World Ocean Radio

As the power is restored, transportation comes back online, and life and order return to a semblance of normal, another storm fades from memory. Yet superstorm Sandy has left us with some very hard questions and facts. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will pose a series of questions that demand answers and will suggest that if we begin to change our ways now we may yet realize a habitable future living by and with the sea. "Given the projected physical impact of sea level rise, exacerbated by storm-generated surge and flooding, how do we calculate, compare and declare what is fair and equitable in the short-term to what is fair and equitable in the long? Given this predictable situation, do we have any choice other than to change our ways? Yes, these are hard questions, not necessarily new, but demanding answers now in the harsh real light of the post-Sandy day. What will make us see clearly?" __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

This week marks the 200th episode of World Ocean Radio. In honor of this anniversary, we've chosen to re-broadcast our very first World Ocean Radio episode-The Sea Connects All Things-which first aired December 7, 2007. In this episode, host Peter Neill will discuss the ocean as the central element in our lives. He will explain why the ocean is essential to human survival: our primary source of food, water, climate and community. He will argue that the ocean is the undeniable determinate ecology in which we live. This week and every week, World Ocean Radio celebrates the vast, interconnected global system that is the world ocean. The sea connects all things... __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

The after-effects of superstorm Sandy endure. What is done next in New York and New Jersey will be instructive for everyone everywhere living within coastal areas threatened by the sea. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will discuss the New York Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance and their exemplary five-point structure of values and strategies which could be used as a model worldwide for areas facing similar challenges. Post-Sandy, the Alliance has posed a more specific ten-point platform for action which will also be outlined here. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide. Image: Trains stand in a flooded Metro-North's Harmon Yard, Oct. 31, 2012, on the Hudson Line, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Image Credit: AP Photo | Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Superstorm Sandy posed many questions to those who deny the implications of sea level rise and other factors associated with changing climate. It has become evident that we can no longer protect ourselves from the cause and effect of climate change through indifference, contrived ignorance, and lack of action. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will suggest that Sandy may have generated a growing force among citizens and leaders that may result in the critical thinking and courageous planning, design and implementation of physical, financial, and societal structures that will be the revolutionary shift in thinking and acting that is required to truly answer Sandy’s questions. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

The sea has been a source of storytelling and real-time adventure tales since the beginning of narrative and most every culture has its archetypal story. The great futuristic tale is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, a tale of the submarine vessel Nautilus and her captain, Nemo, a self-exiled scientist in pursuit of knowledge. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will discuss modern day underwater devices for global ocean research, fascinating tools for underwater exploration in unexpected places. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of World Ocean Observatory and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide. Photo: Nemo, Nautilus and Squid. Illustration by John Joyce © 2006

On recent assignment for WoodenBoat Magazine, host Peter Neill visited Istanbul, Turkey to explore the maritime heritage of this ancient city and to document its present day condition. He found no historic vessels, no restorations, no institutions dedicated to the preservation of heritage skills. Rather, he discovered that Istanbul does not need such history—it has built into every aspect of its daily life a direct, visceral connection to the sea. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of World Ocean Observatory and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

Economist Willem Buiter's recent essay in the newsletter "Thirsty Cities—Urbanization to Drive Water Demand” surveys the growth of world population, concentration in urban areas, rising demand, resulting pressure on existing supplies and investment implications. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will provide multiple references to opinions and data relative to water rights, disputes, finance, and the notion of the basic allocation of water as an essential human right may be the single most important debate of our time. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of World Ocean Observatory and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

In "Eaarth, Making a Life on a Tough New Planet", author Bill McKibben analyzes the damage we've done to our terrestrial and marine environment, outlining and advocating ways in which we can live on the land. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will expand upon McKibben's evaluation by outlining various initiatives around the globe that represent multidisciplinary ocean-based architectural solutions for when and if we exhaust resources on land and must turn to the ocean for our food, energy and fresh water. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

The political debate about climate in the United States has resulted in a stalemate. Save for the voices of a determined few, a silence has enveloped the issue, effectively shutting the conversation down. In this episode of World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill will ask the question, "Is anyone out there thinking ahead about climate?" and will answer it by outlining two particular organizations-The U.S. Navy and the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies-with future agendas that are taking climate science seriously and moving responsibly forward. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide. Photo: A melting iceberg in Antarctica. Credit: http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/big-ideas/climate-change/ Resources from this episode: US Navy | Task Force Climate Change (TFCC): http://greenfleet.dodlive.mil/climate-change/ International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies: http://www.icrc.org/eng/who-we-are/movement/index.jsp

Historically, fishing has been artisanal and regional, mostly individuals fishing from shore or small craft for regional consumption. Yet fishing, like agriculture, has been industrialized: larger vessels and incentivized expansion creating an increased capacity in contradiction to decreased supply. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will discuss the surprisingly small number of corporate conglomerates that control the fishing industry. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

Fracking, a process to extract natural gas from reserves in shale deposits, is in use in over thirty states in the U.S. and is being investigated for use in Africa and elsewhere. It has been utilized for almost ten years in some areas and the outcomes have fueled a heated debate about its practice. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will explain what fracking has to do with the ocean: from toxic emissions which increase ocean acidification, to the water cycle--both in the use of vast amounts of fresh water and in the toxicity to the water table. "What astonishes me about this is that we have done it all before. It is not new news. We have polluted the earth; we have polluted the air; and now, we are repeating exactly the same rationale to justify this initiative and polluting our water, fresh and salt. It makes no sense." Peter Neill _______________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays on a wide range of ocean issues. Available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

China’s mercantile reach is everywhere. It is a major factor in global trade with the United States and Europe, international monetary activity and debt financing, and the geo-political, social and economic impacts to much of the globe, as well as an increasing concern with their maritime ambitions. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will discuss China's relationship with the sea, and will explain the exchange of goods, transported primarily by ship, and how continuing polar melt and other changing climate conditions are contributors to increased access to a time-and cost-saving transportation route. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide. Image: Strait of Malacca, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Credit: AllVoices.com | lethibichlan

Whatever floats. Such thoughts came to World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill recently while on vacation, himself suspended in the supportive waters of the ocean. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, he'll discuss all manner of things that float: from the natural to the man-made, from the obvious modes of transport, trade and recreation to objects that function quite unnaturally on water. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

With ocean politics, there is no choice but to organize and confront anti-environment bias with communications, endorsements, and advocacy for the legislators who respect the ocean and promote policy that protects and sustains marine resources for the future. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will herald Ocean Champions (oceanchampions.org), the only organization in the United States with this mission and the only organization of its kind focused solely on oceans and ocean wildlife. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

Mangroves serve an extraordinary range of beneficial uses from their place in the food chain to natural protection for coastal areas to their contribution to human health and well-being. In this episode of World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill will discuss organizations and charters which affirm conservation tactics and sustainable management practices to secure natural habitat, and will remind us that despite conservation efforts and the development of new mangrove forests, this valuable, bio-diverse ecosystem which is oftentimes ignored, under extreme pressure, continued devastation and loss deserves our concern and protection. __________________________________________________________________________ Peter Neill, Director of the W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. World Ocean Radio, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide. Find this episode online at http://worldoceanobservatory.org/radio-item/186-mangroves.