Archive

Search:

  • Oct31
     Captain Kidd

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081031Captainkidd.mp3
    Transcript



    Scottish sailor William Kidd spent most of his career in the 17th century as a privateer - the leader of a rogue crew hired by the Brittish government to attack and capture foreign ships.

    He became increasingly corrupt and susceptible to bribery, and ended up being accused of piracy at a sensational trial in front of the British Parliament.










     



    Illustration of William "Captain" Kidd relaxing on deck, from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates.

    Further Reading

    • Biography - read about treasure allegedly buried on an island in the Connecticut River 
    • 1945 Film - depicting Captain Kidd
    • Undiscovered Scotland - a bio of William Kidd suggesting he may have been framed

  • Oct30
     Virtual Water

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081030Virtualwater.mp3
    Transcript



    The average family might use a few hundred gallons of water per week for household washing and cooking, but that number is much higher if you account for the impact of virtual water. There is an enormous volume of water embedded in the everyday products we consume. The food we eat and the clothes we wear all require hundreds of gallons of water, often freshwater, in their manufacturing and shipping.

    As safe and sustainable supplies of freshwater are harder to maintain, it is vital to become an educated consumer and know your virtual water footprint.

    Further Reading


  • Oct29
     Fifty Sail

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081029Fiftysail.mp3



    The Clearwater and Woody Guthrie Hudson River Sloops were built to bring a revival of interest, energy and resources back to the Hudson River.  Pete Seeger envisioned each town along the Hudson having its own Sloop Club dedicated to the river and its people.

    These curious vessels also serve as reminders of the rich maritime heritage of Dutch cargo and ferry ships that lined the banks a hundred years ago.

    Further Reading


  • Oct28
     Glass Eels

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081028Glasseels.mp3
    Transcript



    Clearwater is always looking to train the next generation of environmental leaders. New York Department of Environmental Conservation and Clearwater educators recently teamed up with local schools to monitor river ecology and how Glass Eels are coping with the many obstacles they face.

    The partnership provides important scientific data, and gives hands-on experience to young people interested in making a difference.

    Further Reading


  • Oct27
     Native Peoples

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081027Nativepeoples.mp3
    Transcript



    The Mohican peoples that settled in and around the Hudson Valley named the river Muhheakantuck - meaning the "river that flows both ways."  They called themselves the Muhhekunneuw - meaning the "People of the Great River."

    After fur traders and settlers conquered the area, systematic assimilation forced the natives from their culture and homeland.  Many moved to Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

    Although native communities still reside on sovereign territory across the the United States, many of these communities are struggling with the loss of their indigenous language and customs.

    Further Reading


  • Oct24
     Drill, Baby, Drill

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081024Drillbabydrill.mp3
    Transcript




    It's easy to think that drilling for oil closer to our shores will help ease the energy crisis, but it will only contribute a small fraction to the 20 million barrels we use daily, and won't have a noticeable effect until 2030.

    Instead, we need to focus on reducing our unsustainable consumption of oil and explore green energy solutions with reduced carbon footprints.

    Further Reading


  • Oct23
     Broad Old River

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081023Broadoldriver.mp3



    Pete Seeger's music involves universal themes of cooperation, teamwork and the power of the people to get things done. He urges us to think globally while acting locally.

    He is also known for letting everyone in his audience sing along with him in concerts, making it less of a performance than a old-time sing-along.

















    photo: Brian Mohan

     

    Further Reading


  • Oct22
     Blue Claw Crab

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081022Blueclawcrab.mp3
    Transcript



    The Clearwater uses a tube shaped trawl net to capture and release crabs, fish, eels and other critters in the Hudson River.

    The River is alive with biodiversity and the success of the Blue Claw Crab is encouraging evidence of recovery of the river. But there is still much work to be done.










    Photo: Chris Bowser

    Further Reading


  • Oct21
     Saugerties Lighthouse

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081021Saugertieslighthouse.mp3



    In our time of GPS, satellite navigation and sonar imaging, it's easy to lose track of our maritime heritage. The charming brick lighthouse in Saugerties, NY, guides our memory back to a period of history that heavily relied on such buildings for navigation on the Hudson River.

















     

    Photo - John Farmer

    Further Reading


  • Oct20
     Bald Eagles

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081020Baldeagles.mp3
    Transcript



    The American Bald Eagle is a poignant symbol of the American wilderness, but until recently the species was threatened with extinction by harmful chemicals and pesticides. These poisons run off into the river, aggregate in the flesh of fish, and are compounded as they move up the food chain to eagles.

    The Department of Environmental Conservation has observed nesting pairs of Bald Eagles returning all along the Hudson River as levels of chemicals and pesticides have decreased. The successful return of the Bald Eagle is a testament to wildlife restoration and habitat preservation efforts over the last decade.

    Further Reading

    • NY DEC - more on the Bald Eagle in New York State
    • Bald Eagle - fact sheet
    • Profile - watch a video and hear an audio clip of Haliaeetus leucocephalus

  • Oct17
     Raising the Sail

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081017Raisingthesail.mp3
    Transcript



    Whether it's an educational voyage for 4th graders, or a public sunset sail, the passengers become the crew aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. It takes everyone on board to heave, haul and sweat the 3,000 pounds of sail.

    Sea Shanties, in addition to offering music and humor, help everyone on board haul in rhythm with each other.

    Further Reading


  • Oct16
     The License

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081016thelicense.mp3
    Transcript



    Earning a U.S. Coast Guard sailing license requires the ultimate dedication and focus. Captains must be experts in the mechanics of sailing, nautical guidelines and navigation, and have excellent problem solving skills for changing weather and water conditions.

    Clearwater's current captain Samantha Heyman spent several years preparing to receive her USCG 500-ton Ocean Master's license and considers it one of her finest achievements.









    Left: The Clearwater's 105-foot mast

    Further Reading


  • Oct15
     Photovoltaics

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081015Photovoltaics.mp3



    The sun is the ultimate renewable resource, and environmentally conscious people all over the country are basking in the energy efficient possibilities of photovoltaics systems.

    Solar panels can harvest the sun's energy to provide secure off-grid electricity to a house and heat household water. You can even produce a surplus of electricity to sell back to an energy network.

    Further Reading


  • Oct14
     The Gyre

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081014Thegyre.mp3
    Transcript



    A result of the earth's rotation called the Coriolis effect, the ocean's currents swirl debris into dozens of churning vortexes all over the globe.

    The massive garbage buildup in the North Pacific gyre is a clear indication of how much we litter.

    Further Reading


  • Oct13
     Something to Say Cafe

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081013Somethingtosaycafe.mp3



    When youth need a space to express themselves, they won't take no for an answer. Jacob Bernz and Walker Rumpf joined forces to start their own music coffeehouse, hosted at the Beacon Sloop Club.

    The founders envisioned a place where "students to come revel in their love of music and hang out together." All are welcome to attend and bring an instrument to join in.

    Further Reading


  • Oct10
     The Beginning

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081010Thebeginning.mp3
    Transcript



    Clearwater Captain Samantha Heyman has a US Coast Guard 500 ton ocean-master's licence, making her one of the most accomplished female sailing captains in the world. In today's moment, she shares with us the story of how she was first inspired to be a sailor.

    Further Reading


  • Oct09
     Ethanol Continues

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081009Ethanolcontinues.mp3
    Transcript



    When searching for sources of biofuel, it's important to keep in mind the enormous potential of Cellulosic Ethanol. It comes from unlikely sources such as wood chips, switchgrass, paper pulp, and even tree bark - most of which would otherwise be thrown away.

    In addiditon to having a positive net-energy balance, Cellulosic Ethanol is more energy efficient and secure because it uses materials we have here in America, instead of depending on foreign sources of energy.





















    photo NREL

    Further Reading


  • Oct08
     The True Cost of Ethanol

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081008Thetruecostofethanol.mp3
    Transcript



    In our current energy crisis, resorting to corn ethanol may seem too good to be true. Biofuel from corn burns cleaner, diverts some dependence on foreign oil, and provides more work for Americans at home.

    But putting too much emphasis on ethanol may prove to be a catch-22. The net-energy balance proves that ethanol would consume more energy than it produces.

    Further Reading


  • Oct07
     Testing the Waters

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081007Testingthewaters.mp3



    The roots of the Riverkeeper started in the mid 1960's when a group of activists were fed up with the deplorable conditions of the Hudson River. It has since grown into an influential watchdog organization dedicated to maintaining the ecological and aesthetic integrity of the Hudson River tributaries. They strive to elicit policy changes that secure safe drinking water and protect the river and wildlife from human and industrial waste.

    Riverkeeper maintains a thirty-six foot patrol and research vessel that investigates new reports of illegal discharges, facilitates scientific research on the Hudson, and provides river access to the public. The organization's accomplishments have inspired the creation of hundreds of other “waterkeepers” across the globe.



    Left, a water testing mobile laboratory

    Further Reading


  • Oct06
     School Lunch

    JavaScript is disabled!
    To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.
    081006Schoollunch.mp3
    Transcript



    The Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, CA, is a model for promoting experiencial learning and confronting the obesity crisis.  Students are introduced to wholesome food production and nutrition, while fostering an appreciation of meaningful hands-on work.

    The students walk away with a full belly and an appreciation of where their sustenance comes through ecological literacy.

    Further Reading