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  • Feb27
     Terrascope Youth Radio- Bottled Water

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    090227Tyrbottledwater.mp3



    Bottled water is a convenient alternative to drinking tap water.  It's portable, discrete, safe, and at times trendy... or so we've been led to believe.
     

    Bottled water, in fact, is detrimental to the environment in many ways that are not commonly understood.  There is a great amount of waste associated with the manufacturing, processing, and shipping of the plastic used to make the bottles.  The water in the bottles is often taken from unsustainable sources, and the type of plastic used in many brands should not be re-used, since they leech harmful chemicals including Bisphenol A (BPA).

    Further Reading


  • Feb26
     Henry Hudson's Voyages

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    In the early 17th Century, trade was everything - and whoever could access the most direct trade routes had the advantage. English captain Henry Hudson understood this, and worked for a number of different competitors including the English, Dutch, and Russians. Hudson's third voyage sent him across the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of finding a route across the Arctic to China and India: the Northwest Passage.

    Hudson found no such passage, but encountered what is now New York City, sailed up the river (which now bears his name) to Albany, and traded extensively with Native Americans in the area, mostly Algonquins.

    Hudson was an ambitious explorer, but often asked too much of his crew. This eventually led to his demise when they mutinied and abandoned him in icy waters.

    Further Reading

    • Henry Hudson - extensive web site on Henry Hudson's life and legacy
    • Explore NY - celebrating the Quadricentennial year of Hudson's voyage

  • Feb25
     I started Early, took My Dog

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    Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts in a family of community leaders. She led a largely private life but with her keen sense of observation and imagination, published nearly eighteen hundred poems in her lifetime. She is now considered an influential American poet and an early leader in womens literature.

    Her poetry uses slant rhyme and often takes the form of short sentences filled with metaphorical imagery - as in her poem "By the Sea," which recalls a mysterious visit to her favorite body of water.

    Further Reading


  • Feb24
     Building a Boat Cover

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    090224Buildingaboatcover.mp3
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    The Clearwater sails on the Hudson River from March through October, and the winter crew is hard at work during the cold winter months to execute much needed maintenance on the sloop.  Sometimes it involves repairing worn-out pulleys, or replacing rotten wooden planks - but much of the work must be done outdoors, which can get quite cold in the Hudson Valley.

    The crew constructs a makeshift shelter surrounding the entire boat to work in. Today we hear an encounter from building the boat cover last November.

    Further Reading

    • Clearwater Potlucks - see the boat cover and meet the winter crew with some great home made food
    • Winter Crew - check out the biographies of the 2009 winter crew

  • Feb23
     Pete's See-Saw

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    090223Peteseesaw.mp3



    Folklore has been a large part of Pete Seeger's life and work. In his song lyrics and books, he evokes images and parables that teach cultural lessons with a twist of humor.
     

    One of his favorite metaphors to describe his outlook on activism is the image of a see-saw with a heavy load weighing down one end. Seeger uses the image to show how patience and determination can overcome even the most daunting obstacles.

    Further Reading


  • Feb20
     Howland Cultural Center - Hudson Exhibit

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    090220Hcchudsonexhibit.mp3



    The Howland Cultural Center is a venue for arts of all kinds - from poetry readings, gallery shows, and film screenings, to beautiful music concerts. The Center's goal is to be the arts leader of Beacon, NY, and the greater Hudson Valley.

    In January, the center featured a charming gallery exhibition of photography focused on the Hudson River.  It captured both the stunning landscape and the people that value the river.  The Clearwater was a recurring theme throughout.

    Further Reading


  • Feb19
     The Coming Green Economy

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    Many financial experts view the economic crisis as a burden on future generations, others see it as an opportunity to take a new direction. Not since the Great Depression has there been the necessity to re-examine our priorities and start fresh with sustainable infrastructure. Scientific breakthroughs make it possible to flood the economy with green-collar jobs.

    Demand has steadily risen for careers that collectively lower carbon footprints, conserve energy and water use, and decrease pollution.

    Further Reading


  • Feb18
     Dead Zone

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    The Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most staggering scars we have inflicted on the environment.  An enormous amount of sediment from the Mississippi River,  its tributaries, and petrochemicals and herbicides from domestic and agricultural use, flow down through New Orleans and into the Gulf.

    As a consequence, algal blooms overpopulate the water and consume all of the water's oxygen.

    Scientists aren't sure how to solve this crisis, but it will involve re-inventing our relationship with farming.

    Further Reading


  • Feb17
     Terrascope Youth Radio- Toilets and the Harbor

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    090217Tyrannegiblin.mp3



    Marine biology isn't only about deep-sea coral reefs and fish migration. Scientists are focusing on cities, and how our activities affect the water around us.

    Dr. Anne Giblin works with the Marine Biological Laboratory in Boston, MA, to study how the marine environment is responding biochemically to waste water, and what we can do to address pollution.

    Further Reading


  • Feb16
     Pete Seeger on Activism

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    090216Peteonactivism.mp3



    Pete Seeger has been an activist for more than half a century. Through his music, books, concerts, and environmental advocacy, he brings to light pressing issues of human rights and environmental justice and the need for us to wake up and do something about it - whether its writing a letter, or singing a song, or refraining from buying a certain product.

    Invoking the America's founding fathers, Pete urges us to pay attention to the actions of our society, and be aware of how we can influence them.

    Further Reading


  • Feb13
     Sailor Superstitions

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    090211Sailorsuperstitions.mp3



    Maybe it's from living in close quarters, maybe it's the ancient mythology associated with sailing, maybe it's the risk of navigating through the whims of treacherous weather; sailors around the world have developed hundreds of curious superstitions about their profession.

    Members of the Clearwater crew share some superstitions they've encountered and still observe aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.








    Photo: Brian Mohan

    Further Reading


  • Feb12
     Desert Solitaire

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    090212Edwardabbeydesertsolitaire.mp3
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    Edward Paul Abbey (1927 – 1989) was a highly influential nature writer and philosopher. His works of fiction, essays, non-fiction, and criticisms have been closely compared to Aldo Leopold and Henry David Thoreau.

    Abbey was raised in Pennsylvania, but spent most of his time exploring and writing about the American West. Sometimes called "the desert anarchist," he was a harsh critic of the American parks system, public land use policies, and the military-industrial complex. He wrote his most famous work, Desert Solitaire, in 1968 - which he describes as "an elegy" to the western wilderness.

    Further Reading

    • AbbeyWeb.net - extensive resource on Edward Abbey's life, works, and legacy
    • Ecotopia - extracts from his influential writing
    • Bibliography - essays, novels, letters, and journals

  • Feb11
     Terrascope Youth Radio

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    090211Terrascopeyouthradio.mp3



    Terrascope Youth Radio is an unique partnership between MIT and Cambridge Public Schools to give public voice to young people on important environmental issues, and to provide guidance and training in radio technology.

    Terrascope will cover a series of topics, from local environmental atrocities, to eco-fashion, to choices we can make to help the environment.

    Tune in to the Clearwater Moment to hear more from teens with a message.

    Further Reading


  • Feb10
     Clearwater and Youth Radio

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    090210Clearwaterandyouthradio.mp3
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    As Clearwater celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2009, we look back on our many accomplishments: celebrating Hudson River heritage and music, educating and advocating for environmental justice, and taking young people on engaging field-trips aboard the Sloop Clearwater.

    We also look forward to the next stage in environmental action: we striving to raise, train, and equip the next generation of environmental leaders.

    In partnership with Terrascope Youth Radio of Cambridge, MA, we want to give voice to a youth perspective. Tune in to future Clearwater Moments to hear how young adults view the challenges and solutions to environmental issues.

    Further Reading


  • Feb09
     Steelhead

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    090209Steelhead.mp3
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    The Steelhead has a wide reputation as a sporting fish able to thrive in almost any environment around the world.  Closely related to the Rainbow Trout, the Steelhead can thrive in both fresh and saltwater, and can spawn for more than one season.

    But it hasn't always been easy for this fascinating fish.  Federal fishery programs have helped them remain at stable population levels despite threats of habitat loss and over-fishing.

    Further Reading


  • Feb02
     No Episode Today

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    Today's Clearwater Moment will not be broadcast on WAMC Public Radio this week due to their fund drive.

    Further Reading