New Podcast “How We Survive” from Marketplace Explores Climate Crisis Solutions
Hosted by Molly Wood, “How We Survive” dives deep into the economics, the tech and the human stories behind adaptation — from billionaires bankrolling lithium mines to radical environmentalists who hope to destroy industrial civilization
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22, 2021 — Today, Marketplace, the largest business news franchise in the United States, announced its newest podcast, “How We Survive." With floods and fires pummeling the U.S., time is slipping away to stop the worst effects of climate crisis, and the world is looking for solutions.
Hosted by Molly Wood, “How We Survive” explores the technology that could provide those solutions, the business behind them, and the way people will need to change their thinking if we’re going to make it.
Episode one premieres Oct. 6. Listen to the season one trailer here.
In season one, Molly and team talk electrification. It’s one of the simplest solutions to get the planet off carbon-emitting fossil fuels: We need to electrify our cars, our power grids, our homes and businesses. But electrification relies on batteries, and most batteries require a metal called lithium. The need for lithium is driving a modern gold rush right here in the United States for the metal that could save the world, but acquiring it relies on an old, dirty technology: mining.
And just like the gold rush of the 1800s, the rush for “white gold,” as it’s known, involves a lot of real human drama, including radical environmentalists who hope to destroy industrial civilization and indigenous people who say they’ll sacrifice their lives to stop a mine from being built. This season dives deep into the stories behind the race for lithium. And unlike the gold rush of the 1800s, this time, our survival might be at stake.
“The time is now to start talking solutions to the climate crisis we’re in,” said Sitara Nieves, Marketplace’s executive director of on-demand content. “We can’t wait to finally share these important stories with our audience — and Molly’s approach and passion for this topic will bring listeners along,” she says.
“It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the climate crisis and all the things we need to do to adapt, and maybe even survive,” host Molly Wood says. “But there really are solutions out there, and people who are willing to do the hard work of changing how we think and live and what policies we put into place. And finally, people are waking up to that reality in terms of business, investment, passion and the harsh reality of the actual climate changing all around us. It couldn’t be a better time to be doing this incredibly important reporting, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
In addition to hosting “How We Survive,” Molly is the host and senior editor of “Marketplace Tech,” a national radio program and podcast that demystifies the business of technology. She also co-hosts the podcast “Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly” and is a regular contributor to major outlets like The Atlantic, CNBC and Wired.
Molly has spent two decades covering the tech industry on all platforms and is a pioneer in podcasting. She has been recognized for her dynamic reporting by the Webby Awards, the National Magazine Awards and the Gracie Awards. Before joining Marketplace, she was a tech columnist at The New York Times and an executive editor at CNET.
“How We Survive” season one episode list:
Episode one: “White Gold,” Oct. 6
Lithium may be one of the best and fastest ways we know of to get us off fossil fuels, but the people who live near lithium deposits will be the ones who sacrifice in ways many Americans have never experienced.
Episode two: “Necessary Evil,” Oct. 13
Thacker Pass, Nevada, is one of the first places in the U.S. to confront the pros and cons of lithium mining. In this episode, we tackle the muddy question of whether this solution is worth it.
Episode three: “Electrify Everything,” Oct. 20
Molly looks at the reason why electrifying everything is so important: We need it to wean our economies off fossil fuels and to save ourselves. It’s a lesson that many people are learning, painfully, all over the country.
Episode four: “Sci-Fi Intermission,” Oct. 27
A conversation with a famous sci-fi writer about what science fiction can teach us about the climate crisis and how to save ourselves.
Episodes five and six: “A Visit to the Salton Sea” — Nov. 3 and 10
A look at a possible sustainable future. A polluted corner of California gets renewable geothermal energy and green lithium extraction. We dig into the race for white gold in one of the most economically distressed parts of the country.
Episode seven: “Ocean Floor to Outer Space,” Nov. 17
If resource extraction is at the core of our survival strategy, what comes next? This episode looks far into the future at ocean and asteroid mining.
Episode eight: “Beyond Lithium,” Nov. 24
The best hope for humanity (and other species and plants, for that matter) might be a little of everything: tech and business, sure, but if we’re going to survive, we’re going to have to change how we live, how we think and how we consume.
###
About Marketplace
Marketplace® is on a mission to raise the economic intelligence of the country. Its core programs — “Marketplace®,” “Marketplace Morning Report®” and “Marketplace Tech®” — are broadcast nationwide on more than 800 public radio stations and heard by over 12 million weekly listeners, with nearly 400 additional commercial stations carrying “Marketplace Minute.” Marketplace podcasts, including “Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly,” “The Uncertain Hour®,” “This Is Uncomfortable” and “Million Bazillion,” can be found at Marketplace.org or on your favorite podcast app. The Marketplace portfolio of programs are produced and distributed by American Public Media® (APM), one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world. For more information on Marketplace, visit marketplace.org, follow us on Twitter @marketplace or like us on Facebook. For more information on APM, visit americanpublicmedia.org. Source: Data copyright Nielsen Audio, Nationwide DMA data, Persons 12+, Fall ’20.
About American Public Media
American Public Media® (APM) is the national programming and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio® and reaches over 17 million listeners via approximately 1,000 public radio stations and around 400 commercial stations nationwide each week. APM is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programs in the nation. APM Studios, a division of APM, offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. For more information on APM, visit americanpublicmedia.org. Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio, Nationwide DMA data, Persons 12+, Spring ‘21.