Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / Business

Story of Stuff 7:38 Chase Sbicca

Annie Leonard spent a decade researching where our consumer stuff comes from, how its made, who the manufacturing effects, and where it ends up. Among the results is a 20min. video, The Story of Stuff (also in chapters on YouTube), made by Free Range Studios, the same folk who exposed The Meatrix: "From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view." The video came out on the web a year ago and has since been viewed four-and-a-half million times. Time Magazine named Annie Leonard a 2008 Hero of the Environment.

Broadcast: Dec 6 2008 on APM Weekend America Subjects: Environment, Business

Brooklyn Christmas Trees 2:36 Lizzy Cooper Davis

Vincent van Rhyn has been selling Christmas trees since he was 16. He's been on the same Brooklyn corner every Holiday season for 30 years. Or, A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn. (Photo: cc ARKNTINA)

Broadcast: Dec 4 2008 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Business, Holidays, Religious

Barber shop window with handwritten list of dates and death totals.

Window of War 2:20 Chris Booker

Chicago barber Rex Mitchell insists that his window display is not an anti-war statement. For the past year, the barber has kept a running tally of soldiers killed in Iraq in the window of his Gold Crown Barber Salon. Originally produced for Chicago Tribune multimedia; photo © C.Booker.

Broadcast: Sep 26 2008 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: War, Business

Love and Dairy 3:04 Chris Booker

When you have to milk cows 7 days a week it can be quite difficult to find a girlfriend. But, thanks to farmersonly.com young dairy farmer John Engel was able to meet Lisa.

Broadcast: Sep 9 2008 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Business, Family

City X (Attention Shoppers) Jonathan Mitchell

For the year’s busiest shopping day, an audio portrait of today’s American commons: the shopping mall. The producer returns to his hometown for a deep-mall experience. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jul 1 2008 on WNYC Radio Lab; Jan 11 2005 on NPR Living on Earth Subjects: Business, Holidays, Cultural

Office Yoga 2:37 Rebecca Flowers

A more realistic approach to spiritual awareness: how yoga might help relieve stress at the office, or not. [transcript]

Broadcast: Sep 3 2007 on HV PODCAST; Sep 6 2004 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Business, Comedy, Labor, Health

Miners on Mining 7:14 Scott Carrier

Rescuers continue to dig toward the Utah miners trapped by a cave-in last week. Miners in the nearby town of Huntington talk about what life is like down in the mines.

Broadcast: Aug 15 2007 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Environment, Business

Entrepreneur / Wormdigger 4:45 Jesse Dukes

Adam Johns is a self-styled entrepreneur. These days, that means digging for bloodworms at thirty cents per, or anything else that makes a quick buck. Wormdigging ain't what it used to be, but his kid's teeth need caps, so, at 5am on a cool Maine morning, off he goes. Produced for the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.

Broadcast: Mar 14 2007 on PRX Nature Stories Podcast; Oct 17 2006 on PRI/WBUR Here and Now Subjects: Environment, Labor, Business

Boxers glare at each other in ring before fight

Fight Night in Chicago 4:10 Chris Booker

A sound portrait of fight night at Chicago's United Center: Fighters in training, punch bags, jump ropes and talk about their chosen profession. Fans tell what draws them into the arena to see the fighters. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jul 6 2006 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Business, Sports

Family Farms and Pork Exports 5:09 Kelly McEvers

The U.S. pork industry is on the upswing compared to past years, mainly due to exports to China and Russia. However, large food corporations receive most of the profit -- small pig farms make up only 1 percent of the industry, an industry which less than10 years ago was largely made up of family farms. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jul 14 2005 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Business, Acoustic