How We Survive

Marketplace
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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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  1. EPISODE 1

    The Changing Threat

    Today, the White House and the Department of Defense recognize climate change as a threat to national security. And the military is on the front lines of having to deal with the fallout. In this episode, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal remembers what it was like serving in the military during the Cold War tensions of the 1980s. He visits a Navy research lab that studies warfighter performance in extreme temperatures, where he becomes a guinea pig. And he explores how climate change has become a “threat multiplier.” To support Marketplace’s impactful journalism, donate here: https://support.marketplace.org/hws-sn

    30 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    The Last Frontier

    The Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the rest of the world, and as it warms, a whole new set of national security issues is emerging. This episode, host Kai Ryssdal traverses the frozen terrain that could be the center stage for global conflict. We hitch a ride with the Coast Guard, drop in on training exercises in the frigid Alaskan mountain range and uncover vital military infrastructure that’s falling into the ocean. How are climate change and national security converging in the Arctic? And is our military ready for it? To support Marketplace’s impactful journalism, donate here: https://support.marketplace.org/hws-sn

    31 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Embrace the (Energy) Suck

    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.  To support Marketplace’s journalism, donate here.

    34 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    The Disappearing Islands

    On Jan. 20, a 20-foot wave crashed into a community center on a U.S. military base in the Marshall Islands. The wave broke down the door, smashed windows and even dragged people under. Waves and storm-driven flooding aren’t uncommon in the Marshall Islands. But this one hit a base that’s vital to U.S. national security. It’s where the United States conducts missile testing. Very few people ever see this remote and fortified location on a tiny island halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Host Kai Ryssdal treks across the Pacific to find out how our military will respond to the existential climate threat, and asks: What do rich countries and major carbon emitters like the U.S. owe to the people and nations bearing the brunt of the climate crisis? To support Marketplace’s journalism, donate here.

    30 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Wargames

    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

    30 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    The Uncertain Future 

    After spending nearly a year exploring U.S. national security and climate change, some big questions remain: Should the American military be smaller? Is that even possible? And what about the upcoming election; Could it upend the military’s climate focus? In our last episode of the season, host Kai Ryssdal reflects on his past and explores the possibilities for the military’s future.   To support Marketplace’s impactful journalism, donate here: https://support.marketplace.org/hws-sn

    27 min

  7. SEASON 6 TRAILER

    “How We Survive” is back Sept. 11

    For “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal, joining the Navy fresh out of college was one of the most consequential times of his life. It was the 1980s; the Cold War and the Soviet “evil empire,” in President Ronald Reagan’s words, was the greatest threat. Fast-forward through 40 years and one career change, and the threat looks different. Climate change does not have a face or a flag, but it will fundamentally change the way the U.S. military trains and fights. It already has.  In the sixth season of “How We Survive,” Ryssdal travels to far corners of the world, from a small Arctic village to a remote island in the Pacific. He shines a light on how the institution that shaped him could shape our climate future.

    4 min
See All Season 6 (7)

Trailers

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About

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.

Information

  • Channel
    Marketplace
  • Creator
    Marketplace
  • Episodes
    57
  • Seasons
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 American Public Media
  • Show Website
    How We Survive

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