Adaptation: When Prevention Isn’t Enough

Climate One

News, Social Sciences, News Commentary, Science, Earth Sciences

4.7 • 583 Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

So much of the conversation about the climate crisis focuses on prevention. But no matter how well we succeed on that front, climate-induced disasters are already causing hundreds of billions of dollars of damage worldwide every year — not to mention destroying livelihoods and causing deaths. We're seeing those impacts today, and we need to be ready. Adaptation does not mean giving up on trying to rein in heat-trapping pollution; it’s facing reality. The way we adapt can be creative and empowering. But what does that kind of adaptation look like? Episode Guests: Susannah Fisher, Principal Research Fellow, University College London; Author of "Sink or Swim" Nick Mott, Multimedia Journalist; Author of “This Is Wildfire” Tanya Gulliver-Garcia, Director of Educational Impact, Center for Disaster Philanthropy This episode features a field piece by David Condos, who originally reported the story for KUER in Salt Lake City, Utah. For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/adaptation-when-prevention-isnt-enough. Highlights: 00:00 Intro 4:06 Susannah Fisher on her findings as a research student 7:43 Susannah Fisher on transformational changes 11:52 Susannah Fisher on the realities of climate migration 17:41 Susannah Fisher on the future of adaptation 22:47 Susannah Fisher on international cooperation 27:01 Susannah Fisher on surprising connections 30:35 Nick Mott on who is responsible for protecting your house 33:09 Nick Mott on the next level steps for protecting from wildfire 39:58 Field piece by David Condos on reusing sewage water 44:38 Tanya Gulliver-Garcia on what mutual aid is 48:20 Tanya Gulliver-Garcia on a mutual aid response to climate disasters 53:35 Climate One More Thing *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:00.4	Okay, Ariana, I don't know if it's because Halloween is coming up or this is just how my mind works. But the more I think about today's episode, the more I think about zombies.
1:09.4	Zombies. Yeah. Okay. That's kind of weird, kind of specific. What about zombies? Okay. This week, we're talking about adapting to the effects of the climate crisis, and my mind keeps going back to zombies and the movie, Zombiland. Have you seen it? I have not. So I'm going to need you to break this down for me. I'm sure you're not alone. If anyone else is listening, they're probably thinking the same thing. Here it is. The opening scene of Zombiland is the main character through a voiceover, walking the audience through his rules on how to survive a zombie apocalypse. And why am I alive when everyone around me has turned to meet?
1:46.3	It's because of my list of rules.
1:46.7	Okay.
1:48.4	Like what rules?
1:49.4	Thank you for asking.
1:51.0	Work on your cardio.
1:52.8	You don't know when you have to outrun zombies.
1:55.7	Beware of your surroundings because zombies.
	...

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