Show Notes
Imagine it’s 2044. We’ve failed to control global warming and temperatures have risen 2 degrees Celsius. Northern South America is suffering from extreme heat, mudslides, agricultural collapse and rolling blackouts. Governments are falling apart and 2 million people are on the move. If you were president of the United States, what would you do?
The U.S. military has used simulated scenarios, called wargames, for decades to help prepare for future threats. These days, climate change is the focus of some Pentagon wargames. In this episode, we look at how wargaming became a tool for the military to anticipate threats, and host Kai Ryssdal steps into the Oval Office to play out a climate crisis set in 2044, with help from two retired high-level military officials and a professional game designer.
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More from How We Survive
From WBUR, here's a new kind of story, one that's all about the big questions and decisions we face. “The Midnight Rebellion” is a pick-your-own-path podcast set 100 years in the future, where the stakes are nothing less than the planet itself. It's fiction rooted in real science, built for the kids in your life (ages 7 and up) — and the whole family. You're listening to Chapter 1 of The Midnight Rebellion. Each chapter ends with a choice. YOU decide what’s next. Choose wisely. And if you liked what you heard, listen to the rest and follow The Midnight Rebellion wherever you get your podcasts.
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