Global Notes

Episode 44 is a profile of “Canopy Meg” — forest ecologist Meg Lowman, whose work revealed the “eighth continent” of life in treetop talks with Warren Senders about her long career exploring forests all on tree themes.

This episode profiles musical storyteller and political satirist Charlie King, who was hailed by Pete Seeger as “one of the finest singers and songwriters of our time.”

Charlie has been singing and writing songs at the heart of American folk music for over half a century, and his songs have been performed by artists including Holly Near, Ronnie Gilbert, John McCutcheon, Arlo Guthrie, Peggy Seeger, Chad Mitchell and Judy Small.

Chris Hutchings and Choirs For Climate
Episode 40 is a dive into the extraordinary world of Climate Choirs, as Warren interviews Chris Hutchings of the UK-based clearinghouse Choirs For Climate (choirsforclimate.com). Hear and watch choral singing on environmental themes, including many selections of Hutchings’ own music as well as performance excerpts from the 1000-singer mega-concert presented in Finland in 2024 by Choirs For Ecocide Law (stopecocide.earth/choirs)

Episode 38 does a deep dive into the back-story of American environmentalism, tracing the roots of the movement back two centuries to the emergence of industrialization in the early 1800s. Warren Senders interviews historian Chad Montrie (University of Massachusetts, Lowell) about his work linking labor and environmental causes, with a huge list of song selections dating back to 1837.

Episode 36 introduces two skilled and passionate composers, Kris Davis and Sumi Tonooka. Both women have made artistic homes for themselves in the jazz tradition, and both often venture into other realms and genres with great assurance. Although they’ve never met each other, their recent works are complementary, and this episode presents them side by side.

Episode 34 — “Lunar New Year, with Rebecca Boyle”
Cool Tunes for a Hot Planet is going to the Moon! We celebrate the Lunar New Year with a special all things – moon episode built around a full-length interview with science writer Rebecca Boyle, whose book, “Our Moon” was a New York Times bestseller in 2024.

Jason Davis and Climate Stories Project
Episode 32 is an in-depth profile of bassist, composer, and activist Jason Davis, who started the Climate Stories Project as a way to help people discuss climate change and how it manifests in their own lives.
Since its inception, the Project has collected personal narratives of climate change from all over the world.

Episode 30 — “Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping”
Episode 30 (Season 2) is a profile of the legendary activist collective The Church of Stop Shopping, led by Reverend Billy (William Talen) and Savitri D. Beginning with anticonsumerist actions in New York’s Times Square in the 1990s, the church grew into a powerful performing force, with infectious gospel grooves, dozens of voices in harmony, with Reverend Billy’s heartfelt, eloquent anticonsumption message delivered in true prophetic voice.

hosted by Warren Senders, features an interview with NYT Bestselling author Michael Grunwald about his new book, “We Are Eating The Earth,” which examines the role of our farming and agriculture in climate change, along with music from all over the world on farming and agricultural themes.

Episode 26 “The Climate Music Project”, a San Francisco-based team that brings together scientists, musicians, and graphic artists to create new ways to communicate climate science. The CMP’s innovative multi-media presentations offer hard data with an emotional score and compelling visuals to transform audience members’ personal engagement with climate change.

We feature interviews with co-founders Stephen Crawford and Fran Schulberg, climatologist Garrett Boudinot, and composer Erik Ian Walker, along with excerpts from five of the CMP’s groundbreaking pieces.

When we remember that fossil fuels are simply the sunlight that fell on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago, it changes our perspective on energy use. It’s ALL solar power; the only difference is whether it’s old or new. All these forms of energy have their own music, and this episode of “Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet” brings together songs of coal miners and anti-mining activists, the songs of oil drillers and of those fighting to preserve their lands, the songs of anti-fracking campaigns…

“Music Beyond Humanity”
Clarinetist, author, and philosopher David Rothenberg has spent his life making music far removed from the usual contexts of performance stages or recording studios. Rothenberg’s collaborators have included cicada swarms, katydids, nightingales, lyrebirds, warblers, whales, and dolphins.

Episode 20- “Thinking About Woody”
“Thinking About Woody” offers a cornucopia of perspectives on the life and legacy of the great American balladeer Woody Guthrie. Interviews with Guthrie scholars are interwoven with spoken and musical excerpts from Woody himself and a huge cast of supporting characters in an astonishing range of genres. 

Changing the climate conversation in India! Episode 18 features passionate performances of Indian classical music in wild settings: rainforests, riverbanks, beaches — and the musicians’ fascinating conversations with Indian environmentalists and scientists — all documented in beautifully produced video.

Watch EPISODE 16: BEES!
Produced and hosted by Warren Senders
Cool Tunes For A Hot Planet Episode 16 is all about bees.

Episode 13 — “Linda Chase”
Meet flautist & composer Linda J. Chase, whose oratorio “For Our Common Home — Resounding Ecojustice” received its world premiere in May.

Composer and climate activist Lola Perrin lived in England before moving to France during the pandemic. Her work
integrates stories and facts about climate change with composed and improvised music, bringing together audience
members, scientists, and musicians in emotionally powerful and artistically resonant ways.