How We Survive

Join nutrition scientist Stefan van Vliet, who explains the nutritional advantages of grass-fed beef, and Elliott Swartz, who debates whether cell-cultivated meat should be classified as ultra-processed. Cheryl Pryor shares insights on the sustainability of edible insects and their uses, while Caitlin Esch offers practical tips to minimize household food waste, from meal prep to reviving wilted greens. The discussions reveal fascinating insights about our food choices and their impact on health and the environment.

Gorong Zhang, a wheat breeder at Kansas State University, is on a mission to create drought-resistant wheat to combat climate change. He shares insights on the lengthy process of breeding resilient crop varieties. Paul Penner, a seasoned Kansas farmer, discusses adapting practices like no-till farming amid economic pressures and shifting rainfall patterns. Both highlight the urgent need for strategies to ensure global food security as the dry line shifts east, affecting crop yields and increasing challenges for farmers.

In this conversation, Somini Sengupta, an international climate correspondent for The New York Times, highlights how farmers adapt to climate change. She shares insights on innovative practices like drought-resistant crops and agroforestry. Somini also discusses the importance of diversified crops versus monocropping, revealing lessons for industrial agriculture. Further, she examines cultural factors in meat consumption and suggests practical steps to minimize food waste. Her firsthand accounts provide a compelling look at resilience in the face of a changing climate.

About a third of the greenhouse gases cooking our planet come from our food. Agriculture and livestock production are incredibly taxing on the planet. To curb the impact, we need to drastically reduce the amount of land we use to make food, while at the same time making more food for a growing population. How are we going to do that? In this episode we go fishing with an eccentric rancher in Northern California and hop over to Colorado to get a rare peek into the demonized factory farm industry on our hunt for answers.

If you have ever bitten into a plant-based burger and felt dissatisfied, or even grossed out, you’re not alone. In this episode, we explore the uncanny valley of meat and dive deep into what makes meat so … meaty. Plus, “The Splendid Table” host Francis Lam joins Amy Scott for a taste test of cultivated meat and shares his go-to recipes for climate-friendly proteins.

Climate change is changing what we eat. As the planet heats up, foods like salmon, chocolate and coffee might be harder to come by and more expensive to buy. In this episode, the “How We Survive” team goes on a food tour around Northern California to find out how tech entrepreneurs are finding new ways to make all sorts of foods that are under threat from the impacts of the climate crisis. 

Imagine a future where chocolate and coffee are rare and expensive; where cheap, nutritional staples, like corn and wheat, are threatened.The climate crisis is a food and agriculture crisis. A third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from what’s on our plate. Cow burps, deforestation, water use and food waste all feed into making our planet unlivable. And it’s a double-edged sword, because as the planet heats up, staple crops are withering, soil is losing its nutrients, and droughts and famines will become more common. Our food systems are hurting the planet, and the hotter planet is hurting our food systems. To survive, we need to drastically cut down our use of farmland and we need to find alternative meat sources that don’t give consumers the creeps. How will we keep feeding millions of people? And how will we do that with less land? This season of “How We Survive,” we’ll take you on a food tour of the future. May we interest you in some lab-grown chocolate or some cell cultivated salmon (that is, if you’re not in Florida)? We explore the uncanny valley of meat and visit farmers in our nation’s breadbasket where hotter, drier, less predictable weather has global consequences. Finally, we’ll take you on the ground into one of the more demonized (and misunderstood) parts of the agricultural system: Factory farms.

We’re dropping into your feeds today to share this special bonus episode.It’s a conversation between host Amy Scott, Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal and Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Elizabeth Kolbert. We talk about how the accelerating climate crisis is creating economic disruption. And we get into some of the solutions that are giving us hope right now.  This conversation was recorded live, over Zoom, in front of an audience. It’s presented by Odoo with additional underwriting support from The Economist. 

Bill McKibben, a seasoned climate writer and activist, discusses his new book on solar power. He highlights the explosive growth of solar energy and the barriers to its adoption in the U.S. compared to countries like China and Pakistan. McKibben shares inspiring grassroots initiatives and the emotional landscape of the climate crisis, blending hope with the challenges we face. He emphasizes the need for significant shifts in climate policies and showcases Texas's strides in renewable energy, presenting a vision for a sustainable future.

Shannon Osaka, a climate zeitgeist reporter at The Washington Post, dives into the implications of the recently signed 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act' on clean energy. She discusses how this law drastically reduces incentives for renewable energy, setting back efforts against climate change. Osaka also highlights the urgency for consumers to act quickly to benefit from remaining tax credits, while analyzing the challenges of bipartisan support for climate legislation. Tune in for insights on navigating the political landscape and fostering action in the renewable energy sector.