Transforming Temperature Data into Tunes: Hearing Climate Change Through a Unique Audio Experience

The perception of increasingly warmer summers is not merely a figment of our imagination. Climate researchers have consistently reported an upward trend in average annual temperatures across the nation for the past half century, with this rise continuing.

However, translating these numerical trends into something relatable and meaningful can be challenging. Drew Hawkins, a reporter based in New Orleans, sought to bridge this gap – by converting temperature changes into melodies that people could hear and understand.

This exploration is featured in the Nature Quest segment of Short Wave, a monthly feature that addresses listener queries about local environmental shifts.

Do you have questions about alterations in your local environment? Record your thoughts as a voice memo and send it to shortwave@npr.org along with your name and location. Your query might be included in our upcoming Nature Quest episode!

Support the work of Short Wave by subscribing to Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave, which ensures sponsor-free listening experiences.

Short Wave is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

This production was masterminded by Hannah Chinn. It underwent editing by Rebecca Ramirez, with Jimmy Keeley handling the audio engineering.