Outside/In

While the taps are running dry and reservoirs are disappearing in Arizona, a corporate farm from Saudi Arabia is pumping massive amounts of groundwater to grow alfalfa  for cows back in the Middle East. Now, after years of inaction, Arizonans are pointing the finger at what they see  as a foreign invader slurping up the last gulps of a diminishing water supply.But the truth is more complicated. In this episode, we dig deep into the history of Arizona’s water crisis and uncover a tale of dates, camels and dairy cows, and try to find out who’s really to blame for the West’s water crisis.Featuring: Natalie Koch. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on FacebookIf you’ve got a question for the Outside/Inbox hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to dive down into. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837), or email us at outsidein@nhpr.org. LINKSRead Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia, by Natalie Koch.Listen to the six-part podcast series Thirst Gap: Learning to live with less on the Colorado River, by KUNC.Listen to Parched, a podcast about people who rely on the river that shaped the West, and have ideas to save it, by Colorado Public Radio. CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiProduced by Felix Poon and Nate HegyiMixed by Felix PoonEdited by Taylor QuimbyRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The team peers into the Outside/Inbox to answer listener questions on the theme of “green,” a prompt which sends us exploring the hanging gardens of Babylon, xeriscaping, and the evolution of the human eye.1: What’s the benefit of being evergreen?2: How water-friendly is my lawn?3: How many city buildings have green roofs?4: Why did we evolve to see so many different shades of green?Featuring Georgia Silvera Seamans, Rubab Saher, Kate England, Abraham Wu, and Adriana Briscoe.Special thanks to Steven Peck. How to submit a question to the Outside/InboxCall our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER, and leave a voicemail. Send a voice recording to outsidein@nhpr.org. We also post regular call-outs for questions in our stories on Instagram.We’re seeking questions on a new theme for an upcoming episode: “the deeps.” Think caves, life underground, geothermal energy, and deep existential questions about our life on earth.  SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!).Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKSCheck out the Washington Square Park Eco Projects, which includes a map of city trees, a seasonal change monitoring project, and bird surveys.Project Drawdown on green roofs as a key climate solutionAbraham Wu’s research on mapping green roofsExploring the relationship between turfgrass and city heatOur own reporting on the American love of lawns, and the impact on the desert CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Justine Paradis, Jeongyoon Han, Felix Poon, and Jessica Hunt.Edited by Taylor Quimby and Justine Paradis.Executive producer: Rebecca LavoieMusic by spring gang, Molife, Apollo, Autohacker, Diamond Ortiz, and Chris Zabriskie. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late 1950s, engineer Herb Ueda Sr. traveled to a remote Arctic military base. His mission? To drill through nearly a mile of ice, and extract the world’s first complete ice core.To finish the job, he and his team would endure sub-zero weather, toxic chemicals, and life inside a military base… which was slowly being crushed by the glacier from which it was carved. Producer Daniel Ackerman takes us inside Camp Century, and explains how a foundational moment in climate science is inextricably linked with the story of the United States military. Featuring Curt La Bombard, Julie Brigham-Grette, Herb Ueda Jr., Don Garfield, and Aleqa Hammond. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of the show.Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!).Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). LINKSIf you want to see footage from inside Camp Century, check out this Department of Defense archival film, “Research and Development Progress Report No. 6.”For a little Cold War context, watch this 1951 Civil Defense Film called “Duck and Cover”, featuring Bert the Turtle. Here's a book about the history of Camp Century, which includes a chapter on the ice core drilling project.To see some amazing photos, and read about how scientists are still learning new things from the Camp Century core after rediscovering sediment samples in 2017, check out this blog post from the European Geosciences Union.Learn more about the NSF Ice Core Facility in Colorado, where sections of the Camp Century ice core are currently stored.  CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Daniel AckermanMixed and edited by Taylor QuimbyEditing help from Justine Paradis and Felix PoonRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerSpecial thanks today to Carrie Harris, Holly Ueda, Chester Langway, Nancy Langway, Laura Kissel, and the Polar Archives at The Ohio State University Byrd Polar and Climate Research CenterMusic by Amaranth Cove and Blue Dot SessionsOur theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right now, we’re investing billions of dollars into charging infrastructure in order to speed up the transition to electric cars and decarbonize transportation. But there are all sorts of problems that EVs won’t solve: bumper-to-bumper traffic, extractive metal mining, and car collisions that kill tens of thousands of drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians every year in the US. That’s why transit activists say we need to rethink the way we get around. Because learning to drive less isn’t just about safer streets and better quality of life – it’s also key to winning the race to net zero. Featuring: Effie Kong, Jascha Franklin-Hodge, LaShea Johnson, Alex Hudson, Edwin Lindo, Thea Riofrancos. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSRead more about Boston’s 3-year plan to expand the city’s biking infrastructure, make crosswalks safer for pedestrians, and offer biking classes to women and gender-diverse adults.The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is in the middle of getting feedback on the Seattle Transportation Plan on how to build a safer and more efficient transportation system.Read about Cul De Sac Tempe, a new car-free community in Arizona, where residents are contractually forbidden from parking within a quarter-mile radius of the site. (Bloomberg)According to studies in Cambridge, MA and Toronto, Canada, bike lanes have a neutral or even positive impact on local businesses, even if some parking spaces are taken away.A paper in the journal Energy Research & Social Science describes the EV transition  as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” and argues that private vehicle electrification is neither effective, nor equitable.This LA Times Op-ed argues that switching  to electric cars isn’t enough to solve climate change.Studies say pedestrians and bikers are more likely to be hit by EVs and cause more damage because they’re quieter and heavier than gas cars.Archival audio in this episode come from the 1953 film The American Road funded by Ford Motor Company, and Futurama at the 1939 NY World’s Fair. CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Felix PoonMixed by Felix Poon and Taylor QuimbyEdited by Taylor QuimbyEditing help from Rebecca lavoie, Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, and Mara HaplamazianRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, and Roy Edwin WilliamsOur theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transitioning to electric vehicles is essential to meeting our climate goals. But there are so many barriers to overcome – from expanding EV charging infrastructure, to updating the power grid, to mining the metals that make batteries go.In the first of a two-part series on decarbonizing transportation, we try to answer the critical question: is it all happening fast enough to avoid the worst climate impacts?Featuring: Craig Bentley, Nora Naughton, Sara Baldwin, Thea RiofrancosIf you’ve got a question for the Outside/Inbox hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to dive down into. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837), or email us at outsidein@nhpr.org. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSEV transition predictive models The 2035 report (Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley) The long road to electric cars (Reuters) Consumer education and survey findings EV charging levels explained (US DOT) GM EV Live In a Consumer Report's survey and a Reuters/Ipsos survey, more than a third of Americans say they'd consider buying an EV for their next car. Charging infrastructure The Electric Vehicle Road Test (Wall Street Journal) Federal money is now headed to states for building up fast EV chargers on highways (NPR) The grid Why Electric Vehicles Won’t Break the Grid (Scientific American An explosion in proposed clean energy ventures has overwhelmed the system for connecting new power sources to homes and businesses (NY Times) Metal extraction Listen to our episode The lithium gold rush, an in-depth look at where lithium comes from, and who’s being affected by mining it. Read the Achieving Zero Emissions with More Mobility and Less Mining report by Thea Riofrancos.  CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Felix PoonMixed by Felix Poon and Taylor QuimbyEdited by Taylor QuimbyEditing help from Rebecca lavoie, Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, and Mara HaplamazianRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, and Roy Edwin WilliamsOur theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Underdogs Ep3: You sell your soulWhat caused the Peranos to abandon their dogs and screw so many people over? Nate enlists the help of a New Zealand journalist to find out. More about Outside/In presents The Underdogs: A few months ago, Outside/In host Nate Hegyi got a tip from the highest levels of the dog sledding community. It was about the first team from New Zealand to complete the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race across some of Alaska’s harshest terrain. Over the past decade, Curt and Fleur Perano have transformed their success on the trail into a flourishing mushing tourism business in their home country’s south island. Some of their dogs have even appeared in a Marvel movie and a Taylor Swift music video. But behind the scenes, in the usually-guarded world of competitive dog sledding, the Peranos have burned bridges, destroyed friendships, and left a trail of debt totaling tens of thousands of dollars. In this special Outside/In mini-series, Nate investigates a story one musher describes as “one dead body away from Tiger King,” and exposes the singular culture within the world of elite mushing.Featuring: Amanda Hasenauer, Jodi Bailey, Jenn Fisher, Jeff Fisher, Tony Turner, Gemma Nave, Tim Brown SUPPORTOutside/In presents The Underdogs is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSCheck out the history of working dogs here. More than a dozen tourists have written bad reviews about Underdog sled dog tours on Tripadvisor and Google. That bicycle ride Nate mentioned? It was part of an award-winning reporting project about the 2020 election.  CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Nate HegyiEdited and mixed by Taylor QuimbyEditing help from Rebecca Lavoie, Jack Rodolico, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica HuntRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Dylan Sitts, Joseph Beg, Hanna Lindgren, and Amaranth Cove. Outside/In presents The Underdogs  is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Underdogs Ep2: It has to be earnedNate flies to Minnesota to follow a new lead about the New Zealand racing team.Advisory: This episode contains brief descriptions of injured animals and animal abuse that may be disturbing to some listeners.  More about Outside/In presents The Underdogs: A few months ago, Outside/In host Nate Hegyi got a tip from the highest levels of the dog sledding community. It was about the first team from New Zealand to complete the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race across some of Alaska’s harshest terrain. Over the past decade, Curt and Fleur Perano have transformed their success on the trail into a flourishing mushing tourism business in their home country’s south island. Some of their dogs have even appeared in a Marvel movie and a Taylor Swift music video. But behind the scenes, in the usually-guarded world of competitive dog sledding, the Peranos have burned bridges, destroyed friendships, and left a trail of debt totaling tens of thousands of dollars. In this special Outside/In mini-series, Nate investigates a story one musher describes as “one dead body away from Tiger King,” and exposes the singular culture within the world of elite mushing.Featuring: Jamie Nelson, Jodi Bailey, Mike Williams Sr., and Amanda Hasenauer SUPPORTOutside/In presents The Underdogs is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSHumane Mushing (an advocacy group whose motto is “dog first, sport second”) used to compile an annual list of Iditarod sled dog deaths and injuries. Their information is taken from official race reports and Iditarod media advisories. (Humane Mushing)Check it out: Alaska Natives took the top three spots in the 2023 Iditarod. (NPR)An in-depth profile of Dallas Seavey, a five-time Iditarod winner who was publicly accused – and then publicly cleared – of doping his dogs. (GQ) CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Nate HegyiEdited and mixed by Taylor QuimbyEditing help from Rebecca Lavoie, Jack Rodolico, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica HuntRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerGraphics by Sara PlourdeMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Dylan Sitts, Joseph Beg, Hanna Lindgren, and Amaranth Cove. Outside/In presents The Underdogs  is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Underdogs Ep1: Honey and vinegarOutside/In host Nate Hegyi gets a surprising tip that leads him into the frozen and tight-knit world of competitive sled dog racing in Alaska.More about Outside/In presents The Underdogs: A few months ago, Outside/In host Nate Hegyi got a tip from the highest levels of the dog sledding community. It was about the first team from New Zealand to complete the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race across some of Alaska’s harshest terrain. Over the past decade, Curt and Fleur Perano have transformed their success on the trail into a flourishing mushing tourism business in their home country’s south island. Some of their dogs have even appeared in a Marvel movie and a Taylor Swift music video. But behind the scenes, in the usually-guarded world of competitive dog sledding, the Peranos have burned bridges, destroyed friendships, and left a trail of debt totaling tens of thousands of dollars. In this special Outside/In mini-series, Nate investigates a story one musher describes as “one dead body away from Tiger King,” and exposes the singular culture within the world of elite mushing.Featuring: Jodi Bailey, Austin Sorem, Dan Kaduce, Jamie Nelson, and Marine Kuhn. SUPPORTOutside/In presents The Underdogs is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSCheck out the results from the 2023 IditarodRead the actual Iditarod rule (Rule 34) that states wild game animals killed in self-defense must be gutted and reported to a race official at the next checkpoint. To learn more about the physiology of Alaskan huskies, check out this TEDx talk from Michael Davis: “Canines in Combat and Competition”Read a review of Blair Braverman’s memoir, “Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube”.  CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Nate HegyiEdited and mixed by Taylor QuimbyEditing help from Rebecca Lavoie, Jack Rodolico, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica HuntRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Dylan Sitts, Rand Aldo, and Amaranth Cove. Outside/In presents The Underdogs is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few months ago, Outside/In host Nate Hegyi got a tip from the highest levels of the dog sledding community. It was about the first team from New Zealand to complete the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race across some of Alaska’s harshest terrain; a pair of mushers that have transformed their success on the trail into a flourishing tourism business in their home country’s south island. But behind the scenes, in the usually-guarded world of competitive dog sledding, they've burned bridges, destroyed friendships, and left a trail of debt totaling tens of thousands of dollars. In this trailer, get a first look at our upcoming three-part series: Outside/In presents The Underdogs. Look for the first episode in your feeds next week, March 16th. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, potpourri was a popular way to freshen up a space. Now, for some, it feels a bit like the lava lamp of fragrance: an outdated fad from a bygone decade.So, why was potpourri so popular in the 1980’s, and what happened to it? Did the trend dry up… or just evolve?We explore the transformation of potpourri, from the fermented mush of the Victorian era to the perfumed and colorful bag of pine cones of the eighties, and talk to a few of the people still making potpourri today.This episode was originally published in September 2021.Featuring Yvette Weaver, Carly Still, Laure Moutet, Autumn Anderson, Paulus, and Ednita Tingle.SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter.LINKSAn 1895 recipe from Sweet from Sweet Scented Flowers and Fragrant Leaves for 50-year moist potpourri (the recipe begins on page 42).From Death Scents: more fascinating info on the history of medieval trends that predate potpourri and the rise of “rotten pot” potpourri.Fragrant Potpourri Preserves the Floral Scents of Summer: A 1975 NYT article that bridges the gap between moist and dried potpourri recipes.A 1988 Glade Potpourri Spray commercialCREDITSHosted by Justine ParadisReported and produced by Taylor QuimbyEdited by Justine ParadisExecutive Producer: Rebecca LavoieMixed by Taylor QuimbyAdditional editing by Felix Poon and Jessica HuntSpecial thanks to Rosalyn LaPier, Mark Nesbit, and to NHPR’s voices from the ‘80s: Nick Capodice, Josh Rogers, Emily Quirk, Patricia McLaughlin, Rick Ganley, and Rebecca Lavoie.Theme music by Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Ben Nestor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices