Sea Change

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 going to drop in on communities on each of America’s three coasts, each coming up with their own set of solutions to the water that is slowly consuming their edges. Want to know more about the growing problem of failing septic systems? Sure you do! Check out more of Katherine's reporting here and read this article about how the failure of septic systems due to climate change is impacting public health. Look no further for more information about San Francisco's Waterfront Flood Study.This episode was hosted and co-reported by Halle Parker. The episode was reported in collaboration with Ezra David Romero of KQED in San Francisco and Katherine Hafner of WHRO in Norfolk, Virginia. Editing by Jack Rodolico with additional editing help from Carlyle Calhoun and Eve Abrams. Carlyle Calhoun is our managing producer. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To help others find our podcast, please hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 out his news organization, The Lever. And his podcast unveiling corruption, Master Plan.And for all about great storytelling that addresses the climate crisis, check out Good Energy.This episode was hosted by Eva Tesfaye and Halle Parker. Managing Producer, Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux, conducted the interviews. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To help others find our podcast, please hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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!

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 shrimp that they’re falling out the ends—our oceans are not the endless bounty we once thought they were. The UN reports that 94% of global fish stocks are overfished. So if we want to keep loving our seafood and making sure there are still shrimpers, fishers, and oyster harvesters able to make a living along our coast, then we’ve got to think about sustainability.  We talk about the future of fish with one of the foremost seafood and ocean sustainability experts in the country, Paul Greenberg. And, Chef Jim Smith of the Hummingbird Way in Mobile gets us hungry to help save our seafood explaining how to eat it sustainably. You'll find more about Paul Greenberg here, with links to his books, including his new release, A Third Term.For more about Chef Jim Smith and his sustainability efforts, check out The Hummingbird Way. And check out our bonus episode with the extended interview with Jim. This episode was hosted and reported by Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux and cohosted by Halle Parker. Johanna Zorn edited this episode. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To help others find our podcast, please hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To help others find our podcast, hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 change. And answers questions like: why do certain spots get hit by more hurricanes? And what do changing weather patterns fueled by climate change mean for our favorite olive oil?This episode was hosted and reported by Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux and cohosted by Halle Parker. Johanna Zorn edited this episode. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To help others find our podcast, hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 co-hosted by Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux. Editing by Johanna Zorn and Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux with additional help from Halle Parker, Eva Tesfaye, and Ryan Vasquez. Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux is the managing producer. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're a part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. SeaChange is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 paved. This episode was hosted by Jessica Meszaros and Carlyle Calhoun. This episode was written and reported by Jessica Meszaros and Jack Rodolico. Editing by Jack Rodolico, and Carlyle Calhoun with additional help from Halle Parker, Eva Tesfaye, Ryan Vasquez. This episode was fact-checked by Garret Hazelwood. Carlyle Calhoun is the managing producer. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're a part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. SeaChange is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 episode was reported and hosted by Eva Tesfaye. Carlyle Calhoun is the managing producer. This episode was edited by Rosemary Westwood and Carlyle Calhoun with additional editing help from Halle Parker, Tyler Pratt, and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King voiced WEB Dubois. Garrett Hazelwood is our fact-checker. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Special thanks to the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University and Sage Michael Pellet for sharing their archives.Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're a part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. SeaChange is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 novel, Troubled Waters.  It’s a distinctly Southern story about family, Black resistance, and the climate crisis.Eva Tesfaye and Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux host this episode. Eva and Garrett Hazelwood interviewed the authors. Sea Change's managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun Despeaux. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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, Innovation, and Digital TransitionCasi Calloway -  The Director of Operations at the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network, and former Chief Resilience Officer of Mobile, AlabamaJanelle Kelman - former mayor of Sausalito, California, founder of Sea Rise Solutions and she's also currently running for Lieutenant Governor of California. And, to Sheetal Shah, program director of Urban Ocean Lab. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 episode was supported by the journalism non-profit the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. The episode was reported and hosted by Anya Groner. Sea Change’s managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. This episode was edited by Rosemary Westwood and Carlyle Calhoun, with additional help from Halle Parker. The episode was fact-checked by Garrett Hazelwood. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. And our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production.Special thanks to Marguerite Nguyen and Daniel Nguyen.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 insurance crisis—and possible solutions—with a panel of experts.PANELISTSGuillermo Franco: Head of catastrophic risk research for Guy Carpenter, an international reinsurance broker. Haley Gentry: Senior Research Fellow at Tulane University's Institute on Water Resources, Law and Policy. Jason Lewis:  President of Noah W. Lewis and Associates, an insurance brokerage firm based in New Orleans.Andreanecia Morris: Executive Director of Housing NOLA and President of the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 reporting team traveled hundreds of miles across the Gulf Coast to learn the ongoing effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - which are still impacting many coastal residents more than a decade later.And if you’d like to hear more episodes, you can find “Ripple” wherever you get your podcasts.  https://www.ripplepodcast.org/Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Emily Jankowski is our sound designer, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production.To check out more of Boyce's work: Pick up a copy of his new book about the Mississippi River, coming out in June. It’s called The Great River.  And, find other stories on his Substack called Southlands.  Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

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 the south is especially at risk. That’s coming up after the break. Links to the first stories in the Washington Post’s series, “The Drowning Coast.” “Where Seas are Rising at Alarming Speed” “The New Face of Flooding” This episode was produced by Eva Tesfaye, and me Carlyle Calhoun. Sea Change’s managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. And our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

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. Until recently, the growth of the global gas industry has flown under the radar. But we witnessed how that's starting to change. There is a growing global movement opposing LNG. In this episode of Sea Change, we talk with people from around the world who are fighting to stop the LNG expansion. People working on the ground in their communities and countries. “All Gassed Up” is a special 3-part series from Sea Change. This special series is part of the Pulitzer Center’s nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. For more information, go to pulitzercenter.org/connected-coastlines. This episode was hosted, reported, and produced by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To see more of our reporting on LNG, visit WWNO.org/podcast/sea-change. And to help others find our podcast, hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to rate and review!

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 to unravel this huge, risky gamble against climate action, and learn that, for many in the gas industry, natural gas is not a “bridge fuel.” It’s a destination. So what happens to the rest of us if this so-called bridge never ends? “All Gassed Up” is a special 3-part series from Sea Change. This special series is part of the Pulitzer Center’s nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. For more information, go to pulitzercenter.org/connected-coastlines. For more information, here’s Oil Change International’s report on Japanese investments in fossil fuel infrastructure, as well as a Friends of Earth Japan report. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis released a report about Japanese financing and strategy for offloading gas in emerging Asian countries. You can find the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s international strategy published here. This episode was hosted, reported, and produced by Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker. It was edited by Morgan Springer, Rosemary Westwood, and Eve Abrams. Additional help was provided by Ryan Vasquez and Eva Tesfaye. The episode was fact-checked by Garrett Hazelwood. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To see more of our reporting on LNG, visit WWNO.org/podcast/sea-change. And to help others find our podcast, hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to rate and review!

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 Pulitzer Center’s nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. For more information, go to pulitzercenter.org/connected-coastlines.This episode was hosted, reported, and produced by Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker. It was edited by Morgan Springer, Rosemary Westwood, and Eve Abrams. Additional help was provided by Ryan Vasquez and Eva Tesfaye. The episode was fact-checked by Garrett Hazelwood. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Special thanks to Andy Gheorghiu, Felix Heilmann, Julian Wettengel, Boris Richter, and all of the people who helped us with our reporting in Germany. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To see more of our reporting on LNG, visit WWNO.org/podcast/sea-change. And to help others find our podcast, hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to rate and review!

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 even farther. In this 3-part series, we follow the journey of American gas around the world to find out if LNG is the miracle fuel it’s claimed to be. If it really can prevent a climate apocalypse. Or is it a carbon bomb waiting to go off?In part one, we start in Louisiana — ground zero. We see how the rise of these massive export terminals has transformed one community. Is this big bet on LNG worth it?“All Gassed Up” is a special 3-part series from Sea Change. This special series is part of the Pulitzer Center’s nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. For more information, go to pulitzercenter.org/connected-coastlines.For more information about the safety of LNG terminals, see the latest reporting from Floodlight, a nonprofit investigative climate news outlet.To learn more about President Biden’s ongoing LNG pause, look no further. And about how LNG exports could drive up domestic energy prices.To see more reporting on Venture Global LNG, find more here. The company is also in the middle of an ongoing fight with other oil and gas companies that are suing Venture Global.This episode was hosted, reported, and produced by Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker. It was edited by Morgan Springer, Rosemary Westwood, and Eve Abrams. Additional help was provided by Ryan Vasquez and Eva Tesfaye. The episode was fact-checked by Garrett Hazelwood. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste.Special thanks to everyone who made this episode possible, including For a Better Bayou, Fishermen Interested in Saving Our Heritage (FISH), and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. To see more of our reporting on LNG, visit WWNO.org/podcast/sea-change. And to help others find our podcast, hit subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to rate and review!