How We Survive
Minnesota Public Radio
For “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal, joining the Navy fresh out of college was a defining chapter in his life. It was the 1980s; the Cold War and the Soviet Union was the greatest threat. Fast-forward through 40 years — and one career change — and the threat looks different. Climate change has no face or flag, but it will fundamentally change the way the U.S. military trains and fights. It already has.
“How We Survive” is an award-winning podcast from Marketplace about the messy business of climate solutions. In our sixth season, Kai Ryssdal travels to far corners of the world to shine a light on how the institution that shaped him could shape our climate future. From a small Arctic village to a remote island in the Pacific, we’ll take you to the front lines of the fight against the crisis.
Location:
United States
Description:
For “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal, joining the Navy fresh out of college was a defining chapter in his life. It was the 1980s; the Cold War and the Soviet Union was the greatest threat. Fast-forward through 40 years — and one career change — and the threat looks different. Climate change has no face or flag, but it will fundamentally change the way the U.S. military trains and fights. It already has. “How We Survive” is an award-winning podcast from Marketplace about the messy business of climate solutions. In our sixth season, Kai Ryssdal travels to far corners of the world to shine a light on how the institution that shaped him could shape our climate future. From a small Arctic village to a remote island in the Pacific, we’ll take you to the front lines of the fight against the crisis.
Language:
English
Episodes
The Banks Growing Money on Trees (bonus episode from “Outside Podcast”)
12/18/2024
This week, we’re sharing another podcast we like from our friends at Outside Magazine.
A quarter of the money at the world’s largest banks goes directly to funding fossil fuel projects. But what if it didn’t? In this episode of “Outside Podcast,” reporter Cat Jaffee calls customer service at her bank — one of the world’s largest financial institutions — to ask them if they might consider investing her money differently. It goes about as well as you’d expect.
Duration:00:32:19
Burning Questions: What are the climate wins and setbacks from the election?
11/12/2024
Last week’s elections delivered climate wins and setbacks. What will a second Donald Trump presidency mean for climate policy going forward? What can President Joe Biden accomplish in the remainder of his term? And how did state climate measures perform? Host Amy Scott talks with Washington Post climate reporter Shannon Osaka to unpack it all.
Duration:00:15:26
Burning Questions: What’s driving climate misinformation (and what to do about it)?
10/23/2024
In the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, the internet was flooded with conspiracy theories and misinformation, ranging from false claims that the government geo-engineerd the storm on purpose, to false rumors around FEMA blocking aid from people who needed it.
In this installment of “Burning Questions,” “How We Survive” host Amy Scott interviews climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe to find out what drives conspiracy theories after a climate disaster and what we can do to combat misinformation with our friends and loved ones.
Resources to combat misinformation:
Katharine Hayhoe’s toolsTalking ClimateFEMA’s hurricane rumor responseSkeptical Science resourcesNational Climate Assessment
Duration:00:18:24
Burning Questions: How to fight off climate dread
7/17/2024
To an individual, the climate crisis can feel overwhelming. There’s only so much composting you can do, right? It can be tempting to bury your head in the sand. But what if instead we imagine that we can succeed in fighting climate change? That’s the subject of Ayana Johnson’s new book, “What If We Get It Right?” Amy talks with Johnson about how we can fight off climate dread and work toward a more sustainable future.
Duration:00:14:58
Burning Questions: How can I make my home climate friendly?
7/10/2024
One important way individuals can make a difference in their carbon emissions is to electrify their home. But that can feel like a daunting change when you’re just getting started. In this episode, Amy talks with Donnel Baird, founder of BlocPower, a start up that’s focused on electrifying homes and buildings. They dive into all the climate conscious changes, big and small, you can make in your own home.
Learn more:
guide to home energy rebatesbudget-friendly tips
Duration:00:15:48
Burning Questions: How can I eat for the planet (without getting stressed out)?
7/3/2024
Do I need to stop eating meat if I care about the planet? Does it really matter where I buy my food? How can I make climate-friendly food choices if I’m short on time? Amy chats with Melissa Nelson, professor of Indigenous sustainability at Arizona State University, about how our day-to-day food choices can make a difference to the planet.
Learn more:
National Farmers Market Directorywith this interactive article
Duration:00:15:08
Burning Questions: Where Should I Live?
6/26/2024
“How We Survive” listener Anna wants to know: “Where should I live? Every now and then I look at maps and try to determine the safest place to live, but I don’t even know where to start when it comes to evaluating climate risks.”
In this episode of “Burning Questions,” Amy talks with Marketplace climate reporter Samantha Fields about the practical tools buyers and renters can use to figure out where the heck it’s safe to live as the climate crisis unfolds.
Try it yourself:
RedfinRealtor.comthis housing climate risk guide
Duration:00:14:59
Burning Questions: What’s the deal with 1.5 degrees?
6/26/2024
In the past decade, 1.5 has become an important number when talking about the climate crisis. (As in 1½ degrees Celsius, which equates to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.) It’s considered the maximum increase in temperature since preindustrial times that Earth can handle before all sorts of terrible things happen. But on the surface, 1.5 degrees doesn’t sound like a huge number. So what gives? In this episode, Amy chats with climate experts to dive deeper into what this number actually means.
Duration:00:10:43
Introducing “How We Survive’s” Burning Questions
8/30/2023
Ever wonder how our food choices impact the climate? Or how to make smarter selections when it comes to buying fast fashion? Us, too! “How We Survive’s” Burning Questions video series explores those questions we’ve all had about how our actions contribute to the climate crisis. Join us as we find climate solutions big and small.
Duration:00:01:38
Built to Last
11/9/2022
What do a burning shed, a beautiful above-ground bunker and an island of misfits all have in common? They are all places we visit on our hunt for solutions.
This episode, we find out what it will take to stay in the places we love. We play around at a research lab where scientists are figuring out how to make our homes and buildings more resilient to the elements. Then, we leave the lab to see what it looks like to implement safer building methods and materials in real life; first, at a plastic surgeon’s impressive home — 18 feet above sea level. Then, we head south to explore an island where living with the water is a way of life.
Duration:00:30:52
Selling Miami
10/19/2022
Whether you live on the coast or not, sea-level rise will have profound impacts on all of us. So we packed up our bags and headed to Miami, a city that is considered one of the most vulnerable coastal cities in the world. How Miami responds will serve as a test case for how other places around the country survive the effects of climate change. Experts say seas here could rise by 5 feet or more by 2100, eventually leaving whole parts of the city underwater. So if the city is doomed, why isn’t the housing market acting like it? From multimillion-dollar waterfront mansions to a flood-prone block miles from the beach, we went on the hunt for answers.
Duration:00:34:18
Prologue: Tracking a Catastrophe
10/19/2022
A powerful hurricane was churning toward the southwest coast of Florida. It looked like it was going to be bad. So we hopped on a plane and headed first to Boston where we embedded with a team of catastrophe modelers who were tracking the disaster and calculating the potential losses.
The number they came up with is staggering high: $100 billion. And only $63 billion of that is insured.
We then visited Gasparilla Mobile Home Estates in Placida, Florida to see what these data points looked like on the ground, and talk to people who lost everything.
Duration:00:21:03