people that depend on it? And how are scientists leading the charge to save this ocean ecosystem?This episode was reported and hosted by Jenny Staletovich and c

Sep 5, 2024 • 30:48

The Stormy Insurance Crisis in the Sunshine State

The Stormy Insurance Crisis in the Sunshine State

The home insurance market is collapsing all across the country. Big, brand-name insurance companies are walking away from the riskiest states. And, the companies that are sticking around are often doubling and tripling rates over just a few years. Nothing like this has ever happened before. And nowhere is this crisis worse... than Florida. In fact, Florida is the origin story of this crisis: the home insurance market in every other state seems to be headed down the road that Florida has

Aug 21, 2024 • 20:34

Bringing Back the Beach

Bringing Back the Beach

Even though New Orleans has water in every direction, it’s hard to access. And for a city with increasingly sweltering summers, this irony is painful.In this episode, we’re going to talk about the uncomfortable history of Lincoln Beach, how it led to New Orleans not having any public beaches today, and how a community has rallied together to get their beach back. We start in the era of segregation, where if you were Black, the only place to soak up sun and sand was Lincoln Beach. This e

Aug 7, 2024 • 33:36

Hot Summer Reading

Hot Summer Reading

It's summertime! Otherwise known as prime reading season. And in this episode, you're going to meet the people behind a couple of the summer's hottest books. We talk with Boyce Upholt about his new bestseller, The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi. The book tells the epic story of the Mississippi River, and he writes about how centuries of human meddling have transformed both the river and America. And we also meet Mary Annaise Heglar, who tells us about her new no

Jul 24, 2024 • 35:24

Introducing: Gravy "A Shrimp Boat Blessing with no Shrimp Boats"

Introducing: Gravy "A Shrimp Boat Blessing with no Shrimp Boats"

The shrimp industry has a long history on the Gulf Coast. And, today we bring you a story about one of the industry's oldest traditions: the blessing of the boats. This episode is from the podcast Gravy, produced by our friends at Southern Foodways Alliance. In “A Shrimp Boat Blessing with no Shrimp Boats,” Gravy producer Irina Zhorov takeslisteners to Bayou La Batre, on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Long known as the seafoodcapital of Alabama, Bayou La Batre has hosted a Blessing of the Fleet

Jul 10, 2024 • 28:57

Coastal Cities for the Future

Coastal Cities for the Future

Most of the world's biggest cities are on the coast. As sea levels rise and storms worsen, how can we reimagine our coastal cities so that they can survive and thrive in the face of climate change? Today we talk with leaders across 3 continents about how they are fighting for the future of their cities. Thank you to our panelists:Dr. Fola Dania - the Chief Resilience Officer of Lagos, NigeriaFelipe Araujo - the Vice Mayor of Porto, Portugal, and City Counselor for Environment, Climate,

Jun 26, 2024 • 35:32

Nuoc: A Viet-Cajun Story

Nuoc: A Viet-Cajun Story

In Vietnamese culture, water and home are so linked that they share a word. The Vietnamese word for water is nước. But nước also means homeland.Today–how the Vietnamese community has to reimagine its relationship with water as Louisiana’s coastline changes. In this episode, we’ll travel to a shrimp dock, a tropical garden, and a neighborhood surrounded by canals to examine one question: What does it mean to live with water in a place where everything about water is changing? This episod

Jun 12, 2024 • 32:00

Sea Change Live! Inside the Insurance Crisis

Sea Change Live! Inside the Insurance Crisis

It started in states like Florida and Louisiana. And, now it's spreading. The home insurance market is crumbling as climate-fueled disasters increase. Premiums are skyrocketing, and already, insurance is playing a role in determining where we can live, and who can afford to live there.So we decided to host our very first Sea Change Live event dedicated to understanding what is going wrong, and how we can fix it. And, guess what? The event sold out! Join us as we dive deep into the insur

May 29, 2024 • 30:06

Introducing: Ripple

Introducing: Ripple

We have a special episode for you today. We're sharing an episode of the new podcast from APM Studios and Western Sound called “Ripple.” The largest oil spill in American history captivated the public's attention for the entire summer of 2010. Authorities told a story of a herculean response effort that made shorelines safe and avoided a worst case scenario. Was that really the whole picture? “Ripple” is a new series investigating the stories we were told were over. In Season One, the r

May 22, 2024 • 56:11

Redfish Blues

Redfish Blues

Today, we hear the story of one fish and its journey to fame: the red drum, or more commonly known as the classic redfish. And whether the decline of this fish is a warning of a bigger collapse.This episode was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization. This episode was reported and hosted by Boyce Upholt. Halle Parker introduces the show. The episode was edited by Carlyle Calhoun and Morgan Springer. Our man

May 15, 2024 • 34:57

The Drowning South: A Conversation with the Washington Post

The Drowning South: A Conversation with the Washington Post

The ocean is rising across the South faster than almost anywhere else in the world. Today, Eva Tesfaye, a reporter for Sea Change, talks to the two journalists behind the Washington Post’s new series “The Drowning South.” Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis discuss their data-driven reporting, which takes them from Texas to North Carolina. It’s a fascinating conversation about how journalists are finding ways to tell the complicated stories of climate change and offers deep insight into why t

May 10, 2024 • 26:50

All Gassed Up: Inside the International Fight Against LNG

All Gassed Up: Inside the International Fight Against LNG

Sea Change’s series, “All Gassed Up,” exposes the enormous scale of the global expansion of liquified natural gas. Our reporting revealed that this gas expansion not only has big impacts on local communities like Cameron Parish but also on the planetary scale for our future climate. The expansion threatens the effort to slow climate change. And, there's a lot of money at stake. Some countries and companies are investing billions and billions of dollars to make the most of this LNG boom.

May 3, 2024 • 38:33

All Gassed Up, Part 3: The Sugar Daddy of LNG

All Gassed Up, Part 3: The Sugar Daddy of LNG

Japan was the world’s largest importer of LNG for half a century. In the final episode of “All Gassed Up,” we travel to Asia to learn how the global gas industry is expanding — how the need for LNG continues to be sold. Right now, LNG is in its golden age – times are good, profits are high. And Japan’s big bet is that these good times will keep rolling. That more and more of the world will get hooked on LNG. And this whole global gas expansion hinges on the Gulf Coast. Come with us t

Apr 17, 2024 • 41:24

All Gassed Up, Part 2: The German Connection

All Gassed Up, Part 2: The German Connection

Until the Ukraine War, Russia was Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas. After the invasion, political leaders wanted off Russian gas, and fast. So, they turned to the U.S. In part two, we follow American gas all the way to Germany — Europe’s biggest energy consumer, where the energy crisis hit hardest. US LNG provided a lifeline for Germany. But what happens when a country gets hooked?“All Gassed Up” is a special 3-part series from Sea Change. This special series is part of the Puli

Apr 2, 2024 • 41:32

All Gassed Up, Part 1: The Carbon Coast

All Gassed Up, Part 1: The Carbon Coast

Right now in the US, there is a GAS BOOM. A liquified natural gas boom — or LNG. The US produces the most LNG in the world. And the epicenter of this massive expansion? It’s here on the Gulf Coast.For the last year, we’ve traversed Louisiana trying to uncover what this growing LNG industry means for the state. But, after talking with everyone – from shrimpers to energy insiders – we realized that the stakes were far bigger. If we really wanted to tell the whole story, we had to travel e

Mar 19, 2024 • 39:05

Introducing Season 2

Introducing Season 2

Sea Change is back with a brand new season. And this time, the stakes are even higher. We launch new investigations, travel around the world, and look at how a sea change is underway to solve some of our biggest problems. Come with us to investigate and celebrate life on our changing coasts. Every two weeks, we bring you stories that illuminate, inspire, and sometimes enrage, as we dive deep into the environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast and beyond. We have

Feb 20, 2024 • 2:16

Presenting: The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast

Presenting: The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast

Sea Change is taking a short break before Season 2 launches in March, and we plan to start the season off with a bang. Last fall, we traveled all over the world to report a series about a massive expansion of fossil fuels on the Gulf Coast and what it could mean for the planet. We are very excited to share it with you soon, but in the meantime, we wanted to bring you some great podcasts that we love. On to a New Year’s resolution we are actually keeping! Spend more time on what gives

Feb 6, 2024 • 10:53

A World of Hope

A World of Hope

Sometimes, it can be hard to find the bright spots amid feelings of uncertainty about the future of our planet. But they're there. Today on Sea Change, we're focusing entirely on solutions. Stories about the good. We hear about a landscape architect in China who's pushing his city to become spongier as part of the global push for cities to rip up their concrete. And whether recognizing a river or forest's legal right to exist could help save our world.We also hear from two experts abou

Dec 22, 2023 • 34:55

The American Whale

The American Whale

There are only around 51 Rice’s whales left in the world. And they’re the only whale that stays in one country’s territory: they live exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico…in US waters. A uniquely American whale. This also means the responsibility to protect these whales lies with the United States, but are we protecting them?That’s a question NPR Investigations reporter, Chiara Eisner had. With so few Rice’s whales left on the planet, she wanted to know what–if anything–is being done to pr

Dec 7, 2023 • 26:31

The American Whale

The American Whale

There are only around 51 Rice’s whales left in the world. And they’re the only whale that stays in one country’s territory: they live exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico…in US waters. A uniquely American whale. This also means the responsibility to protect these whales lies with the United States, but are we protecting them? That’s a question NPR Investigations reporter, Chiara Eisner had. With so few Rice’s whales left on the planet, she wanted to know what–if anything–is being done to prevent th

Dec 6, 2023 • 53:02

Pardon the Intrusion

Pardon the Intrusion

Today, we are exploring a growing threat to our freshwater supplies in coastal regions all over the country. With climate change, we are experiencing sea-level rise and more frequent droughts, both of which make it easier for saltwater to creep into places we don’t want it. First, we go to Plaquemines Parish, an area that’s been dealing with the effects of saltwater intrusion on their drinking water for months. An extreme drought across the Midwest has meant a less-than-mighty Mississi

Nov 22, 2023 • 37:12

Designing With Nature

Designing With Nature

As we experience worsening impacts from climate change, we’re wondering: How can we rethink engineering? Instead of trying to control nature, can we design with nature? There are more than a thousand miles of levees and floodgates lining each side of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Thousands of dams also hold back water and sediment throughout the Mississippi basin. But the thing is, you can’t totally harness a river such as the Mississippi. And, research has shown that our

Nov 10, 2023 • 34:28

Presenting: KQED’s Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America

Presenting: KQED’s Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America

Today on Sea Change, we are bringing you an episode from our friends at KQED. The story you’re about to hear is from the third season of their podcast called Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America. Climate change is intensifying wet periods across California, untaming waterways humans corralled with dirt and concrete. In this episode, “Searching for Home on Higher Ground,” reporter Ezra David Romero takes us to Pajaro, California, where he asks a question that many of us here on the G

Oct 25, 2023 • 28:07

Flood By Flood

Flood By Flood

As natural disasters worsen and extreme weather grows more frequent, it’s led to more people being displaced across the planet. Sometimes, we call those people climate migrants. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in the last year alone, around 3 million Americans were displaced by natural disasters. But for some climate migrants, displacement isn’t always so immediate or apparent, but it is often tangled up in bureaucracy and a broken system. Today on Sea Change, we explore what it

Oct 11, 2023 • 41:05

Riddle of the Ridley

Riddle of the Ridley

Kemp's Ridleys are the most endangered sea turtle on the planet...can they lose their nickname of the "heartbreak turtle"? Today, we go on a journey to the remote Chandeleur islands to try to find the mysterious Kemp’s Ridley turtles, who, after 75 years, have been discovered on the shores of Louisiana. It’s a story of loss and restoration, of hope and heartbreak. Hosted by Sea Change managing producer Carlyle Calhoun. Editing help by Nora Saks, Garrett Hazelwood, and Halle Parker. Our

Oct 2, 2023 • 31:53

 Abandoned in (Plant)ation Country

Abandoned in (Plant)ation Country

Earlier this year, we told the story of how a change in the White House had the potential to turn the tide for Black communities fighting against environmental pollution in Louisiana's industrial corridor nicknamed Cancer Alley — one of the country's largest hotspots for toxic air. The Environmental Protection Agency's new leader pledged to use all the tools in his toolbox to deliver "environmental justice," and his agency launched a groundbreaking investigation into alleged civil righ

Sep 15, 2023 • 31:17

Presenting: Outside/In "Windfall"

Presenting: Outside/In "Windfall"

Today marks the beginning of a whole new industry here in the Gulf of Mexico: offshore wind energy. The Biden administration opened the first-ever wind lease sale in the Gulf, and 300,000 acres of the Gulf will be auctioned off. Companies will now bid for the rights to put giant wind turbines off the coast of southwest Louisiana and east Texas. It’s a big day to say the least. And there’s been a whole lot of excitement leading up to the lease sale. It even has bipartisan support. And th

Aug 29, 2023 • 28:37

Expand Your Blue Mind

Expand Your Blue Mind

It's summertime. Most of us hope to spend time on the beach, or by a river, or a pool, and we thought we'd try to understand why? Why do we want to be by water, and why does it make us feel so good? And it’s not just us. Understanding how the power of water makes us healthier and happier is actually a growing field of research. Today, we're diving into our human connection to oceans and how we can harness that love of water to help us protect the largest gulf in the world -- our own Gu

Aug 18, 2023 • 45:11

The Craft of Climate Writing

The Craft of Climate Writing

Humans have always used stories to make sense of the world…that’s just how our brains work. And, so it makes sense that we need stories to help us understand the enormity of climate change. Today, we talk with Jeff Goodell, Katharine Wilkinson, and Nathaniel Rich—three authors who write books that people want to read…maybe can’t put down…about the biggest existential threat of our time: climate change. For more information about the authors and their books featured in today’s episode,

Aug 2, 2023 • 34:59

I'd Like My Life Back

I'd Like My Life Back

On April 20th, 2010, out in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig exploded. The oil spill that followed is still considered the largest environmental disaster in the history of the United States. Today, we are looking at the impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster 13 years later. We hear about the ongoing health effects on people who helped clean up the oil spill and ask, has the broken system that led to this avoidable disaster been fixed? We speak with inves

Jul 19, 2023 • 43:49

We Could All Use A Little Creativity

We Could All Use A Little Creativity

We know that everyone has a role in tackling the climate crisis, so what about artists? We talk with Atlanta-based artist Heather Bird Harris, who has begun making her own paint out of the earth to talk about environmental crises in Louisiana. And we sit down with ecologist Ashley Booth and historian Jeffery Darensbourg to hear how art can combine with other disciplines to communicate in a way they can't. Then, we go to A Studio in the Woods — literally, a studio tucked deep in the wo

Jul 5, 2023 • 34:58

Rescuing our Past

Rescuing our Past

What does it mean to keep a history alive when the place itself is disappearing? As climate change causes worsening storms and sea level rise, it’s not just people’s homes and businesses that are at risk of vanishing but also the places that hold our past. We travel across Louisiana's coast, meeting people who are working to prevent histories from being forgotten, from a local African American museum to the country’s first permanent Filipino settlement. And later, we talk with experts

Jun 20, 2023 • 33:20

Presenting: Parched "The Boldest Idea of All"

Presenting: Parched "The Boldest Idea of All"

Today we are bringing you an episode from a new podcast from our friends at Colorado Public Radio. The podcast is called Parched, and it’s about how the multi-decade drought in the West is impacting the Colorado River. It’s about people who rely on the river that shaped the West—and have ideas to save it. For those of us living here in the Mississippi River basin, climate change is leading to extreme rainfall and historic floods. But out West, they are dealing with the opposite problem

Jun 7, 2023 • 27:48

If I Get Called "Resilient" One More Time...

If I Get Called "Resilient" One More Time...

When we talk about climate change, we hear one word all the time: resilient. We use it to talk about everything from our houses, to our power grid, to ourselves. Earlier this spring, we asked our listeners to tell us how you feel about this word. And you blew up our voicemail box. In this episode of Sea Change, we hear your responses. And we ask: how can we address the physical forces of climate change and the broken social systems that make it an even greater threat? We hear stories a

May 23, 2023 • 49:25

Salty Chefs

Salty Chefs

Food connects us to our past, to our memories, to each other, and to the world around us. It’s powerful. But food systems–from how we grow or catch things to how we transport them –are also incredibly complex. As climate change increasingly impacts the world, we are seeing some of the first effects of that through our food. So we’ve been wondering… How can we keep enjoying the food we love to eat without hurting the ecosystems it comes from? And how can we support the people who make a

May 10, 2023 • 38:24

(Plant)ation Country

(Plant)ation Country

Louisiana is home to the country's largest hotspot for toxic air — an industrial corridor nicknamed “Cancer Alley.” More than 150 petrochemical plants line the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Amid the boom, many Black communities live with a disproportionate amount of pollution. But years of protest have begun to bear fruit. We travel the Mississippi River to learn what has allowed the industry to flourish on its banks, see how the tide might turn in one neighbor

Apr 26, 2023 • 48:12

Music Fights Back

Music Fights Back

We talk with people working at the intersection of music and the environment and ask how one can influence the other. Grammy-award-winning Cajun punk musician Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers and Rev. Lennox Yearwood, who leads the national environmental advocacy group, the Hip Hop Caucus, tell us about how they use music to inspire action on the climate crisis and environmental injustice. Hosted by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Our

Apr 11, 2023 • 41:37

Shrimp on the Line

Shrimp on the Line

We love shrimp in the United States. As a country, we eat over 2 billion pounds a year, making it the most consumed seafood in the country. So times should be really good for shrimpers, right? But shrimpers say things have never been worse and that their whole industry here in the United States is on the brink of extinction. This narrative episode goes on a journey from the fishing docks to shrimping in the bayous exploring land loss, climate change, and other issues endangering the fu

Mar 29, 2023 • 37:01

Trailer

Trailer

Living on the coast means living on the front lines of a rapidly changing planet. And as climate change transforms our coasts, that will transform our world. Every two weeks, we bring you stories that illuminate, inspire, and sometimes enrage, as we dive deep into the environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast and beyond. We have a lot to save, and we have a lot of solutions. It’s time to talk about a Sea Change. Sea Change is a new podcast hosted by Carlyle Cal

Mar 14, 2023 • 1:54

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