In this episode of the Techstars Climate Tech Podcast, host Cody Simms talks with Tenzin Seldon, Cofounder and Chief Executive at The Plant about the societal implications of climate change, including critical issues like environmental justice, climate adaptation, and climate migration — and they contemplate how entrepreneurs should think about these issues.

Today, about 1% of the world’s land mass is an “extremely inhospitable zone,” like the Sahara desert. Over the next 50 years, with climate change, that could expand to 20% of our planet’s surface, with far-reaching effects, including mass migration. 

Tenzin Seldon, Cofounder and Chief Executive at The Plant, estimates that hundreds of millions of people — even up to a billion people — will become climate refugees over the next 40 to 50 years. 

Listen for Tenzin’s take on why climate change is a civil rights issue, the human cost of climate change, and how entrepreneurs and startups can best get involved. Engineers and software developers, she’s looking at you to help people spread and scale the great solutions they’re already producing for their communities around the world. 

And listen for inspiring stories of people who are making a difference. Because while this problem is enormous, Tenzin believes we can find solutions. 

Follow Tenzin on Twitter @TenzinSeldon_