As ice melts, polar bears have to abandon their homes and move closer to us

By Manoush Zomorodi,

Laine Kaplan-Levenson, Sanaz Meshkinpour, Rachel Faulkner White

Published September 8, 2023 at 8:21 AM CDT

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode Abandoned Places.

As Arctic ice melts, polar bears must leave their homes. Biologist and conservationist Alysa McCall shares lessons on how to plan for a future where climate change forces us all a little closer.

About Alysa McCall

Alysa McCall supports Polar Bears International's educational and scientific work across the Arctic, with a focus on collaborative Canadian projects. She's a staff scientist and director of conservation outreach. Growing up in British Columbia, she was fascinated by the local wildlife that often wandered through her backyard. While studying for her BSc degree, she worked at a wildlife park, banded birds, trapped insects, radio-collared mice and put tracking backpacks on toads.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Laine Kaplan-Levenson and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour and Rachel Faulkner White. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

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TED Radio Hour

Manoush Zomorodi

Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.

Laine Kaplan-Levenson

Laine Kaplan-Levenson is a producer and reporter for NPR's Throughline podcast. Before joining the Throughline team, they were the host and producer of WWNO's award-winning history podcast TriPod: New Orleans at 300, as well as WWNO/WRKF's award-winning political podcast Sticky Wicket. Before podcasting, they were a founding reporter for WWNO's Coastal Desk, and covered land loss, fisheries, water management, and all things Louisiana coast. Kaplan-Levenson has contributed to NPR, This American Life, Marketplace, Latino USA, Oxford American (print), Here and Now, The World, 70 Million, and Nancy, among other national outlets. They served as a host and producer of Last Call, a multiracial collective of queer artists and archivists, and freelanced as a storytelling and podcast consultant, workshop instructor, and facilitator of student-produced audio projects. Kaplan-Levenson is also the founder and host of the live storytelling series, Bring Your Own. They like to play music and occasionally DJ under the moniker DJ Swimteam.

Sanaz Meshkinpour

Rachel Faulkner White

Rachel Faulkner is a producer and editor for TED Radio Hour.