There’s a lot going on in the world of liquified natural gas, or LNG. And we are here to tell you about it! The Department of Energy just released its big report on whether exporting more LNG is in the public interest…spoiler alert: it’s not. One of the largest LNG facilities in the world, located just south of New Orleans, recently began production. And there are a slew of other export terminals waiting in the wings for approval. Almost all of them are located on the Gulf Coast.

There are two competing LNG narratives…fossil fuel companies and their big investors all sing its praise saying LNG is great for the climate and Americans. But, environmentalists, scientists, the Department of Energy, and even other private industries all say the opposite.

It’s a pivotal time for energy. And the battle over LNG will play a huge role in our future climate. That’s why we at Sea Change produced a one-hour version of our 3 part series "All Gassed Up." If you don’t have time to listen to three episodes, this 1-hour special will give you the backstory…how this booming industry came to be, how the gulf coast became its epicenter, and how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and even the nuclear meltdown of Fukushima all helped lead to this moment.

This 1-hour special was hosted, written, and reported by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. It was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. This special was edited by Johanna Zorn and Jack Rodolico. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. And our theme music is by Jon Batiste.

This special was just one part of our three-part podcast series, All Gassed Up. To hear the full series, you can find Sea Change wherever you get your podcasts.

Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.

Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.