Alex Blumberg and Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson consider how ordinary people can stop the decline of the planet without feeling terrified, in their ambitious new Spotify seriesListen to an exclusive clip from the podcast belowFor a podcast about the climate crisis, there is a surprising amount of laughter in How to Save a Planet. Certainly,
British listeners – maybe more accustomed to the sober, mournful tone Radio 4 brings to these issues – may feel startled by the sheer quantity of hilarity that the
American presenters, Alex Blumberg and Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, find in the subject. The show’s chattiness, and its decision to refer to listeners as “earthlings”, may grate a little to begin with, but it is worth persisting. Beneath the gossipy drivetime tone, this is a podcast of enormous ambition and seriousness, and one which promises to be fascinating.
The show’s determined sense of can-do optimism reflects the creators’ conviction that it is crucial not to depress listeners excessively if you want them to engage with this challenging subject. “We’re not just going to bum you out, that’s really important,” Blumberg says.