From Sea to Rising Sea

11/14/24 • 36 min

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 [email protected].

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.

Look no further for more information about San Francisco's Waterfront Flood Study.

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!

You can reach the Sea Change team at [email protected].

Previous Episode

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 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!

You can reach the Sea Change team at [email protected].

Next Episode

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 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 livelihood producing that food? Today on Sea Change, we meet some amazing chefs to help us answer those questions. First, we go into the kitchen of Top Chef finalist, Isaac Toups, to learn how he connects cooking with activism for saving the coast. And then we speak to a group of chefs who are just as passionate about what they put on our plates as they are about protecting the place we live...from the wetlands of Louisiana to the entire planet.

A special thanks to Chef Isaac Toups, Chef Dana Honn, Chef Erik Nunley, and Chef April Bellows.

For more information about the Chef’s Brigade: https://www.chefsbrigade.org

We hope you enjoy this episode, and we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

This episode was hosted by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. Carlyle Calhoun is our managing producer. The sound designer for this episode is Maddie Zampanti 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!

You can reach the Sea Change team at [email protected].