Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

There are endless opinions on the best way to eat for optimal health. Physician, chef and cookbook author Linda Shiue, M.D., will share her inclusive approach to choosing and preparing foods to promote health. With her unique background combining medicine and culinary, Dr. Shiue is emphatic that food can and should be a source of both pleasure and health, as well as a means of connecting to culture. She will be reviewing the best evidence-based diets and sharing the latest research on the health benefits of spices.  Linda Shiue, MD, is a physician, director of culinary medicine and lifestyle medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, professionally trained chef and author of the award-winning cookbook, Spicebox Kitchen: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes. She serves on the boards of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan is an award-winning journalist who has interviewed everyone from Edward Snowden to former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. Throughout his career, Hasan hasn’t been one to avoid arguments but relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to dispel misinformation and uncover the truth. Join us as Hasan reflects on his career as a journalist, anchor and interviewer, and offers tips on how to overcome the arguments and debates that engulf our lives daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday Night Philosophy at The Commonwealth Club celebrates its 14th anniversary by revealing how 20th century scientific knowledge was used to revitalize the power of Pythagorean insights and Platonic ideals. Using ancient Greek principles that promote clear conceptual reasoning, Hammond spent his 20s reorganizing the concepts we all use into a more coherent whole, generating both philosophical wisdom about the patterns in our personalities and perhaps even a better scientific understanding of the universe as well. Just as it did 2,500 years ago, focusing on the existence of the continuum of change and on the unchanging principles inherent in it reveals a cosmos of order rather than an impenetrable chaos. Surprisingly, the same thing can also be said about uncovering the patterns of order in our own individual―and admittedly apparently chaotic—personalities.  Join George Hammond on his 70th birthday as he explains why he expects this civilizing force to get a big boost in the near future, and why he continue

Every place we inhabit has its own tapestry of sound, whether you’re hiking through the woods or sitting in a cafe with a friend. And not only are sounds a part of our sensory experience, but they can give us vital information about the health of our ecosystems. As the planet warms and we lose biodiversity, those sounds are changing. The natural world isn’t the only space where the soundscape is changing. Electrifying everything will have a direct effect on the sound of urban centers. What will cities sound like in the future? Will we listen to the messages our world is sending us, or will we tune them out?  Guests:   Bernie Krause, Soundscape Ecologist Dan Hill, Director, Melbourne School of Design For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States prides itself for its maverick soul, but Sathnam Sanghera says it inherited the ambition, brutality and thinking of its empire roots. Sanghera reveals the hidden legacies and modern realities of the British empire and makes the case that to understand America, we must first understand British imperialism. He says the pernicious legacy of imperialism is rooted in our everyday lives yet remains shockingly obscured from view. Sanghera offers a sobering appraisal of Britain and America’s political histories to help us move forward to a more just future. SPEAKERS Sathnam Sanghera Author, Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain; Twitter @Sathnam In Conversation with John Oliver Host, "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver"; Twitter @iamjohnoliver In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 6th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California. This program contains

President Bill Clinton once called the border between India and Pakistan the most dangerous place on Earth. The two countries have been at war with each other on four separate occasions with numerous skirmishes in between. In 1948, 1965 and 1999 war was fought over Kashmir, and in 1971 it was over East Pakistan, later Bangladesh. There have been numerous peace talks, but in some cases the talks seem to have exacerbated the conflict. Complicating the issues has been access to Middle East oil. The Chinese have embarked on a great road-building effort to bypass the Malacca Straits—through which they get their oil supplies and which can be bottled up by the U.S. Navy in times of conflict—by reviving the old Silk Routes to Asia and beyond. Part of this old Silk Route makes its way through Kashmir and into the Pakistani port of Gwadar, on the Persian Gulf. This also helps China keep India, a potential rival in Asia, on the defensive. Kashmir, containing both the headwaters of the great rivers of South Asia as well

Experience an amazing, uplifting and exhilarating program presented by AfroSolo Theatre Company, a sanctuary for Black arts, culture, intellect and entertainment founded by Thomas Robert Simpson. Our event emcee will be Dr. Brenda Wade, psychologist, television expert, speaker and author. The performance line-up includes an exciting mix of talented performing artists. African drumming by three master drummers, one being a two-time Grammy winner; a mini concert featuring harpist Destiny Muhammad and soprano Jeannine Anderson performing Black spirituals and classical music, a poetry reading by Devorah Major, San Francisco's first Black poet laureate, and a performance by Brian Freeman about the life of William Leidesdorff, one of San Francisco's leading entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bozoma Saint John is no stranger to adversity, and when her husband Peter died of cancer, she made one big decision: to live life urgently. In her book The Urgent Life, she shares the highs and lows from her personal life and what she learned from these tragedies to build a life worth living even in times of darkness and brokenness. She offers a hopeful message about coping with loss and grief and how to live life to the fullest. Bozoma Saint John is an American businesswoman who started her career at Spike Lee’s advertising agency and has gone on to work at Pepsi, Apple Music, Uber, Endeavor, and most recently was the global chief marketing officer at Netflix. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Bozoma Saint John Author, The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival; Twitter @badassboz In conversation with Gary Vaynerchuk Entrepreneur; Chairman, VaynerX; CEO, VaynerMedia; Creator and CEO, VeeFriends; Twitter @garyvee In response to

Not long ago, it was said that “hydrogen is the fuel of the future - and always will be.” Now, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law tagging $9.5 billion for developing a domestic hydrogen economy, this simplest of all elements is increasingly being discussed as a viable pathway for long-distance trucking, shipping, and hard-to-decarbonize industries like cement and steel. But how clean is clean hydrogen, really? And what will it take to make green hydrogen a cost-competitive option in applications like manufacturing, transportation, and grid-scale energy storage? Guests: Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist, Carbon Direct Sunita Satyapal, Director, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, DOE  Alan Krupnick, Senior Fellow, Resources for the Future  For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A renowned scientist and environmental advocate looks back on a life that has straddled the worlds of science and politics. Acclaimed as a public scientist and as a spokesperson on pressing environmental and equity issues, Paul R. Ehrlich reflects on his life, from his love affair with his wife Anne, to his scientific research, public advocacy, and concern for global issues. Interweaving the range of his experiences—as an airplane pilot, a desegregationist, a proud parent—Ehrlich’s offers valuable insights on pressing issues such as biodiversity loss, overpopulation, depletion of resources, and deterioration of the environment. A lifelong advocate for women’s reproductive rights, Ehrlich also helped to debunk scientific bias associating skin color and intelligence and warned some 50 years ago about a possible pandemic and the likely ecological consequences of a nuclear war. His new book Life: A Journey Through Science and Politics, focuses on the human predicament, including problems of governance and democra

Numbers and mathematics were in use long before Pythagoras was born in the mid-sixth century BC, but few if any suspected that beyond practical use these were keys to unlock doorways to vast hidden knowledge. The discovery made by Pythagoras or his earliest followers—that there is pattern and order hidden behind the apparent variety and confusion of nature and that it is possible to understand it through numbers—was one of the most profound and significant discoveries in the history of human thought.    Humanities West highlights this fundamental shift by focusing on that initial jolt of intellectual energy, even though most of the details have been lost or distorted, and on three exemplars of the Pythagorean emphasis on math and on logic: Philolaus, Archytas and Plato.     The Pythagorean intellectual revolution spread by these early pioneers progressed until the advances in math and in detailed observation reached a critical mass, causing one scientific revolution after another—accomplished by scientists su

What, exactly, is a philosophy of life? Who needs it, and why? Noted philosopher Massimo Pigliucci will discuss these questions with us by focusing on one of the most influential philosophies of antiquity, stoicism. That philosophy, which underlies much of modern personal growth teaching, is experiencing a comeback in the 21st century for the simple reasons that it resonates with fundamentals of the human condition, and that it works in practice. As Dr. Pigliucci says, "Stoicism isn’t about feats of indifference, but about enduring pain without being overwhelmed, while enjoying pleasures without losing our heads." We will see how stoicism can offer a compass to navigate life, to set priorities for what is important, and to become better citizens of the world. Bring your questions to the streaming chat for what will be an enlightening discussion! MLF ORGANIZER John Fiegel SPEAKERS Prof. Massimo Pigliucci Ph.D., K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy, City College of New York; Author; Fellow, American Association f

Shannon K. O’Neil, the Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins us to discuss the issues raised in her new book The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter.  Dr. O’Neil will talk about how regionalization, not globalization, has been the biggest economic trend of the last 40 years, and why the United States should embrace deepening regional ties to succeed in an increasingly connected and competitive world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a lively and inspiring evening with longtime friends and fellow activists Danny Glover and Gus Newport. The Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake will moderate. The three men will share stories from organizing communities for more than 50 years and why they are dedicated to the development of what Martin Luther King, Jr., called The Beloved Community. The three men are dedicated to community development and human rights, topics that have never been more relevant as safety, public health, asset development, and education continue to be priorities in our communities. This will be a special evening of storytelling for people of all ages. You don't want to miss it! Glover and Newport were both raised by working class parents who were active in labor unions and in their communities. Because of their parents' and grandparents' strong influences, they became involved in civil rights and community support as well as anti-apartheid and other international peace and human rights organizations. About the Speakers Danny Glov

The lack of affordable housing in the U.S. has contributed to a homelessness crisis and has forced people to move farther away from urban centers. Inevitably, that increases car travel and emissions. One solution is to increase density in areas where jobs and infrastructure exist to accommodate more people. But some aren’t comfortable with the idea of their neighborhoods growing, and building multi-story apartments in urban cores usually costs more per square foot than one or two-story houses where land is cheaper. So how do we address both the need for affordable housing and the climate crisis?  Guests:  Scott Wiener, California State Senator Jennifer Hernandez, Partner, Holland & Knight Ben Bartlett, Berkeley Vice Mayor For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Falzon investigated more than 300 murder cases during his 22-year career as a San Francisco homicide inspector using the radio call sign 5-Henry-7. The number 5 designated the Inspectors Bureau, Henry stood in for Homicide, and Falzon was inspector number 7. Working with San Francisco Chronicle reporter Duffy Jennings, Falzon’s new memoir highlights his high-profile cases and the backstory of how his youth, his father’s death at a young age, and his early years as a patrolman shaped his career. The Summer of Love and the heyday of the Haight-Ashbury flower power scene in the late 1960s mutated over the next two decades into a city under siege by serial killers, radical underground extremists, antiestablishment groups, gangs, and drug wars. Falzon investigated the Zebra murders of random white victims by extremist Black Muslims, Chol Soo Lee and the Chinatown gang murder, and the execution-style killing of prison reformer Popeye Jackson. Falzon was the lead inspector in the November 1978 assassinations o

Food is often used as a means of retaining cultural identity and heritage. Learning about cuisines from various cultures allows us to understand others. With understanding can come acceptance and appreciation. This program brings together Bay Area chefs from various heritages. Soul food Chef Geoff Davis from Burdell, Mexican Chefs Enrique Soriano and Jazmin from Cocina del Corazon, and Indigenous Chefs Louis Trevino and Vincent Medina from Café Ohlone. They will each tell their stories of their rich cultural heritage, explain the ingredients they use and why, and discuss other aspects of what they do. It’s going to be a fascinating evening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come out and celebrate the beginning of the 12th year of The Commonwealth Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable and social hour, which debuted this month 11 years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Agriculture is responsible for around 11% of U.S. carbon emissions. And yet soil holds the potential for massive carbon sequestration. Conventional agriculture focuses more on crop productivity than soil health, relying on pesticides, fertilizer, and other practices that contribute to climate-changing emissions rather than reduce them. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack advocates for a federal initiative focused on supporting “climate smart” agriculture for commodity crops that comprise the bulk of what’s grown on American farms: corn, soybeans, wheat. Meanwhile, the restaurateur behind Zero Foodprint is working to create change from table to farm, by crowdsourcing funds from customers to support regenerative farming practices directly.  Guests: Tom Vilsack, Secretary, US Department of Agriculture Jeremy Martin, Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists Anthony Myint, Executive Director, Zero Foodprint For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts Learn

Before the Second World War, transparent government was a proud tradition in the United States. After the war, the power to decide what could be kept secret proved too tempting to give up. Since then, we have radically departed from that open tradition, allowing intelligence agencies, black sites, and secret laboratories to grow unchecked. Officials insist that only secrecy can keep us safe, but its true costs have gone unacknowledged for too long. Using the latest techniques in data science, Matthew Connelly analyzes a vast trove of state secrets to unearth not only what the government really does not want us to know, but why. Culling this research and carefully studying a series of pivotal moments in recent history from Pearl Harbor to drone warfare, Connelly sheds light on the drivers of state secrecy—especially incompetence and criminality—and how the relentless accumulation of secrets makes it impossible to protect truly vital information. Connelly elucidates the power of secrecy, the greed it enables, t