An Earth Day Playlist

Podcast episodes about natural disasters, and the meaning of ‘home’

BY SHEEBA JOSEPH

Whether you’re new to our show or have been listening for a while, you know that here at Out There, we are great fans of stories that humanize a person’s perspective and experience, and that challenge us to consider viewpoints unlike our own.

After experiencing a year that has drastically changed the way we connect with one another — whether that be because we spent the year away from the ones we love, or because we spent way more time with the ones we love — our experience of ‘home’ has taken on a deeper and richer meaning for each of us. 

Pandemic aside, that notion of home or community, which anchors us all to the ones we care about, is what fueled us this Earth Day, to consider what “home” means for those affected when a natural disaster devastates your community. After the Storm is a playlist that explores why we live where we live, as the climate warms. For although climate affects us all, how it affects us is dependent on where we live. 

1 - WHY DO WE STAY? | OUT THERE PODCAST

In “Why Do We Stay,” Out There explores what ties Mexican immigrant Mauro Ibarra to an island off the coast of North Carolina, when his extended family is far away and his professional skills could be put to use anywhere. 

2 - THE SKY IS FALLING | INHERITED

For 15 year-old Jenna, in the episode “The Sky Is Falling” from Inherited, her oceanside community in New York is the only home she’s ever known. But nearly a decade after  Hurricane Sandy, her community is still struggling to rebuild. 

3 - CLIMATE MIGRATION | OUTSIDE/IN

The question explored in the episode “Climate Migration” by Outside/In, is so much more complicated than just finding the best place to live. This episode asks: how should communities/places prepare for the wave of climate migrants that are headed their way? And how do you navigate these questions when the communities that are merging have very different racial and cultural roots? 

4 & 5 — DESTINY | FLOODLINES & PREMIUM ELEVATION | THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

In episodes like “Destiny” (Floodlines) and “Premium Elevation” (There Goes the Neighborhood: Season 3), you’ll be introduced to the term climate gentrification and will get to witness how that plays out in communities of color in Louisiana and Florida’s Little Haiti, as opposed to places like Miami that are populated by more affluent residents.

6 - IF MIAMI WILL BE UNDERWATER, WHY IS CONSTRUCTION STILL BOOMING? | HOW TO SAVE A PLANET

In Gimlet’s How to Save a Planet episode entitled, “If Miami Will Be Underwater, Why Is Construction Still Booming?” you’ll hear about the flip side — how the Miami community is seeking to address future flooding by building storm drains (and charging forward with luxury seaside developments).

If you’re up for longer listens, we definitely recommend you checking out the entire series of Floodlines or the entire third season of There Goes the Neighborhood, as there are such great gems in both.

Happy Listening! And as always, don’t be shy to spread the audio love to those you love!