Feelings of despair about the climate crisis have become so commonplace that “eco-anxiety” is now an emerging field in psychology, and apocalyptic visions of the near future are reportedly prompting some couples to decide against starting families. Given the drumbeat of troubling climate news, it’s easy to fall into a state of doom paralysis. But these six podcasts — full of smart, passionate reporting about the natural world and our relationship to it — will leave you more informed and perhaps better able to embrace climate optimism.
Hosted by the writer Mary Annaïse Heglar and the investigative journalist Amy Westervelt, this is one of the most accessible environmental news podcasts on offer. Even though the updates they’re delivering are often bleak, the hosts’ real-life friendship creates an intimate vibe that helps the bitter pills slip down easy (as does their self-proclaimed penchant for dad jokes). In each episode, Heglar and Westervelt discuss the latest climate headlines and provide irreverent, straight-talking insight into the crisis our planet faces, often joined by guests with expertise in areas like sustainable fashion, environmental legislation and the impact of climate change on Indigenous communities. The show wrapped up its run in December, but there’s a back catalog of more than 70 episodes to delve into.
Starter episode: “Follow the Money, Eat the Rich”
This BBC World Service podcast delivers in-depth climate discussions with a global perspective, exploring the hurdles that stand in the way of a more sustainable future. In each episode, the BBC journalists Kate Lamble and Neal Razzell are joined by a panel of guests, including reporters, lawyers, academics and activists; recent installments have tackled the uneven effects of global warming, the costs and benefits of meat substitutes, and how giving legal rights to rivers, forests and ecosystems may help to combat climate change. The show’s scope is broad enough that even the most eco-savvy listeners are likely to learn something, yet the conversations never feel overwhelmingly dense or complex, with episodes reliably clocking in at under 30 minutes.
Starter episode: “Could Giving Nature Rights Help Fight Climate Change?”
This rigorously reported investigative show, also hosted by Amy Westervelt, was originally billed as a limited series when it debuted in 2016, promising to tackle the causes of climate change through the lens of the biggest podcast genre of all — true crime. That first season focused on the origin story of climate denial in the 1980s, with Westervelt exploring how a disinformation campaign “turned America’s individualism on itself and twisted it,” and the integral role Exxon’s efforts to mislead the public played in that. Subsequent seasons of “Drilled” have focused on big oil, fracking, and an Ecuadorean court battle involving Chevron, while a spinoff show, “Damaged,” tracks climate lawsuits across the world. It’s all enervating but essential listening.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nytimes.com
