%s1 / %s2

Playlist: Tom Niemisto's Portfolio

 Credit:

Please view my audio portfolio! I would appreciate any comments, feedback, rants, praises, slams... Anything that can develop my content!

Enjoy!

7 minute features

Stellar Guidance

From Tom Niemisto | 14:56

Astro-detail2_small Celestial bodies are a curious mystery to gaze up at on a summer night.  Human cultures have a long history of creating stories and myths about the shapes stars seem to take on. Stars also have served a practical purpose for navigators on ocean bound vessels.  With the help of a sextant and nautical chart it is possible to deduce a precise location without the help of GPS devices.  We hear from Captain Samantha Heyman who has used celestial navigation on cross-ocean voyages for years and found the stars to be loyal companions on an often inhospitable ocean.  

Sweet Science

From Tom Niemisto | 06:57

4411604363_a56af7b0d2_small A new class run by the local YMCA in Northfield, MN, trains high school students in the basics of boxing. While the sport can be physically demanding and useful for self-defense, the head coach, who has boxed and coached for decades, thinks boxing has a direct connection to philosophical inquiry.  Dr. Gordon Marino both coaches the teens and is a philosophy professor at St. Olaf College, and a scholar of the existentialist writings of Soren Kierkegaard.  This radio piece takes us to a gym training session and an intimate interview with Dr. Marino explaining his take on the connection of boxing and philosophy.


Classic Clearwater

Onboard Education

From Clearwater Moment | 01:45

Clearwater teaches environmental studies out on the river

090515onboardeducation_small
Too often, classroom learning isn't the best setting for environmental education. Folding chairs, fluorescent lights, and chalk boards can't teach the point of ecology.

The Clearwater onboard education program boasts not only a top-notch curriculum that covers Hudson River history, science, ecology, and nautical techniques, but has the students get actively involved in the whole process. Onboard educator Maija Niemisto tells us how the students use all their senses aboard Clearwater. They feel the difference in wind pressure away from the shore, they smell the Indian spices that Henry Hudson was searching for, they push the tiller to midships, they slide their finger over a slippery fish scale. All this not only helps the students become engaged in the learning process, but it inspires them to get involved in protecting the river once their off the boat.

Zero Waste at Clearwater Revival

From Clearwater Moment | 01:46

a new initiative to reduce waste at the music and environmental festival

090520zerowasteatrevival_small Clearwater is dedicated to raising the next generation of environmental leaders. They have recently teamed up with Greenway Environental Services to bring zero-waste to the Great Hudson River Revival.  Food waste is collected and processed into useful compost material.  This has both reduced the footprint of the festival, and inspired all festival participants to continue zero-waste living.

Biodiesel aboard the Clearwater

From Tom Niemisto | 01:45

Using sustainable fuels aboard the Sloop Clearwater

090519devilandthedeepbluesea_small In yet another effor to promote sustainability, Clearwater uses a biodiesel blend in the Sloop motor on board.  Clearwater crewmember and engineer Erik Fyfe explains the biodiesel and its importance for sustainable resources.

Hudson River Gybe of Silence

From Clearwater Moment | 01:46

Sailing maneuver during the moment of Silence

P4120110_small The moment of silence on the Clearwater is a chance for students to use their senses to oberve the world without normal distractions.  Sometimes, the sloop makes a dramatic sailing maneuver called a Hudson River Gybe.

See-Saw

From Clearwater Moment | 01:46

Pete Seeger shares a favorite parable about the impact of small acts in a movement

Playing
See-Saw
From
Clearwater Moment

090223peteseesaw_small "Think globally and act locally" is the only way to make a difference in the world, according to folksinger and activist Pete Seeger.  Instead of dwelling on monumental acts and tasks that affect millions, he urges us to keep our activism small and manageable, but stay persistent and with hope.


Conservation and Sustainability

Photo-voltaics

From Tom Niemisto | 01:46

The energy of the sun to power our utilities

081015photovoltaics_small The sun is the ultimate renewable resource, and environmentally conscious people all over the country are basking in the energy efficient possibilities of photovoltaics systems.

Solar panels can harvest the sun's energy to provide secure off-grid electricity to a house and heat household water. You can even produce a surplus of electricity to sell back to an energy network.

Science Barge

From Tom Niemisto | 02:00

Working to educate and demonstrate sustainable and renewable resources

081105sciencebarge_small Sustainable engineering isn't only about green architecture anymore. Economists and city planners are starting to examine sustainable sources of food for urban populations.  Leveraging sources closer to home reduces the environmental burden of transporting products and foods from far away.

New York Sunworks educates the public about sustainable engineering, specifically urban farming and renewable energy systems. The Science Barge demonstrates the viability of urban greenhouses.
   

Hydroponic Farming

From Tom Niemisto | 01:46

Hydroponics for sustainable urban agriculture

081106hydroponics_small In geographical areas without fertile soil, there are still ways to sustainably grow produce. Hydroponics is a system of greenhouse aquaculture that grows plants without any soil.

The Science Barge, a project of New York Sunworks, operates a hydroponic greenhouse in New York City, and gives public demonstrations of this viable method of urban agriculture.

Eco Art

From Clearwater Moment | 01:45

Art that serves communities and the environment

Playing
Eco Art
From
Clearwater Moment

081219ecoart_small The arts have many incredible ways of synthesizing our cultural world. We can't help but be brought together to reexamine our position in society and history.

New artistic trends run parallel to new cultural trends. As we evaluate our relationships to the environment, Eco Art helps to improve an ecosystem while expressing an aesthetic statement.

Eco Art is many things - but in the end, it allows us to look at the dynamics of nature in a new way and expose concepts like pollution we hadn't yet considered.


Howland Cultural Center - Geothermal System

From Clearwater Moment | 01:46

The Howland Cultural Center is a beautiful performance space, gallery, and host to cultural events in the Hudson Valley. The historic building recently installed a geothermal system

090312hccgeothermal_small "Going green" isn't just a fad - it can be a legitimate business move. The Howland Cultural Center thought so when they installed a geothermal heating and cooling system in 2008. The temperature system, which uses ground heat pumps deep into the earths surface, keeps the historic building warm in the winter and cool in summer.

Geothermal systems present a real alternative to using fossil fuels in homes and businesses, and provide real green-collar jobs when we need them most.

HCC - Celebrating the Mighty Hudson

From Tom Niemisto | 01:46

Photography exhibit featuring the Hudson River captured by local artists

090219hcchudsonexhibit_small The Howland Cultural Center, located in Beacon, NY, opened an exhibit in January 2009 featuring photographs of the Hudson River as part of a celebration of the Quadracentennial celebration of Henry Hudson's voyage up the river after whom it was named.  The exhibit was a showcase for local artists - capturing both the natural beauty of the river landscape, and the people who frequent the shores.

On the River

From Tom Niemisto | 03:34

A crew member of the Woody Guthrie Sloop of Beacon, NY shares her thoughts on the Hudson River

Playing
On the River
From
Tom Niemisto

081209ontheriver_small The Woody Guthrie is a replica of a 19th century Dutch cargo ship, built for the Hudson River, with a permanent dock in Beacon, NY. A ship mate aboard the boat shares her thought on the importance of getting out on the river to fully appreciate its grandeur.

Sea Fever

From Clearwater Moment | 01:46

Short Poem on the wonders of sailing

081003seafever_small British poet, John Masefield, had a skill for describing the adventurous lifestyle of sailors. "Sea Fever" is his most celebrated poem and is a favorite among sailors and poets alike. This audio piece captures the excitement of live recitation of poetry and was recorded around a campfire with friends.

Active Exploration for Healthy Kids

From Tom Niemisto | 01:46

Clearwater acts as a model for letting children be active and interactive with nature on the Hudson River. Welcome aboard

090309activeparticipation_small

At a time when our children too often resort to indoor play, video games, and electronic entertainment, their inactivity is causing catastrophic rates of diabetes, asthma, and obesity. We need to bring them back to nature, and a life of activity.

We spoke with Dr. David Fenner, a pediatrician in the Hudson Valley, who is concerned with childhood inactivity and its connections to ill health and nature-deficit disorder.

Conscious Effort

From Clearwater Moment | 01:46

Families staying active when video games are more prevelant than ever

081203consciouseffort_small Continuing our series on Nature Deficit Disorder, Pediatrician David Fenner discusses the need to resist trends of the Western lifestyle that lead to obesity, diabetes, and emotional problems, for an active lifestyle that involves activity outdoors.

Pollopel Island

From Tom Niemisto | 01:46

Pollopel Island is host to Bannerman's Castle. But its curious history goes back centuries

090313pallopelisland1_small The Hudson River has a rich place in American History and the industrial revolution. Pollopel Island, sometimes known as Bannerman's Castle, is a testament to the power a river has over people and vice versa.

We must do all we can to protect the river, and assure that it's future has as much potential and vitality as it's rich past.

LEED Certification

From Tom Niemisto | 01:49

LEED certified buildings are a model for a sustainable 21st century. Find out more and get involved.

090303leedcertificaiton_small When it comes to renovation and construction, the traditional methods and materials used in building just can't keep up with 21st century demands for sustainability.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System is a new initiative supported and utilized by the U.S. Government to encourage builders to design, construct, and operate buildings in a more environmentally friendly way.

The US Green Building Council has developed a tiered certification process and criteria to certify a building they deem sustainable, including maximizing energy and water efficiency, and minimizing waste.

Landscape Photography

From Tom Niemisto | 01:46

Conserving the Hudson Valley through landscape photography

Rrjr_9600_small Robert Rodriguez Jr. collects photographs of the Hudson Valley, and believes it can help contribute to conserving the natural landscape he has grown to love.

Falcon Dive

From Tom Niemisto | 01:46

Falcon Dive

Playing
Falcon Dive
From
Tom Niemisto

Falcon1-775099_small We usually only see a Peregrin Falcon dive from great distances.  The Bosun on the Clearwater, 75 feet up in the rig, had a unique view of a raptor in action.

Green Teen

From Tom Niemisto | 01:45

Hudson Valley Youth in a new gardening project

Playing
Green Teen
From
Tom Niemisto

Newlogosmall_small At-risk youth in the Hudson Valley have opportunties to grow food in their communities year round.  These teens plant, plan, and cultivate produce, and, as it turns out, self esteem.