Best WWNO WRKF Podcasts (2025)

1
The True Cost of Fertilizer 34:56

13d ago34:56

34:56

The chemical industry is big business in Louisiana. Companies here manufacture plastics, fuels, pesticides, and cleaning products. But one part of the chemical industry that’s often overlooked is the fertilizer business. Today, you’re going to hear the story of modern fertilizer, and how this powerful concoction of chemicals has radically reshaped …

1
Sea Change Live! Music & the Wetlands 50:22

24d ago50:22

50:22

Last week, we hosted a Sea Change live event at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. We wanted to talk about the science behind the massive land loss crisis we are experiencing, what it means to live in a vanishing landscape, and importantly, what we can do about it. But this is New Orleans, so we also wanted to celebrate! Celebrate the culture and joy of …

1
Predicting the Ocean's Future 22:46

1M ago22:46

22:46

We are all affected by ocean conditions, and we're talking about huge things like global food security and human health, to fisheries we depend on, to the transport of a whopping 90% of the world's goods. So it's vitally important to understand ocean conditions. What can the fascinating field of ocean forecasting tell us about the future for us on …

1
Leaving the Island 41:42

2M ago41:42

41:42

Like much of coastal Louisiana, Isle de Jean Charles is rapidly disappearing into the Gulf because of coastal erosion and sea level rise. Scientists predict the island will be completely underwater by 2050. Almost a decade ago, the federal government awarded the state of Louisiana $48 million dollar to resettle members of the Jean Charles Choctaw N…

1
Fueling Knowledge: Part Two 34:27

3M ago34:27

34:27

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, sch…

1
Fueling Knowledge: Part One 34:01

3M ago34:01

34:01

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 compr…

1
Keep Expanding Your Blue Mind 26:14

3M ago26:14

26:14

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 w…

1
The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout 32:41

4M ago32:41

32:41

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. R…

1
Rising Water, Rising Risk 34:41

4M ago34:41

34:41

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'…

1
Elevate or Relocate: FEMA's Dreaded Rule 26:25

5M ago26:25

26:25

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 f…

1
The Power of Hope 30:30

5M ago30:30

30:30

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 …

1
The Bridge to Nowhere 26:21

6M ago26:21

26:21

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, hea…

1
All Gassed Up - 1 Hour Special 52:12

6M ago52:12

52:12

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 productio…

1
Sacred and Submerged 23:55

6M ago23:55

23:55

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 mat…

1
Introducing: Hazard NJ "First a Miracle, Then a Curse" 29:52

6M ago29:52

29:52

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 th…

1
Classic Episode: Salty Chefs 39:13

6M ago39:13

39:13

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 ho…

1
From Sea to Rising Sea 36:14

7M ago36:14

36:14

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. Wha…

1
Lights, Camera, Action: Climate Change in Hollywood 34:45

7M ago34:45

34:45

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 creato…

1
Fish to Fork: Bonus Interview with Chef Jim Smith 15:12

8M ago15:12

15:12

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 cou…

1
Fish to Fork 26:42

8M ago26:42

26:42

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 a…

1
The Future Is Not Yet Written: A Conversation with Ayana Johnson 29:14

8M ago29:14

29:14

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…

1
Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Climate Action 34:59

9M ago34:59

34:59

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 B…

1
In Hot Water 30:48

9M ago30:48

30:48

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…

1
The Stormy Insurance Crisis in the Sunshine State 20:34

10M ago20:34

20:34

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,…

1
Bringing Back the Beach 33:36

10M ago33:36

33:36

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 t…

1
Hot Summer Reading 35:24

11M ago35:24

35:24

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…

1
Coastal Cities for the Future 35:32

11M ago35:32

35:32

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 - …

1
Nuoc: A Viet-Cajun Story 32:00

12M ago32:00

32:00

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 surro…

1
Sea Change Live! Inside the Insurance Crisis 30:06

1y ago30:06

30:06

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 dedi…

1
Introducing: Ripple 56:11

1y ago56:11

56:11

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…

1
Redfish Blues 34:57

1y ago34:57

34:57

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 rep…

1
The Drowning South: A Conversation with the Washington Post 26:50

1y ago26:50

26:50

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 fascina…

1
All Gassed Up: Inside the International Fight Against LNG 38:33

1y ago38:33

38:33

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, th…

1
All Gassed Up, Part 3: The Sugar Daddy of LNG 41:24

1y ago41:24

41:24

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 rol…

1
Introducing: Sea Change 40:43

1y ago40:43

40:43

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 – fr…

1
Introducing: Sea Change 40:39

1y ago40:39

40:39

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 – fr…

1
All Gassed Up, Part 2: The German Connection 41:32

1y ago41:32

41:32

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. Bu…

1
All Gassed Up, Part 1: The Carbon Coast 39:05

1y ago39:05

39:05

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 – fr…

1
Introducing Season 2 2:16

1+ y ago2:16

2:16

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, in…

1
Presenting: The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast 10:53

1+ y ago10:53

10:53

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 …

1
A World of Hope 34:55

1+ y ago34:55

34:55

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 t…

1
The American Whale 26:31

1+ y ago26:31

26:31

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 Inv…

1
Pardon the Intrusion 37:12

1+ y ago37:12

37:12

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 ef…

1
Designing With Nature 34:28

1+ y ago34:28

34:28

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 thro…

1
Presenting: KQED’s Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America 28:07

1+ y ago28:07

28:07

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 f…

1
Flood By Flood 41:05

1+ y ago41:05

41:05

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 is…

1
Riddle of the Ridley 31:53

1+ y ago31:53

31:53

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…

1
Abandoned in (Plant)ation Country 31:17

1+ y ago31:17

31:17

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…

1
Presenting: Outside/In "Windfall" 28:37

2y ago28:37

28:37

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’…

1
Expand Your Blue Mind 45:11

2y ago45:11

45:11

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 …

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