Joanna Sustento-Bacsa lost five members of her family during supertyphoon Yolanda, holding on to her mother before the storm surge forced her to let go.

A traumatized survivor, Joanna decided to devote her life to making people aware of the effects of climate change.

In one of the most riveting episodes of this podcast, Joanna recalls that tragic day in November 2013 when the water suddenly entered their home and engulfed her family.

She surprises Howie by telling him that watching his documentary, “Climate Justice,” turned her into a climate activist, the kind who would protest alone in front of the office of a major oil company. She wielded a poster of her young nephew, still missing after being swept away by the storm, until police led her away.

Joanna and Howie talk about what still needs to be learned about one of the worst calamities of our time. An infant’s mother, she says the joy of motherhood was mixed with guilt about bringing life into this kind of world.

“I was sad because climate change took away my family, and it was discouraging me to have my own. But I wasn’t to blame for this mess. It was unfair,” she shares. “So when my husband and I decided to have a child, it was an important decision because a child means hope. A child symbolizes hope in the future.”