Soundings

2025 Stories to Save Our Planet trailer

The United Nations have called climate change the challenge of our generation. A growing body of environmental storytelling is bringing clarity to complicated climate conversations by casting a vision for a better future, and providing compelling, actionable climate change solutions. In this course, students have the opportunity to contribute to that conversation by creating a 10 to 15-minute narrative podcast episode that entertains, challenges, and moves your audience. 

The Sound of Profit

Follow Jacob, Miles, and Victor through a story about musical exploitation, globalization, and hope, starting with the creation of Jazz and concluding with the future of Afrobeats. 
 
Names: Jacob Matlof, Miles C. Selles, and Victor Chen
Interviewees:
Bolaji Oyedepo 
Bolaji Oyedepo is an Nigerian American musician from Houston, Texas, paving his own way in the modern music industry with the fusion of Afrobeats with hip hop and R&B. He’s known for his primarily afrobeats song “OWO!”.
Viranshi Vira
Viranshi Vira is a student at Case Western University. Raised in Los Angeles, Vira found her love for K-pop during the pandemic and has been fascinated by the industry ever since. However, she’s also aware of the forces that shape the K-pop industry.
Dr. Pheaross Graham - music.stanford.edu/people/pheaross-graham
Dr. Pheaross Graham is a Mellon Fellow at the Stanford Humanities Center and Lecturer in the Department of Music at Stanford University. He is a musicologist and concert pianist with expertise in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Western art and African American music. 
Research: No research was explicitly cited in the episode. However, the following resources were consulted during the development of the podcast:
The Origins of Jazz - Jazz Observer
Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’: Big Mama Thornton’s Influence – Rolling Stone
Little Richard: I Am Everything Documentary Review – Rolling Stone
Studs Terkel Radio Archive - Jazz Topics
Forum Discussion on Record Label Hopping in the 50s and 60s
Big Mama Thornton – Wikipedia
Hound Dog (Song) – Wikipedia
WhoSampled - Elvis Presley's ‘Hound Dog’ Covers
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller – Wikipedia
Fela Kuti – Wikipedia
Fela Kuti Official Website
Is K-pop Afrobeats Here to Stay? – JoySauce
 
Music Acknowledgements:
“Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton, Youtube 
“Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley, Youtube
“Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard, Youtube
“Money” by Pink Floyd, Youtube
“Shakara” by Fela Kuti, Youtube
“OWO!” by Bōlají, Provided by Artist, Deezer
“Smart” by Le Sserafim, Youtube
“Dynamite” by BTS, Youtube 

Secret Graffiti

Katie Cheng, Lela Hanson, Reyna Duffy, and Will YuThis is a story about a girl named Katie who suddenly discovers that her seeminglystraight-laced, engineer dad used to lead a secret life as a graffiti artist. Fueled by curiosity andwonder, she sets out on a journey to learn more. From exploring hidden graffiti tunnels withfriends to having an eye-opening conversation with her dad, Katie uncovers surprising truthsabout his past—and gains a new perspective on her own.Interviewee:Dave Cheng - Katie’s FatherDave is a key character in our podcast being the spark that ignited Katie’s personal journey. As aproduct of his environment, Dave turned to graffiti during his teenage years, quickly becoming afairly well-known graffiti artist in San Francisco. Through his graffiti years, we highlight themotives behind graffiti and use his story to reflect on the theme of “growing up.”Music Acknowledgements:From Blue Dot Studios● Order of Entrance● Bauxite● Borough● Small World Reveals● Hardboil● Gene’s Waltz● Lakkalia● Curious Kepler● Mood Unit● One Quiet Conversation● Dorica ThemeKevin Macleod● Limit 70● I Got a Stick Arr Bryan TeohLeonard Rosenman● Star Trek IV Opening Titles, via Cpt. Cybernaut on YouTube
 
 

Vernon vs. Exide: The Fight For Justice

How can supposedly green initiatives, such as battery recycling, still result in dirty outcomes?Community members in Vernon, California, fight to shut down a local battery recycling plantbecause its toxic waste is polluting their air, water, and soil. The company and governmentalagencies that are supposed to be responsible fail to listen and act, forcing the community to takeever more dramatic action. This episode examines their fight for environmental justice andhighlights the distinction between policy-driven environmentalism and the real-worldconsequences that disproportionately harm minority communities.
Episode AuthorsSamuel Desai, Alice Heiman, Ian BriskiInterviews:Rossmery ZayasCommunity organizing since the age of 14, Rossmery Zayas is now a South East Los Angeles(SELA) Youth Organizer at Communities for a Better Environment (CBE). She works extensivelyin grassroots activism, and has participated in several campaigns, including shutting down thetoxic battery recycling plant facility owned by Exide Technologies (one of the world’s largestproducers and distributors of batteries) in Vernon, California. Rossmery Zayas majored inCommunication Studies and studied at Humboldt State University, East Los Angeles College, andCal State LA.Organization link: https://www.cbecal.org/Dr. Jenna ForsythDr. Jenna Forsyth is a research scientist affiliated with the School of Medicine, Woods Institutefor Environment, and King Center for Global Development at Stanford University. Dr. Forsyth’swork addresses the global environmental health problems stemming from contaminants in air,water, soil, and food. Her recent work revolves around lead pollution in South Asia, where shechampioned getting lead out of turmeric in Bangladesh.Website link: https://jennaforsyth.com/Mari Rose TarucMari Rose Taruc is a Filipino-American artist and activist in Oakland, CA. She has been advancinglocal, state, national, and international environmental justice campaigns for clean air, affordablehousing, renewable energy, and climate solutions for over 28 years. Before her role at CaliforniaEnvironmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), she held various environmental justice roles at theSouthwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (SNEEJ) and Asian PacificEnvironmental Network. Inspired by Hurricane Katrina, she founded a neighborhood group inOakland, where she has lived for over two decades, to fight gentrification, promote affordablehousing, redefine community safety, and actively engage in elections.Website link: https://environmental-professionals-of-color.yale.edu/person/taruc-mari-rose
 
 
References and Further Reading● Barboza, T. (2015, December 21). Story So Far: How a battery recycler contaminated L.A.-area homes for decades. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-exide-cleanup-story-so-far-20151121-story.html● Barboza, T. (2020, October 16). Court approves abandonment of Exide plant and toxiccleanup. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-16/exide-bankrtuptcy-decision-vernon-cleanup● Briscoe, T. (2024, July 11). Exide site on the verge of getting Superfund designation. LosAngeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-07-11/la-county-battery-recycler-on-the-verge-of-becoming-california-next-superfund-site● CA.gov. (2016, November 4). Governor Brown Issues Statement on Paris ClimateAgreement Milestone | Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. Retrieved March 1, 2025 fromhttps://archive.gov.ca.gov/archive/gov39/2016/11/04/news19592/index.html● California Department of Toxic Substances Control. (October, 2020) The State’s PoorManagement of the Exide Cleanup Project Has Left Californians at Continued Risk ofLead Poisoning. https://information.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2020-107.pdf● CDC. (2024, October 31). Exide Contamination Information and Resources. CommunityStress Resource Center. Retrieved March 1, 2025 fromhttps://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/community-stress-resource-center/php/resources/exide-contamination.html● Communities for a Better Environment. (2021). Exide Technologies. cbecal.org. RetrievedMarch 1, 2025 https://www.cbecal.org/organizing/southern-california/exide/● DTSC.gov. Exide Residential Cleanup. Department of Toxic Substances Control.Retrieved March 1, 2025 from https://dtsc.ca.gov/residential-cleanup/● EPA.gov (2024, September 4). EPA Proposes to Add Exide Technologies – Vernon Site toSuperfund National Priorities List. Retrieved March 1, 2025 fromhttps://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-add-exide-technologies-vernon-site-superfund-national-priorities-list● Exide: A Local Red Line. (2015, December 27). Rossmery’s Blog: My Thoughts Are MyOwn. Retrieved March 1, 2025 from https://rossmeryzayas.wordpress.com/exide-technologies/● Justice.gov. (2015, June 23) Exide Technologies Admits Role In Major Hazardous WasteCase And Agrees To Permanently Close Battery Recycling Facility In Vernon. RetrievedMarch 1, 2025 https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/exide-technologies-admits-role-major-hazardous-waste-case-and-agrees-permanently-close● Johnston, J. E., & Hricko, A. (2017). Industrial Lead Poisoning in Los Angeles: Anatomy of aPublic Health Failure. Environmental Justice, 10(5), 162–167.https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2017.0019● Johnston, J. E., Lopez, mark, Gribble, M. O., Gutschow, W., Austin, C., & Arora, M. (2019). ACollaborative Approach to Assess Legacy Pollution in Communities Near a Lead–AcidBattery Smelter: The “Truth Fairy” Project. Health Education & Behavior, 46(1_suppl),71S80S. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119859406● Osgood, Brian. (2021, March 29). “I felt I killed my children”: lead poisons Californiacommunity – and fills kids’ teeth. The Guardian; The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/29/i-felt-i-killed-my-children-lead-poisons-california-community-and-fills-kids-teeth● Pearce, F. (2020b, November 2). Getting the lead out: Why battery recycling is a globalhealth hazard. Yale E360. https://e360.yale.edu/features/getting-the-lead-out-why-battery-recycling-is-a-global-health-hazard● Peterson, M. (2015, November 19). City of Industry battery recycler ordered to test forlead pollution. LAist. Retrieved March 1, 2025 from https://laist.com/news/kpcc-archive/second-la-area-battery-recycler-ordered-to-test-fo● Rossmery’s Blog: My Thoughts Are My Own. (2020). Rossmery’s Blog: My Thoughts AreMy Own. Retrieved March 1, 2025 from https://rossmeryzayas.wordpress.com/.● Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Coorperation (SEC). (April, 2013).Hazardous Trade? An Examination of US-generated Spent Lead-acid Battery Exports andSecondary Lead Recycling in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Retrieved from
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/ToxicWaste/RightToInformation/OccupationalKnowledgeInternational1.pdf● Wani, A. L., Ara, A., & Usmani, J. A. (2015). Lead toxicity: a review. InterdisciplinaryToxicology, 8(2), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1515/intox-2015-0009● WHO. (2022, October 23). Almost 1 million people die every year due to lead poisoning,with more children suffering long-term health effects. WHO.int; World HealthOrganization. Retrieved March 1, 2025 from https://www.who.int/news/item/23-10-2022-almost-1-million-people-die-every-year-due-to-lead-poisoning--with-more-children-suffering-long-term-health-effects● WHO. (2024, September 27). Lead poisoning. WHO.int; World Health Organization.Retrieved March 1, 2025 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health● Zhang, W., Yang, J., Wu, X., Hu, Y., Yu, W., Wang, J., Dong, J., Li, M., Liang, S., Hu, J., & Kumar,R. V. (2016). A critical review on secondary lead recycling technology and its prospect.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 61, 108–122.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.03.046Music & Sound Effect AcknowledgementsApollo Diedre by Glass Obelisk – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/053f9cb5-6de4-4ad5-b19b-fe95a9dea2d8Bauxite by Little Rock – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/0913ed0f-a4e5-40b0-a5f4-d3c5c9a710a1Dusting by Confectionery – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/f4c234dc-fe87-4f11-97db-5a2fa46e0bd9Careless Morning by Glacier Quartet - Araby –https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/1c0df374-b3b6-493c-b93d-ff3fa4a4f4c6Tin Cavalry by Grey Acres – http://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/90ee05fd-ef4b-4b33-a590-5dfd2a8d5008Taoudella by Azalai – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/001d2cf8-739c-41e2-adaf-f754d7760c5aWithin the Garden Walls by Muridae – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/09f1e1b7-553b-46d2-b33e-2c6a2c815276Palms Down by Confectionery – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/0a04abf4-66d2-404c-812c-38ea756030edVernouillet by The Sweet Hots – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/0dc44a1a-14fd-4326-9a20-991eb1ed50e1Spunker by Sticker Sheet – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/06e7395e-9df5-49d3-b357-a00aacac44f5Silurian by Mortem Obire – https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/ef16d39b-8b96-47a2-8966-af41c151d334Teenage Crowd by BBC Sound Effects – https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=07047053Applause by BBC Sound Effect – https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=07073016Boxing Bell Sound FX by Ryan Lloyd, Youtube –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvvTacquttkAirplane Aircraft Takeoff by Cryptowista, Pixabay – https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/airplane-aircraft-take-off-121949/
 
Plugins and DAWCreated using Hindenberg with free plugins from MeldaProduction. Download athttps://www.meldaproduction.com/MFreeFXBundle