How We Survive
Marketplace
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.
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Top 10 How We Survive Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best How We Survive episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to How We Survive for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite How We Survive episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Introducing “How We Survive Season 2: Saving Miami”
How We Survive
10/12/22 • 4 min
There’s the mythical version of Miami, the version that’s all about wealth and glamour and a never-ending party on the beach. And then there’s the real Miami, a deeply unequal place that could eventually be swallowed up by the Atlantic Ocean because of glaciers melting halfway around the world. Miami has been called the most vulnerable coastal city in the world because of climate change. South Florida could be one of the first places in the United States to see true devastation wrought by the climate crisis, devastation that threatens its very existence. This season, we’re asking: How will South Florida survive sea-level rise?
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Wargames
How We Survive
10/09/24 • 30 min
Imagine it’s 2044. We’ve failed to control global warming and temperatures have risen 2 degrees Celsius. Northern South America is suffering from extreme heat, mudslides, agricultural collapse and rolling blackouts. Governments are falling apart and 2 million people are on the move. If you were president of the United States, what would you do?
The U.S. military has used simulated scenarios, called wargames, for decades to help prepare for future threats. These days, climate change is the focus of some Pentagon wargames. In this episode, we look at how wargaming became a tool for the military to anticipate threats, and host Kai Ryssdal steps into the Oval Office to play out a climate crisis set in 2044, with help from two retired high-level military officials and a professional game designer.
To support Marketplace’s impactful journalism, donate here: https://support.marketplace.org/hws-sn
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Burning Questions: Can AI save the planet?
How We Survive
09/27/23 • 22 min
When it comes to solving the climate crisis, artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool, but it comes with some significant risks. Marketplace’s AI reporter Matt Levin talks with Priya Donti, Assistant Professor at MIT and co-founder Climate Change AI about the promises and perils of AI.
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- WATCH: Can AI Help Solve the Climate Crisis? – TED
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- READ: How Big Tech AI models nailed forecast for Hurricane Lee a week in advance – The Washington Post
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- CHECK OUT: Climate Change AI
10/23/24 • 18 min
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 tools
- You can also check out Katharine’s “Talking Climate” newsletter
- FEMA’s hurricane rumor response
- Skeptical Science resources
- National Climate Assessment
Introducing “How We Survive”
How We Survive
09/21/21 • 3 min
On “How We Survive,” Molly Wood explores the technology that could provide some of those solutions, the business of acclimatizing to an increasingly inhospitable planet, and the way people have to change if we’re going to make it in an altered world.
Decarbonization requires a lot of batteries, and many batteries require lithium. The need for lithium is driving a modern gold rush for the metal that could save the world, but relies on an old, dirty technology: mining. This season, we’ll dive deep into the economics, the tech and the human stories behind the rush for “white gold.” And unlike the gold rush of the 1800s, this time, our survival might depend on it.
It all starts Oct. 6. Listen to the trailer now and be sure to follow the show so you don’t miss an episode.
Burning Questions: Should we blow it all up?
How We Survive
09/13/23 • 22 min
Some climate activists think it’s time to ramp up their efforts by vandalizing multimillion-dollar artworks and even sabotaging key infrastructure. Should activists move beyond peaceful protests? Host Amy Scott talks with filmmakers Daniel Goldhaber and Ariela Barer about some of these ideas that show up in their environmental thriller “How to Blow Up a Pipeline.”
Related Links:
OPINION: The moral case for destroying fossil fuel infrastructure – Andreas Malm
WATCH: TED – The fairy tales of the fossil fuel industry — and a better climate story – Luisa Neubauer
STREAM: How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Film)
Embrace the (Energy) Suck
How We Survive
09/25/24 • 33 min
The Department of Defense is an enormous consumer of energy, using 73 million barrels of fuel annually. An F-22 Raptor, a fighter jet, burns 15 gallons of gas every minute when cruising. And more than a third of the DoD’s emissions come from powering its estimated 750 bases around the world.
On the flip side, the Pentagon has an enormous budget, about $850 billion a year. So how is it leveraging some of that money and power to work on some of our biggest climate problems?
In this episode, host Kai Ryssdal takes a look at some of the promising tech solutions that the military is investing in to make it more resilient and reduce emissions. We tour a warehouse in New York making sustainable aviation fuel, visit a microgrid at the original Top Gun school in California and swing by the E-ring, where the higher-ups in the Pentagon work.
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FAQ
How many episodes does How We Survive have?
How We Survive currently has 54 episodes available.
What topics does How We Survive cover?
The podcast is about News, Podcasts and Business.
What is the most popular episode on How We Survive?
The episode title 'White Gold' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on How We Survive?
The average episode length on How We Survive is 25 minutes.
How often are episodes of How We Survive released?
Episodes of How We Survive are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of How We Survive?
The first episode of How We Survive was released on Sep 21, 2021.
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