logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2023
14m 33s

The Race To Protect Millions Of People F...

NPR
About this episode
Melting glaciers are leaving behind large, unstable lakes that can cause dangerous flash floods. Millions of people downstream are threatened.

In today's episode, NPR Climate Desk reporter Rebecca Hersher and producer Ryan Kellman take Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong to a community high in the mountains of Nepal where residents are on the front lines of this new climate threat, and explains how scientists are looking for solutions that can save lives around the world.

Check out the full series about how melting ice affects us all: npr.org/icemelt.

Reach the show by emailing shortwave@npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Vaccinated or not, we’re on the brink of a measles epidemic
Measles is making a comeback. Ongoing outbreaks in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah have documented hundreds of cases, mostly among unvaccinated people. And while local and federal politicians debate the definitions and impact of those measles-associated deaths, heal ... Show More
14m 18s
Yesterday
The science of self-worth (and how to boost yours)
Your self-worth today can be affected by your memories. But you have power over those memories – when you re-experience them. By doing that, you can reshape your self-esteem for the better and change your perspective. That idea and the broader science of self-worth are at the hea ... Show More
12m 45s
Sep 19
Why we should all be 'bookmaxxing'
Remember your mom, dad and teachers telling you to read because it’s good for you? Well, a compilation of the latest research shows they were right. “Reading is one of the simplest and most accessible activities for actually supporting cognitive performance, brain health, mental ... Show More
10m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2025
How do we fight the risks of melting glaciers?
Climate change is melting thousands of glaciers in the Himalayas and having a devastating impact on the people who live there. In 2024, the BBC's Caroline Davies visited the Pakistani side of the world's highest mountain range: she told Graihagh Jackson how villagers are coping, ... Show More
26m 28s
Nov 2022
An inconvenient glacier
While the world’s leaders are meeting at COP27 to discuss climate change, Antarctica’s massive Thwaites Glacier is melting. The world’s coastlines face catastrophic consequences. Rolling Stone’s Jeff Goodell went to see it with his own eyes. This episode was produced by Avishay A ... Show More
26m 6s
Apr 2023
Why Melting Ice In Antarctica Is A Big Problem For Coastal Texas
As Earth's climate warms, more ice is melting near the poles. And that is a huge driver of sea level rise around the globe. But some coastal communities are threatened by this more than others.Places like the Gulf coast of Texas, for example, are feeling the impact of melting ice ... Show More
11m 6s
Oct 2024
Fire and ice: Climate change and Iceland’s volcanoes
The rapid retreat of Iceland's glaciers and ice sheets as a result of human-induced climate change could be triggering increased volcanic activity, according to scientists. Our environment and climate correspondent Gloria Dickie joins a research expedition to understand the conne ... Show More
17m 1s
Jul 2019
The world's "Third Pole" is melting away. Here's how we can stop it from disappearing | Tshering Tobgay
The Hindu Kush Himalaya region is the world's third-largest repository of ice, after the North and South Poles -- and if current melting rates continue, one-third of its glaciers could be gone by the end of this century. What will happen if we let them melt away? Environmentalist ... Show More
14m 12s
Jul 2023
Melting of Greenland ice sheet
Record-breaking global temperatures are accelerating Greenland ice melt at an alarming rate. Professor of glaciology Alun Hubbard has witnessed the melt first hand. He tells us how the ice sheet is being destabilised and what this could mean on a human level. Also, how safe are J ... Show More
26m 34s
Feb 2023
New findings on the "Doomsday Glacier"
The Thwaites Glacier in Antartica is known as the “doomsday glacier" -- that's because if it melts, it could raise sea levels by up to 10 feet. Now, new research is changing our understanding of this glacier. Plus, Tesla’s role in making electric vehicle chargers more available n ... Show More
12m 2s
Feb 2020
Holding back the floods
Global warming is set to cause a significant rise in sea levels as the world's polar ice melts. The Netherlands is the best-protected delta in the world, with centuries of experience in holding back the floods. As climate change takes its toll, can Dutch expertise help save the w ... Show More
18m 28s