Podcasts and Public Radio from PRX Shed Light on Environmental Stories for Earth Month
Recommendations include “The World, “Sea Change,” “The Science of Happiness,” “How God Works,” and more
As this weekend brings Earth Day, the daily public radio show featuring global news — “The World” from GBH and PRX — recently announced the return of “The Big Fix,” a regular segment illuminating solutions for the climate crisis. The first story comes from India. Upcoming reports will focus on agricultural techniques in Mexico and local communities in the Brazilian Amazon. We encourage audiences to tune into “The World” airing on public radio stations across the United States. The show is also available on-demand across all major podcast platforms.
For environment-related listening, we also invite listeners to podcasts and audio programming, including:
“Sea Change” from WWNO/WRKF and PRX
This new podcast delivers stories that illuminate, inspire, and sometimes enrage, diving into the environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast and beyond. Rooted in New Orleans, “Sea Change’’ is a production of WWNO New Orleans Public Radio, WRKF Baton Rouge Public Radio, and PRX. The show is hosted by photojournalist and multimedia producer Carlyle Calhoun, environment reporter Halle Parker, and coastal reporter Kezia Setyawan:
“The Science of Happiness” — “Climate, Hope, and Science: The Science of Hope in the Age of Climate Despair” from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and PRX
This new series from “The Science of Happiness” podcast will explore the intersection of environmental well-being with our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one and the same. This new series launches with a new episode — “The Case for Climate Hope” — on April 22, with new episodes as part of the series following April 27, May 4, May 11, and May 18. Hosted by award-winning professor Dacher Keltner, “The Science of Happiness” provides research-tested strategies for a happier and more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe:
We also recommend a recent “The Science of Happiness” episode designed to lead you through an exercise in feeling the serenity and wonder that nature brings us, no matter where you are:
“Living on Earth” distributed by PRX
The award-winning public radio broadcast “Living on Earth” brings environmental news and information to listeners across the country on a weekly basis. Hosted by journalist Steve Curwood and based at the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, the program features news, features, and interviews on an array of ecological issues.
Listen to the “Living on Earth” here. Episodes range from a look at the current state of implementing green energy initiatives to the implications of the recent Ohio train disaster to a conversation with legendary primatologist Jane Goodall on the pursuit of holistic sustainability. A recent “Living on Earth” special also features music, poetry, and commentary celebrating the wonders of our planet.
“Sidedoor” from the Smithsonian and PRX
We recommend “Lights Out,” a recent podcast episode: “Most people in North America can’t see the Milky Way. The reason? We’re ensconced in a luminous fog of artificial lighting 24/7. The evolution of lighting technology over the last century has made it possible to live, work, and play at any hour — day or night. But light pollution affects all life on earth, from humans to plants and insects. So, how did we find ourselves surrounded by a glowing shroud of electricity… and can we have the dark, without giving up the light?”
“How God Works” from David DeSteno and PRX
While religion and science often seem at odds, there’s one thing they can agree on: people who take part in spiritual practices tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. The big question is: Why? In the “How God Works” podcast, professor Dave DeSteno takes us on a journey to find out, combining neuroscience with ancient wisdom. A recent episode examines how religion plays into our relationship with the Earth, including a conversation about how the way religious people practice their faith may influence their environmental attitudes and behavior. The episode also presents the theological case for going green and how to make environmental action a spiritual practice:
“Patagonia Stories” from Patagonia and PRX
In this podcast from outdoors company Patagonia, host Archana Ram explores the foundational nature of knowledge and asks questions with significance to our relationships with each other and the natural world. How are lessons passed through generations to help us feel at home? What barriers prevent us from acquiring natural wisdom? How can we adapt in the face of a rapidly changing climate? Listen now:
“Eons: Mysteries of Deep Time” from PBS and PRX
Dig into the past and explore the greatest mysteries of natural history with the team behind the hit YouTube series “PBS Eons.” From the dawn of the dinosaurs to downtown Los Angeles, we’re covering what we know — and what we still don’t know — about the history of life on Earth:
“Things That Go Boom” from Inkstick Media and PRX
Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington is one of the world’s most contaminated sites. The cleanup will take generations. As more ceded lands have been encroached on by agriculture and development, the Hanford land is untouchable by outsiders, but also unsafe for members of the Yakama Nation to fully practice their traditions. Now, while they fight for the most rigorous cleanup possible, they’re also finding other ways to keep those traditions alive. The series “What Our Nuclear History Means For Indigenous Food” first aired in November 2022 and remains an important listen:
“Reveal” from the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX
Bitcoin is a novel form of currency that bypasses banks, credit card companies and governments. As the investigative public radio show and podcast “Reveal” reported in 2022, the process of creating bitcoin is energy intensive, impacting efforts to address climate change:
Looking for more? We’ve also curated a playlist:
About PRX
PRX is a non-profit public media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling. PRX serves independent producers and organizations by helping them connect to their most engaged, supportive audiences. One of the world’s leading podcast publishers, PRX works in partnership with TED, PBS, the Smithsonian, Futuro Media, GBH, Religion of Sports, and more. PRX is also home to Radiotopia, known as one of the most creative and successful podcast networks. In addition, PRX distributes trusted public radio programming to hundreds of stations nationwide, including “The World,” “The Moth Radio Hour,” “This American Life,” “Snap Judgment,” “Reveal,” “The Takeaway,” and “Latino USA.” PRX programs have been recognized by the Peabody Awards, the duPont-Columbia Awards, the IDA Documentary Awards, and the Pulitzer Prizes. In 2022, Futuro Media and PRX won a Pulitzer Prize. Visit prx.org for more.
