Malthusian Swerve

28 March 2025 - 38 mins
Podcast Series Radiolab

Earth can sustain life for another 100 million years, but can we?

In this episode, we partnered with the team at Planet Money to take stock of the essential raw materials that enable us to live as we do here on Earth—everything from sand to copper to oil— and tally up how much we have left. Are we living with reckless abandon? And if so, is there even a way to stop? This week, we bring you a conversation that’s equal parts terrifying and fascinating, featuring bird poop, daredevil drivers, and some staggering back-of-the-envelope math.

EPISODE CREDITS:

Reported by - Jeff Guo and Latif Nasser

Produced by - Pat Walters and Soren Wheeler

with production help from - Sindhu Gnanasambandan ...

38 mins

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