Introducing a new series from The Drag: "Forsaken."

"Forsaken" is a series that explores the systems that both enhance and oppress the lives of the more than 29 million people living in Texas. Each episode will address issues that Texans face each day – the good and the bad. We’ll explore the criminal justice system, Texas politics, civil rights, social issues and even a little bit of history. Texas is the second-most diverse state in the nation and has equally diverse stories to tell. As the legendary late Texas singer Billy Joe Shaver sings: “You fathers and you mothers / Be good to one another / Please try to raise your children right / Don’t let the darkness take ‘em / Don’t make ‘em feel forsaken / Just lead ‘em safely to the light.”

The first two episodes of "Forsaken" drop Thursday, March 7.

Follow "Forsaken" on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Or your favorite podcasting app!

In 2011, the largest wildfire in state history burned for 36 days in Bastrop, Texas – our host Aurora Berry’s hometown. Texas’ record-setting drought and high winds intensified the fire’s effects on the community. As the global average temperature rises, intensifying droughts will continue to put humans at risk of major disasters, but scientists remain hopeful.

In a two-year period, two separate hundred-year floods hit the Onion Creek and Dove Springs neighborhoods in Austin. The floods displaced hundreds of the mostly low-income residents of these neighborhoods, moving them away from the communities they called home. Climate change not only has environmental impacts – it has societal and financial impacts, too.