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  • Mar31
     PCBs and GE

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    090331Pcbsandge.mp3



    Clearwater has been advocating for restoring the Hudson River for forty years. At the top of the list has been educating the public about PCBs, and the need to clean the river sediment. Many people and institutions insist dredging the riverbed will make matters worse - but Clearwater, working with the EPA and DEC has determined that dredging the sediment is the only way to restore the river and keep it safe.

    The General Electric Corporation, who was top polluter of PCBs in the Hudson, led a failed campaign to halt the dredging process. Starting in the Spring of 2009, test phases of a river cleanup will finally commence.

    Further Reading


  • Mar30
     Women Who Kept the Light - Abbie Burgess

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    March is Women's History Month, and we're celebrating with a series of radio stories about the brave women who kept America's lighthouses at the ready throughout history.

    Women Who Kept the Light chronicles the careers of brave women who tended the wicks in lighthouses all over the country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, on Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes, and the Hudson River - staying at their posts for periods ranging from a few years to half a century.

    Further Reading


  • Mar27
     Croton Aqueduct

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    090327Crotonaqueduct.mp3
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    New York City's tap water is, surprisingly, very safe to drink. Our water is tested regularly by the DEP and is found to be so clean, it doesn't even need filtering. But that water does a lot of traveling to get to the city.

    The Old Croton Aqueduct delivered water from the Hudson Highlands down to Manhattan starting in the mid 1800's, using the same technology used in the Roman Empire.

    Further Reading


  • Mar26
     Eastern Phoebe

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    090326Easternphoebe.mp3



    The Eastern Phoebe has a large habitat range across North America: spending winters in Northern Mexico and Florida, and summers as far North as the central Yukon Territory in Canada. As climate change affects habitat, birds like these will be forced to adapt,  resorting to higher elevations and changing food sources.

    This small bird has a unique place in history for birders everywhere. The Eastern Phoebe is the first species to be systematically monitored by tagging, to be tracked year after year as they complete their seasonal migrations.

    Further Reading


  • Mar25
     Women Who Kept the Light - Murdoch

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    March is Women's History Month, and we're celebrating with a series of radio stories about the brave women who kept America's lighthouses at the ready throughout our nation's history.

    Women Who Kept the Light chronicles the lives and careers of the brave women who tended the wicks in lighthouses all over the country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, on Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes, and the Hudson River - staying at their posts for periods ranging from a few years to half a century.

    Further Reading


  • Mar24
     Tire in the Trawl

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    090324Tireinthetrawl.mp3



    Life aboard the Clearwater is always full of surprises. When educational groups go fishing with a otter-trawl net, the students get a glimpse at life under the water. We've caught fish, eels, and crabs, but sometimes capture trash and litter that has found a resting place on the river floor.

    Students have a great opportunity to observe river wildlife, and get to see why its so important to restore the Hudson River to its full potential.











    Photo: Brian Mohan

    Further Reading


  • Mar23
     PCB Cleanup Process

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    090323Pcbcleanuprocess.mp3



    Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been involved in environmental advocacy for decades. One of our top priorities has been educating the public about the consequences of PCB contamination in the Hudson River and how the cleanup process will impact the environment.

    PCBs are dense enough to settle into the river sediment but still affect wildlife throughout the watershed when they are re-suspended.  In the spring of 2009, the Department of Environmental Conservation will be working with General Electric to start the long-awaited process of dredging the Hudson River. 

    Further Reading


  • Mar20
     Clearwater and the Crocuses

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    090320Clearwaterandcrocuses.mp3



    Today is the Vernal Equinox.  It is the planetary start of Spring.  An Equinox occurs twice a year, when the sun is vertically above the equator.  This Friday morning, the sun will cross directly over the Earth's equator, and day will be the same length as night.   In the Northern Hemisphere it is the Vernal Equinox, in the Southern it is the Autumnal Equinox.

    We hear from Clearwater's Captain Nicolas Rogers, who shares a story about the signs of Spring.

    Further Reading


  • Mar19
     Women Who Kept the Light - Moore

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    090319Womenwhokeptthelight.mp3



    March is Women's History Month, and we're celebrating with a series of radio stories about the brave women who kept America's lighthouses at the ready throughout history.

    Women Who Kept the Light chronicles the careers of brave women who tended the wicks in lighthouses all over the country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, on Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes, and the Hudson River - staying at their posts for periods ranging from a few years to half a century.

    Further Reading


  • Mar18
     Hudson River Sloops

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    090318Hrsloopsclear.mp3



    Today we hear a description of the Hudson River from a bygone era, when sloops populated the river in enormous numbers. Before the construction of rail lines, river sailing was the most efficient means to transport cargo and people.

    Carl Carmer (1893-1976) wrote several books on nature, folkways, traveling, and life throughout the United States. He grew up in New York, and wrote The Hudson in 1939 as a collection of essays and journals about the river he loved.

     



     

    Clearwater and Woody Guthrie, Photo: Brian Mohan

    Further Reading


  • Mar17
     Terrascope Youth Radio - Green Streets

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    Living with a low carbon footprint sometimes means taking a gas-guzzling car off our roads. Growing numbers of environmentally conscious people are embracing the developing cycling movement in cities across the US. Getting to work the DIY way is better for the Earth and your health!

    Green Streets is an initiative in Cambridge, and many other cities, to raise awareness of biker's rights and encourage people to ride bicycles more often.  Terrascope Youth Radio gives us the scoop.

    Further Reading


  • Mar16
     What Are PCB's?

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    090316Whatarepcbs.mp3



    The Industrial Revolution played a major role in developing New York for nearly a century, but the aftermath of industrial waste is catching up with us quickly. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used by General Electric at plants in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward starting in 1947.  PCBs have been harming the Hudson River ever since.

    PCBs aren't used any more - they were banned in 1977 - but the 1,300,000 pounds of PCBs that GE releasted into the river have settled into the sediment and still effect the Hudson's ecosystem. People eating fish from the Hudson should also be cautions, since PCBs have been known to cause cancer and birth defects

    Clearwater has urged the government to clean up the PCBs in a responsible way.

    Further Reading

    • PCB Story - Clearwater presents the story and legacy of PCBs in the Hudson River
    • Slideshow -Anatomy of a toxic spill
    • EPA - PCB resource and policy guide

  • Mar13
     Pollopel Island

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    090313Pollopelisland.mp3
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    The Hudson River has a rich place in American History and the industrial revolution. Pollopel Island, sometimes known as Bannerman's Island, is a testament to the power a river has over people and vice versa.

    Today, the castle is the property of New York State, and is protected by a not-for-profit Trust. Governments and the non-profit sector working together are often successful partnerships in protecting public resources like the Hudson River. Together we can assure a future as vital and promising as its rich past.



     

    photo by Shaun O'Boyle

    Further Reading


  • Mar12
     Sturgeon

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    Sturgeons are ancient fish, and not only because of their long life span. Like some species of crocodile, they have remained biologically unchanged for millions of years. Sadly, the population of short nosed sturgeon in the Hudson River has been declining for decades. Habitat loss, breeding areas affected by polluted runoff, and overfishing have all combined to put this fascinating fish on the endangered species list.

    When we catch a sturgeon aboard the Clearwater, our fishing license requires us to return this "living fossil" to the river within minutes.













     

    Captain Sam and the crew of students marvel at this ancient fish

    Further Reading


  • Mar11
     Chesapeake Mornings

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    Once you've spent time on a sailboat, the experience never leaves you. Wherever you are, you wonder what it's like on the vessel of your dreams.

    Chris Kleinfelter's poem, "Chesapeake Mornings" captures this sense of sailing and a sense of place.

    Further Reading


  • Mar10
     Terrascope Youth Radio - Charles River

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    090310Tyrcharlesriver.mp3



    Terrascope Youth Radio reporters scour the Boston area for insights into the environmental movement.  In their latest report on e-coli contamination, we go on-site with a team of young reporters conducting an experiment on the Charles River.

    Pollution in our rivers is bad enough, but when the source of the pollution is our sewers, well that's just disgusting. No one wants to swim in, and certainly not drink water that has been dirtied in this way. We need better planning and regulation to ensure clean and safe rivers.

    Further Reading


  • Mar09
     Active Participation

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    090309Activeparticipation.mp3



    At a time when our children too often resort to indoor play, video games, and electronic entertainment, their inactivity is causing catastrophic rates of diabetes, asthma, and obesity. We need to bring them back to nature, and a life of activity.

    We spoke with Dr. David Fenner, a pediatrician in the Hudson Valley, who is concerned with childhood inactivity and its connections to ill health and nature-deficit disorder.












    photo by Brian Mohan

    Further Reading


  • Mar06
     Hudson River Gybe

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    090306Hrgybe.mp3
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    Carl Carmer wrote several books on nature, folkways, traveling, and Americana life all over the country. He grew up in New York, and wrote The Hudson in 1939 as a collection of essays and journals about the river he adored.

    In this excerpt, which describes the dramatic maneuvering of a sailboat on the Hudson River, the reader gets a sense of the immense force at work in the mechanics of sailing.

    Further Reading


  • Mar05
     Storms on the Hudson

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    090305Stormsonthehudson.mp3
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    When students and parents board the Clearwater for an educational sail, they venture out onto the Hudson River and its environment, and are subject to its dynamic changing weather. Every once in a while, weather systems may approach quicker than expected, and plans must change mid-sail. Fortunately, the crew is up to the challenge.

    Today, a crewmember describes for us the process of securing the sloop to bear the weather, and keep her guests safe and dry.

    Further Reading


  • Mar04
     Terrascope Youth Radio - Eco-Fashion

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    090304Tyrecofashion.mp3



    You don't have to sacrifice your sense of style to act on behalf of the environment. On the contrary -  you can embrace a vision for sustainability by the very clothes you wear.

    Manufacturers and designers are paying close attention to demand for ecologically friendly clothing options, including organic fibers, sustainable production, and locally made items.

    Today, Terrascope Youth Radio reporters find Eco-fashions in their local community.

    Further Reading