Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Climate scientist Kate Marvel made headlines this year when she publicly resigned from NASA, drawing coverage from Bloomberg to The New York Times. Marvel says her resignation wasn’t newsworthy on its own. What made it notable is that she was one of more than 10,000 Ph.D. scientists to leave the federal government during President Trump’s second term, part of what she calls a “mass nerd exodus.”  She is now senior climate scientist at Project Drawdown and author of “Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet.” Marvel argues that scientists need to stop hiding their feelings behind the data.  “When we pretend we don’t have emotions, that’s not making us more credible, because that’s lying,” she says. “You can feel a whole range of human emotions and still get the numbers right.” Guests:  Kate Marvel, Senior climate scientist, Project Drawdown; author, “Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet” Michael McPhaden, Senior oceanographer, University of Washington

Miriam Pawel returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in her latest book, an epic history of the sweeping social impact of the world’s largest higher education institution, the University of California, and what it can teach us in a time of educational crisis. Set apart by its founding mission to be an engine of upward mobility, the University of California system is a great American experiment that has endured in spite of fraught battles over access, funding and leadership. Ever since the Civil War, the university has been at the nexus of nearly every public policy decision and social movement in the Golden State, from affirmative action to immigration to student protests. Pawel narrates the UC’s rise and resilience through the lens of those whose lives it has transformed—in particular, five pioneering graduates whose diverse paths underscore why UC remains, in the words of Berkeley graduate Joan Didion, “California’s best idea of itself.” At a time of staggering inequality

Note: This podcast contains explicit language. What should we eat—and why is the answer still so complicated? Join us for a compelling conversation at the intersection of science, food and health as we explore the evolving landscape of nutrition through the lens of Dr. Christopher Gardner’s forthcoming book, Food Sense: What to Eat and Why. A leading nutrition scientist at Stanford, Dr. Gardner has spent decades studying a wide range of dietary patterns—from Mediterranean to ketogenic to plant-based—seeking clarity on what truly supports long-term health. His work moves beyond rigid dietary camps, focusing instead on evidence, behavior change, and what he calls “unapologetic deliciousness” in the pursuit of better eating. He will be joined by Dr. Russell Jaffe, a physician-scientist whose decades of work in integrative and functional medicine have centered on inflammation, root causes and whole-person health. Together, they offer both complementary and contrasting perspectives on how we understand di

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson has taken a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful sentences: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation. Join us as Isaacson returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to unpack the word-by-word genius of the sentence, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. He’ll explore not just the power of the words but how, in these polarized times, they can be used to restore an appreciation for our common values. * Note - this podcast contains explicit language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please join us for a panel discussion: Following the enactment of H.R. 1, which includes significant changes to Medicaid and other federal health-care programs, California and San Francisco are grappling with what these changes will mean for patients, providers and the health-care safety net.  The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation (SFGHF) is convening this timely conversation at the Commonwealth Club to explore the law’s implications for health-care access, our city’s public hospital Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG), and communities across California.  Featuring Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and ZSFG CEO Dr. Susan Ehrlich, in a conversation moderated by SFGHF CEO Kim Meredith, the discussion will examine the evolving policy landscape and the challenges and opportunities ahead. An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics

San Francisco has been connected to Francis of Assisi for over 250 years, when Spanish explorers gave the name San Francisco Bay to the waters east of the Golden Gate. That connection intensified 180 years ago when the town of 600 called Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco. Humanities West and the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco celebrate this civilizational connection to the influential Italian who founded the Order of Friars Minor for priests and brothers and the Order of Saint Clare for cloistered nuns — having been inspired by his earlier membership in the lay organization Brothers and Sisters of Penance (a part of which organization later became the Franciscan Tertiaries). When Francis of Assisi died 800 years ago, on October 3, 1226, he was already famous not only for his contributions to religious thought and practice, but also for his deep respect for the natural world, his “small carbon footprint” lifestyle and his interest in the brotherhood of man. In his new biography, Augustine Th

For generations, the American Dream has represented a promise of opportunity: work hard, and you can achieve economic stability, security, and upward mobility. Yet for many today, that promise feels uncertain—or fundamentally changed. ​Throughout our Dinner & Dialogue series, people across generations and backgrounds have gathered to share how they understand opportunity, success, and security in this moment. Now, we bring those insights to the stage. ​As the culminating event of this quarter’s Dinner & Dialogue series, What Happened to the American Dream?, this Unfiltered Conversation will bring together a panel of leading experts to respond directly to what emerged from those dialogues. Drawing on their expertise, lived perspectives, and disagreements, they’ll help us push the conversation further. ​The evening will unfold in two parts: a candid panel discussion, followed by an intergenerational dinner reception. Over dinner, participants will be grouped by age demographic and invited to reflect on what

The war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz created a global energy supply crisis. And while gasoline prices didn’t reach the extreme highs some predicted a few months ago, the global markets are still in flux.  “What has been disrupted most is the confidence in the old energy system where you could reliably and affordably dig up a source of energy thousands of kilometers away from where you expected to ignite it and expect that process to be smooth,” says Gerald Butts, chairman of political risk consultancy the Eurasia Group.  What has the war in Iran meant for energy markets? How much have shortages and price spikes pushed more companies and countries toward renewable energy? As China reaps the benefits of decades of investment in clean tech and renewable energy, will the U.S. be left behind? Guests: Gerald Butts, Chairman and Senior Advisor, The Eurasia Group Scott Marlow, Founder and CEO, Long Rows Consulting; Agricultural policy expert Alex Wang, Law Professor, UCLA; Faculty Co-Di

Bestselling author Mark Shaw returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs with the untold details of the inspiring friendship in the mid-1930s between Dorothy Kilgallen, the intrepid young journalist, and Amelia Earhart, the courageous, pioneering aviatrix. Their mutual support ran deep, with Kilgallen covering up-close Amelia’s historic 1932 solo transatlantic flight, and Amelia taking a strong, personal interest in Kilgallen’s famous 24-day “Race Around the World” against two older male reporters in 1936. As Kilgallen put it, “I’m off on a race around the world—a race against time and two men. I know I can beat time. I hope I can beat the men. I’ll circle the globe by plane, blimp, motor, train and bus, perhaps even by camel or bicycle if they’ll get me where I want to go.” When Earhart’s plane was lost at sea, Kilgallen wrote a July 7, 1937 New York Evening Journal article that included a compelling account as to why Earhart’s plane had mysteriously disappeared while revealing that “My heart is w

In her new book Valley of Death, former Wall Street Journal national security editor Sharon Weinberger draws on deep, exclusive reporting to reveal how a new military-industrial complex is arising from the cradle of Silicon Valley, with vast implications for American democracy and the global balance of power. Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Alexander Karp. These tech titans are fast becoming some of the most powerful figures in the realm of national security, with enormous implications for us all. As Weinberger reveals in this gripping account, the American military and spy agencies helped to create Silicon Valley as we now know it, and some of its biggest and most valuable companies today owe much of their success to the Pentagon and CIA. Beginning with the War on Terror and accelerating under Donald Trump, however, the old alliance between elected leaders in Washington and the unelected CEOs of Silicon Valley has grown increasingly uneasy as power has shifted to the private sector, and Big Tech

Heritage is simply learned wisdom, the stories, myths, traditions and rituals that we inherit from our ancestors. What if we could alchemize that into a superpower as business leaders, instead of burying, hiding or running away from it?  In this conversation with Kamini Ramani, author of Lotus Leadership: A Modern Playbook of Ancient Wisdom(Harper’s Business), and two powerful CEOs and board members—Chinese American Jenny Ming and Indian American Yamini Rangan—legendary journalist Sarah Lacy will unpack their journeys from Mumbai and Coimbatore to Macao to reveal the secret to owning your power. Ramani has been called “a barrier-breaking former tech leader," and her new book called “a playbook about leadership for everyone.” Her playbook for success is culled from the inspiring stories of a cadre of luminary women business leaders of Indian heritage along with other women of color. Ramani interviewed more than 30 of the top female leaders for her book and tells their stories, highlighting not just

America’s election system faces unprecedented challenges as we approach the midterms. An electoral environment already upended by mid-decade gerrymandering and Supreme Court decisions undermining the Voting Rights Act has been compounded by collapsing popular confidence in the system we use to choose our leaders. Never-before-seen actions through executive orders and postal service changes, as well as a variety of measures at the state level, have created confusion and uncertainty as Americans begin to cast their ballots in the early voting period. Can the system withstand these unprecedented threats to the right to vote? Join Stanford Law professor Nate Persily, one of the nation’s foremost experts on voting rights and election administration, and Ari Berman, Mother Jones’ national voting rights correspondent, for an in-depth look at the state of the nation’s voting system as the midterms approach. They will examine efforts at the state and federal level to change election rules, the legal battles sur

Join us for a conversation with Ben Davis, creator of the Bay Lights and City of Awe, and founder of the San Francisco nonprofit Illuminate, and Garry Tan, president and CEO of Y Combinator. San Francisco might be the most important city in the world right now. The arc of human consciousness is being defined here. Artificial intelligence is racing forward on fear as much as ambition, which makes it inherently reckless. Davis, founder of the San Francisco nonprofit Illuminate, believes the antidote is culture. He has declared San Francisco the “City of Awe”—that rare blend of beauty and terror the moment demands. Y Combinator’s Garry Tan—whose firm has funded much of the AI wave and who has spent years personally invested in San Francisco’s own civic future—joins Davis to explore where imagination and acceleration meet, and what public art can teach an industry built on speed. San Francisco’s destiny, Davis argues, isn’t to inspire the world through the technology it creates, but through how we choose to liv

Join us for the third event in the popular Women Empowering Women series: Creating Financial Abundance. The evening focuses on fiscal management, budgeting, investment strategies, and resources so women in the arts can take charge of their financial futures and build a foundation for long-term security and wealth. We’ll hear from: Regina Tsai, Schwab Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Strategist Sheila Cunningham, executive coach, teacher and workshop trainer Victoria Veedell, San Francisco-based landscape painter Our moderator will be Debra Reabock, Women Empowering Women MLF chair. The Women Empowering Women series was created by NCWCA (Northern California Women's Caucus for Art) and presented at the Commonwealth Club. This is a series encouraging women and their supporters to embrace challenges and create pathways for achievement. After the panel, there will be an interactive discussion followed by a light reception. About the Speakers Regina Tsai, is a Schwab Certified Financial Plann

New York sets some of the country's most ambitious climate goals, from slashing emissions to bracing for rising seas. But living in the city is freaking expensive. So what does it take for NYC to be affordable and climate-conscious?  In collaboration with Grist, we put that question to the city’s chief climate officer, a Grist reporter, and a grassroots leader during New York Climate Week. Listen as we discuss the places where climate, decarbonization, and affordability collide – and the ways people are working to make life better for New Yorkers while keeping both costs and carbon down. Guests:  Daphany Rose Sanchez, Executive Director, Kinetic Communities Consulting Jake Bittle, Staff Writer, Grist Louise Yeung, NYC Chief Climate Officer  Jonathan Gilmour, Co-Executive Director, The Impact Project Highlights: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:10 Jake Bittle on New York delaying climate goals 00:03:53 Daphany Rose Sanchez on the impact of delaying climate goals 00:05:31 Daphany Rose San

Join us for this lively Transforming Our Region forum program on network leadership and building community, featuring Jane Wei-Skillern. Together, we will explore how to collaborate in ways that catalyze systems change for a Bay Area where people and nature thrive. Strong communities are built not just through programs and organizations, but through relationships, trust, and shared leadership. In this highly interactive program, participants will explore key principles of network leadership and learn practical approaches for strengthening collaboration across individuals, organizations, and sectors to catalyze systems change. Through facilitated small-group discussions, participants will experience firsthand how networks create value by connecting people, sharing resources, and mobilizing collective action. Whether you are leading an organization, community initiative, or volunteering in your community, this session will provide tools and insights to help cultivate stronger, more resilient communities across

Join us this evening for a deep-dive military and geopolitical program analyzing the decades-long regional cold and hot wars, proxy conflicts, and strategic power struggles for dominance in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia and Iran.  At the heart of this analysis lies their relationship with the United States, which is a linchpin of the Saudi-Iranian conflict and the solution to ending it. A Middle East Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. ORGANIZERBanafsheh KeynoushNOTES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A desire to simplify, an upcoming move, a remodel, and general overwhelm are among the many reasons we are called to rightsize our lives. The things that occupy our closets and shelves have all sorts of memories and hopes attached to them. Those same things can also be obligations or burdens. Deciding what to shed and how to go about it can be overwhelming in its own way.  That’s where life organizer Debra Baida comes in. For close to 20 years, she has been empowering and guiding people through their life transitions. She is an empathic facilitator with a focus on making the paring-down process as navigable and sustainable as possible. Creating space while simultaneously holding space are among her superpowers. Deb is also a go-to resource for donating and rehoming unwanted items. Keeping useful things out of landfill is essential to her work ethic.  About the Speakers Debra Baida is a life organizer and founder of Liberated Spaces, which she opened in 2007 after two decades working as a picture

For critics of the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court, much attention and ire is focused on the new justices appointed by President Donald Trump. But journalist Alex Wagner says the key president to note is Ronald Reagan, whose 1980 election marked a distinct right turn for American governance. Wagner, host of Crooked Media’s “Runaway Country,” says Reagan’s election marked the return to power of the conservative right after many decades on the fringes: Tax cuts, aggressive foreign policy, and law and order would soon become the cornerstones of Reagan’s agenda. But, behind the scenes, a select group of administration officials and ideological allies had their eyes set on something much more valuable: an institution with the power to shape the country’s legal, cultural and existential identity, long after any presidential term ended. Wagner says California’s own Ed Meese, an Alameda County district attorney, lawyer and aide to Reagan from his days as governor, knew exactly what he had to do to s

What happens when community knowledge, nonprofit purpose, business expertise, and long-term philanthropy come together to solve a basic neighborhood need? San Francisco’s Sunnydale Market offers a compelling and nutritious answer. Created in response to residents’ love of neighborhood, and their need for fresh and affordable groceries, the Sunnydale Market is catalyzed by community voices, the nonprofit 18 Reasons, and the for-profit Bi-Rite Family of Businesses. The Sunnydale Market partnership finds its home in a larger redevelopment made possible by Mercy Housing, Related Companies, and HOPE SF. It is important that this partnership is made financially possible by a long-term commitment from Crankstart. Crankstart funding covers core operating costs so that fresh groceries can be offered to the Sunnydale community at wholesale cost. Sunnydale Market will anchor a thriving neighborhood hub, provide new and better jobs, and attract customers and visitors to Sunnydale to boost other neighborhood businesses