© 2025 WWNO
WWNO skyline header graphic
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Sea Change
Sea Change
Bi-weekly
Hosted by Carlyle Calhoun

The award-winning podcast from WWNO/WRKF that dives deep into the environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast and beyond. Sea Change will bring you stories that illuminate, inspire, and sometimes enrage, but above all, remind us why we must work together to solve the issues facing our warming world. The podcast will help document our changing coasts with accountability journalism that’s too often missing from today’s media while sharing captivating stories from the people dealing with the most significant and complex problems of our time.

Hosted by Carlyle Calhoun, the show is based out of New Orleans, Louisiana which — perhaps more than any other place — embodies the existential threat of climate change. But like the city known as the Big Easy — Sea Change will also showcase joy, and resiliency — and tell powerful stories of people making a difference.

Also broadcast on 89.9 FM at noon during Louisiana Considered every other Friday.

Sea Change is distributed by PRX and is a part of the NPR Podcast Network.

Made possible with major support provided by 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 Greater New Orleans Foundation, and the Meraux Foundation.

Ways To Subscribe
Sea Change Episodes
  • The blue water off of Florida's Gulf Coast. Understanding how the power of water makes us healthier and happier is a growing field of research.
    Keep Expanding Your Blue Mind
    We're diving into our human connection to oceans...why does being around water make us feel so good?
  • Chadwick and Vergie Encalade live in Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana. People in this small town are facing the highest expected increase in flood insurance rates in the entire country. Average premiums could rise over a thousand percent, from an average of $673 per year to $8,058.
    Rising Water, Rising Risk
    More and more Americans face the threat of flooding. And as a country, we are woefully unprepared. 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.
  • One home in Louisiana has been elevated 18 feet, FEMA's base flood elevation in Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana. Another still sits barely off the ground. Residents tell Sea Change that FEMA's 50% Rule is causing stress, and even forcing people to leave their homes.
    Elevate or Relocate: FEMA's Dreaded Rule
    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.
  • Elin Kelsey is an international thought leader in the climate justice movement, who is all about evidence-based hope. It’s hope informed by the fact that good things are happening in this world.
    The Power of Hope
    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.
  • John Allaire lives next door to the massive Calcasieu Pass LNG export facility. He is fighting against the proposed expansion of LNG terminals across the Gulf Coast.
    All Gassed Up - 1 Hour Special
    A 1-hour special investigation into LNG. This deeply-reported, globetrotting program follows American gas around the world.
More from our Coastal Desk