We've Had a Passive Climate Emergency in the United States

Vox senior reporter Rebecca Leber (@rebleber) joins The Weeds to explain the problem of migration caused by climate change, such as that due to wildfires, rising seas, and crop failures. She explains how a warming planet is forcing people to move both in the US and internationally, and how policymakers are and aren’t adapting. Vox reporters Dylan Matthews and Jerusalem Demsas continue the conversation with ProPublica’s Dara Lind, discussing a new white paper arguing that social mobility in America rose in the 20th century.

References:

• ProPublica’s feature on climate migration in Central America

• How climate change is driving up flood insurance premiums in Canarsie, Brooklyn

• NPR’s investigation into the federal government selling flood-prone houses to low-income families

• California is encouraging rebuilding in fire-prone regions

• The case for “managed retreat” from coastal areas

• A New York Times feature on how climate migration will reshape America

• The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

• Why Greg Clark is pessimistic that social mobility even exists

• White Paper of the Week: Intergenerational Mobility in American History: Accounting for Race and Measurement Error, Zachary Ward

Hosts:

Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt), senior correspondent, Vox

Jerusalem Demsas (@jerusalemdemsas), policy reporter, Vox

Dara Lind (@DLind), immigration reporter, ProPublica

Credits:

Sofi LaLonde, producer & engineer

Libby Nelson, editorial adviser

Amber Hall, deputy editorial director of talk podcasts

Sign up for The Weeds newsletter each Friday: vox.com/weeds-newsletter 

Want to support The Weeds? Please consider making a donation to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices