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 playbook to help keep the industry alive?

Listen to part one of the series here. 

This series was reported in partnership with the Louisiana Illuminator and Floodlight News. 

To read more about this investigation, check out this article.

And, to read more about how this money could be shaping climate policy, check out this article.

This episode is the second in our two-part series: "Fueling Knowledge." This episode is hosted by Floodlight's Pam Radke and Halle Parker. This episode was reported by Halle Parker, Pam Radtke, and Piper Hutchinson of the Louisiana Illuminator. It was edited by Johanna Zorn and Carlyle Calhoun, with additional help from Ryan Vasquez, Rosemary Westwood, Greg Larose, and Dee Hall. The episode was fact-checked by Garrett Hazelwood. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste and our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Carlyle Calhoun is our managing producer. 

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

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 campaign.

These ties go way back. To understand this relationship, and what's at stake, we zoom in on the oil-and-gas-branded campus of Louisiana’s flagship university–LSU. Where, after digging through hundreds of archival documents, we learn this relationship dates back nearly a century, evolving into the deep ties we see today. In the first episode of our two-part series, Fueling Knowledge, we investigate how this bond between fossil fuels and one university began.

This series was reported in partnership with the Louisiana Illuminator and Floodlight News. 

To read more about the evolution of this relationship, check out this article.

This episode is the first in our two-part series: Fueling Knowledge. This episode is hosted by the Louisiana Illuminator’s Piper Hutchinson and Halle Parker. This episode was reported by Piper Hutchinson, Halle Parker, and Pam Radtke of Floodlight News. It was edited by Johanna Zorn and Carlyle Calhoun, with additional help from Ryan Vasquez, Rosemary Westwood, Greg Larose and Dee Hall. The episode was fact-checked by Garrett Hazelwood. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste and our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Carlyle Calhoun is our managing producer.

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

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 of the ocean. Because when we value something, we want to protect it. 

Wallace J Nichols died last year. He was a passionate ocean lover and sea turtle advocate. He was dedicated to science and helped start many ocean conservation projects. So, in honor of J and all his amazing work to protect this blue planet, we wanted to bring you again this inspiring conversation. To leave you with J's signature email sign-off: wishing you water. 

For more about Blue Mind, and Wallace J. Nichol's work, click here.  

Hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker. Our 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 and The Water Collaborative. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. 

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 understand the power of the fossil fuel industry in Texas and how that power led to the power crisis in 2021.

This is episode 1 of Season 3 of The Disconnect. You can find more episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

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 and The Water Collaborative. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. 

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 make the NFIP more "fair," FEMA recently overhauled its flood insurance program. It's called Risk Rating 2.0, and the sweeping changes are proving to be highly controversial.

In this episode, we talk to Rebecca Elliott, author of Underwater, about how the story of American flood insurance is really a story about people and our values as a nation.

For more resources about flood insurance and Risk Rating 2.0, check out the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance.  

This episode was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Eva Tesfaye. 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 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 and The Water Collaborative. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. 

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 editing help from Eve Abrams. Additional help from Halle Parker, Eva Tesfaye, Ryan Vasquez, and Rosemary Westwood. This episode was fact-checked by Garrett 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. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and The Water Collaborative. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. 

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 for listening to Sea Change this year. We wish all of you a peaceful, joyful, and hopeful 2025. 

This episode is hosted by Halle Parker and Eva Tesfaye.  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're a 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. 

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 are two competing LNG narratives…fossil fuel companies and their big investors all sing its praise saying LNG is great for the climate and Americans. But, environmentalists, scientists, the Department of Energy, and even other private industries all say the opposite. 

It’s a pivotal time for energy. And the battle over LNG will play a huge role in our future climate. That’s why we at Sea Change produced a one-hour version of our 3 part series "All Gassed Up." If you don’t have time to listen to three episodes, this 1-hour special will give you the backstory…how this booming industry came to be, how the gulf coast became its epicenter, and how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and even the nuclear meltdown of Fukushima all helped lead to this moment. 

This 1-hour special was hosted, written, and reported by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. It was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. This special was edited by Johanna Zorn and Jack Rodolico. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. And our theme music is by Jon Batiste.

This special was just one part of our three-part podcast series, All Gassed Up. To hear the full series, you can find Sea Change wherever you get your podcasts. 

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. 

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, communities, and our climate. But that might not mean much to the new administration determined to drill baby, drill.

One of the hottest flashpoints in this fight over the future of LNG centers around whether it's a climate solution, as industry claims, or actually a carbon bomb. Today, we talk to leading scientist Dr. Robert Howarth about his recent study revealing that LNG is worse for the climate than coal. 

This episode was hosted by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. And our theme music is by Jon Batiste.

For more about LNG, check out our 3-part series, All Gassed Up, or our 1-hour special. You can find Sea Change wherever you get your podcasts. 

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. 

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 more about the efforts to save it.

This episode was hosted and reported by Eva Tesfaye, Drew Hawkins, and Danny McArthur. 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. 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. 

10:54

Eva Tesfaye

And here’s mine https://www.wwno.org/coastal-desk/2024-10-02/less-land-more-water-grand-bayou-indian-village-builds-oyster-reef-for-protection

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 NJ Spotlight News. Listen to the rest of the season here on Apple Podcasts or here on Spotify. 

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. Carlyle Calhoun is our managing producer. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. 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.

You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.