Connect the Dots Center for Progressive Reform

In the final episode of Season 6, Connect the Dots host Rob Verchick and his guests talk about climate migration.


Climate refugees can come from anywhere: from cities and suburbia to some of the remotest places on Earth. They may have jobs dictated by the weather. If it’s too hot or dry, they’re relocating to find new employment. Some may have lost their homes to extreme weather events and can’t afford to rebuild. In a few worst-case scenarios, entire communities are having to evacuate due to sea level rise, shore erosion, wildfire destruction, or loss of industry.


The World Bank estimates there could be as many as 216 million climate migrants by 2050, including 105 million in Africa, 89 million in south and east Asia, and 17 million in Latin America. Frequent droughts and floods caused by the crisis are displacing people from their communities, and they’re doing so at an alarming rate. Strikingly, the world is not ready for this migration. 


Addressing this problem, Rob and his guests consider crucial questions, including: Where should these populations go? How do we support their needs? What policies should national, state, and local governments put in place to ensure a smooth, just transition process for climate refugees?


Guests in this episode include:



Matt Kahn, Provost Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California and the author of Adapting to Climate Change (Yale University Press 2021)



Rachel Cleetus, policy director at the Union for Concerned Scientists



Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London

In this episode of CPR’s Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick and his guests explore how climate change is impacting our health.


When we consider the climate crisis, our attention often gravitates toward extreme weather. We worry about wildfires burning our homes and hurricanes ripping down powerlines. There’s another side of the story, however — our health. From how we feel after a long run to the ability of our bodies to ward off illness, the environment makes a difference.


Climate disruption invades our neighborhoods, and some are hit harder than others. Poor air quality results in unsafe living conditions and can lead to illnesses like asthma or even cancer. Extreme heat makes it hard for kids to play outside. Flooding and wildfires spread debris, bacteria, and toxic chemicals. Warmer temperatures prompt insects to migrate north, carrying infectious diseases to new areas. And that’s only the beginning. 


Guests in this episode include:



Howard Frumkin, senior vice president with the Trust for Public Land and a professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health



Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London



Carter Mathes, professor at Rutgers University and long-time resident of East Orange, New Jersey

Hey listeners! You might have heard an earlier version of this episode, but due to technology issues, we noticed some audio errors in our post-production. We've since removed that version and uploaded this episode. Thanks for your understanding! Enjoy, and thank you for listening.




In this episode of CPR’s Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick and his guests explore industry sectors and jobs that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, as well as the potential for significant job creation in technology, infrastructure, adaptation, mitigation, and the just transition to a clean, carbon-free economy.




Over the past year, we’ve watched millions of people lose their jobs, take pay cuts, even seek new career paths due to the cascading effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was — and still is — a tough time to make a living. 




There are close parallels between this public health crisis and the climate crisis, and the job market sits directly in the center of the two. Certain business sectors are more vulnerable than others to climate disruption. On the other hand, there’s a wide range of new jobs being established to support technology and infrastructure, and there’s newfound interest in climate adaptation and mitigation.




So, in the face of these dual global crises, the question is: Who is hiring?




Guests in this episode include:





Dr. Kimberley Miner, scientist and systems engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in California





Lowell Chandler, Montana renewable energy attorney





Valerie Mueller, assistant professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University





Renata Brillinger, co-founder and executive director of the California Climate and Agriculture Network



Sean Hecht, Co-Executive Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, professor and and co-director of the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic at UCLA School of Law 

In this episode of CPR’s Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick and his guests explore how parents, families, and communities are adapting their lifestyles to the realities of climate change.


Our lives revolve around the weather: what we wear, where our kids play after school, where we go on vacation, what hobbies we partake in, and where we choose to live and work. Even what foods are available are often weather-dependent. 


With the climate crisis, the weather is changing dramatically, and our lives will likely follow suit. Last summer for example, 1 in 3 Americans were affected by climate-related disasters. Heat waves are on the rise, and 300 million people live under heat stress conditions.


Due to uncertainty and ominous conditions, some couples are opting not to have children. The thought of parenting brings more stress than in the past. What world will young people inherit? What lives will they lead? How soon will our lives be irrevocably changed by climate change? Rob and his guests explore these questions and more.



Guests in this episode include:



Dr. Kimberley Miner, scientist and systems engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in California 

Lowell Chandler, a Montana renewable energy attorney 

Kristy Dahl, senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists 

Christian Møller-Holst, founder and CEO of Goodwings

In Season 6 of CPR's Connect the Dots podcast, we’re discussing climate resiliency — that is, our ability to handle the stresses caused by climate disruption and adapt to changing conditions. The crisis may be stark, but there are solutions and pathways to a viable, sustainable future. 

Kicking off the season, host Rob Verchick digs into resiliency, real estate, and how climate change is beginning to impact people's decisions on where to live — or move. 

For years, scientists and environmental activists have warned that many of America’s most beloved cities are going to sink. Climate models predict how sea level rise will destroy places like Miami and New Orleans. Meanwhile, out West, wildfires are ravaging towns along the coast and spewing clouds of smoke inland. 


Our neighborhoods are drowning, burning, and running dry. Few places seem safe from the sting of climate change, especially because weather events don’t discriminate by status or income. All this begs the question: Where should we all be living? Join Rob and his guests as they seek to answer this question and discuss climate resiliency solutions.



Rob is joined by:



Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin 

Philip Mulder, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business

Matt Kahn, Provost Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California and the author of Adapting to Climate Change

Sean Hecht, CPR Member Scholar and Evan Frankel Professor of Policy and Practice at UCLA School of Law

CPR’s Connect the Dots has been distilling complex policy issues for listeners for five seasons. In Season 6, coming early 2022, we’ll explore climate resiliency—that is, our ability to handle the stresses caused by climate disruption and adapt to changing conditions. The crisis may be stark, but there are ways we can create viable systems that look towards the future.