Episode
Stories of Urban Climate Change: Water
- Podcast
- The Story Collider
- Published
- Apr 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1916
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Water covers roughly 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and is essential for human survival. But it can also unleash devastating consequences. In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers share tales about water — from flooding to polluted groundwater. Through their stories, we explore how water shapes our cities, our safety, and our sense of security in a changing climate. Part 1: While researching flood risk and insurance costs in California, international student Hannah Melville-Rea is shocked by just how unprotected many people are. Part 2: Patricia Schuba is determined to stop coal and waste pollution from contaminating the groundwater in Labadie, Missouri. Hannah Melville-Rea is a PhD candidate and Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, pursuing an interdisciplinary degree in Environment and Resources. Her research focuses on flood risk and examines how infrastructure decisions shape insurance costs and household vulnerability. She works closely with local agencies to translate research into practical tools that strengthen community flood resilience. Raised in Osaka, Japan by parents who hail from Australia and New Zealand, Hannah developed an early interest in how different countries tackle natural disasters. Today, she aspires to work at the intersection of science and policy to minimize the impact of climate hazards on frontline communities. Patricia Schuba has been active in organizing and politics since 2000. She founded two political organizations that worked to give voice to working Missourians living in rural areas, and she was a candidate for Missouri State House in 2018. She was a caregiver for her father with Alzheimer's who died in 2018, and she has had T1 autoimmune diabetes since childhood. She has been the president of all-volunteer Bo…