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Sea Change — Nature
Sea Change

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 WWNO New Orleans Public Radio and WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio. Sea Change is a part of the NPR Podcast Network and is distributed by PRX. Hosted by Carlyle Calhoun. Our theme song is by Jon Batiste.

Sea Change is made possible with major support provided by The Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and The Water Collaborative. The Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and the Meraux Foundation.

Copyright: © 2023-2026

Latest Episodes:

Riddle of the Ridley Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

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 sound designer is Maddie Zampanti. Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

Abandoned in (Plant)ation Country Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

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 rights violations by the state. Environmental advocates thought it could be the moment everyone waited for after years of debate over discrimination.

Then, out of the blue, the EPA dropped its high-profile investigation without any resolution. It blindsided everyone.

Today on Sea Change, we go back to Louisiana's industrial corridor to try to find some answers. Why, when the EPA was on the cusp of reforming the petrochemical state of Louisiana, did it just... back off? Turns out, the implications are even bigger than we imagined. Far bigger than Louisiana.

Reported and hosted by Halle Parker. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Edited by Nora Saks and Carlyle Calhoun. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti. Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

Presenting: Outside/In "Windfall" Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

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 this could just be the start.

To understand how we got here, today, we are bringing you an episode from our friends at New Hampshire Public Radio’s podcast Outside/In. The episode is from a series called Windfall.

Picture this: thousands of wind turbines off the Atlantic coast, each one taller than the Washington Monument. Offshore wind is seen as an essential solution to climate change, and it’s poised for explosive growth in the United States. How did we get to a moment of such dramatic change?

Windfall is the story of a promising renewable technology and the potential of wind power in a changing climate. It’s a story about who has the power to reshape our energy future.

Featuring: Henrik Stiesdal, Bryan Wilson, and Bob Grace.

Part 1 of 5. Listen to the rest of the series here.

SUPPORT

Windfall is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.

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LINKS

A note about our reporting

A video from the power company, Orsted, detailing the decommissioning of Vindeby, the world’s first offshore wind farm.

How a turbine works

CREDITS

Co-hosts: Sam Evans-Brown and Annie Ropeik

Written and reported by Sam Evans-Brown

Senior Producer: Jack Rodolico

Executive Producer: Erika Janik

Mixed by Taylor Quimby

Fact-checker: Sara Sneath

Editors: Erika Janik, Annie Ropeik, Justine Paradis, Taylor Quimby, Felix Poon, and Hannah McCarthy

Special thanks to Sarah Mizes-Tan and WCAI for the audio of the Block Island Wind Farm Tour, and to Vincent Schellings, Walter Musial, Michael Taylor and Dan Shreve

Music: Ben Cosgrove, Blue Dot Sessions, and Breakmaster Cylinder

Windfall Graphic Design: Sara Plourde

Expand Your Blue Mind Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

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 Gulf of Mexico.

We talk with Wallace J. Nichols, author of the book “Blue Mind,” about how being around water changed us, and then we talk with deep sea explorer Mandy Joye about the wonders hidden in the Gulf of Mexico and what we can do to save them.

For more information about Blue Mind, check out Wallace J Nichols’ website: https://www.wallacejnichols.org/122/bluemind.html

Hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti. Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

The Craft of Climate Writing Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

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, please check out these websites:

Jeff Goodell: https://jeffgoodellwriter.com

Katharine Wilkinson: https://www.kkwilkinson.com

Nathaniel Rich: https://nathanielrich.com

Hosted by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti. Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

I'd Like My Life Back Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

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 investigative reporter Sara Sneath (@SaraSneath) about her reporting on the health impacts on spill cleanup workers, and then we hear an interview with Sheree Kerner, whose husband, Frank Stuart, died after exposure to toxins during the cleanup. She now advocates for regulation changes. And we interview Kevin Sligh, the director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, about whether the broken system has been fixed and what is being done to prevent another disaster.

Produced and hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Sara Sneath.

Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Editing help was provided by Rosemary Westwood, Halle Parker, and Garrett Hazelwood. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti.

Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

We Could All Use A Little Creativity Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

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 woods — to see a rock puppet show grappling with our increasingly extreme weather. Artists and musicians Quintron and Miss Pussycat then join us for a thoughtful conversation about the profound effect weather has on our lives. They discuss how they use their work to process their own experiences — and how it could help us give us a new perspective on long-standing problems.

To hear a livestream of Quintron’s Weather Warlock, visit www.weatherfortheblind.org.

To learn more about Quintron and Miss Pussycat’s work and upcoming tour, visit their website here.

Reported by Halle Parker. Hosted by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun.

Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Editing help was provided by Carlyle Calhoun, Rosemary Westwood, Halle Parker, Kezia Setyawan, and Eve Abrams. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti.

Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

Rescuing our Past Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

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 about how they’ve navigated historic preservation in an era of climate change.

A special thanks to Margie Scoby, Randy Gonzales, Brian Davis, and Marcy Rockman for being so generous with their time.

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

Presenting: Parched "The Boldest Idea of All" Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

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—far too little water.

The episode you are about to hear is entitled “The Boldest Idea of All,” and it explores a big idea that's come up again and again: what if we pumped and piped floodwater from the Mississippi River across the country to replenish the Colorado River? Is it possible? Is it a good idea? Stay tuned…this episode of Parched dives in.

To listen to other Parched episodes, visit: https://www.cpr.org/podcast/parched/

Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

If I Get Called "Resilient" One More Time... May 23, 2023

Show notes

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 about efforts from across the Gulf Coast – from storm-proofing homes to creating neighborhood disaster response groups – to help keep people from needing to be resilient in the first place.

A special thanks to Rob Verchick, author of The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience (out now!). And, to everyone who spent time with us for this story, from a construction site in rural Alabama to the streets of New Orleans’ Gentilly neighborhood. Also, a big, big thank you to everyone who called in to give us their two cents on the word “resilient.”

For more on the Strengthen Alabama Homes program, check out their website, along with more information on FORTIFIED homes from the Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety. Want to see that video from inside the airplane hangar research facility, where they recreate hurricane conditions? (You do. Find it here).

Find out more on the New Orleans Resilience Corps here.

Hosted by Carly Berlin and Halle Parker.

Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Editing help was provided by Carlyle Calhoun, Rosemary Westwood, Halle Parker, Kezia Setyawan, and Eve Abrams. Our sound designer is Maddie Zampanti.

Sea Change is a production of WWNO and WRKF. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

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