Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Democracy is under siege—in the United States and around the globe. Efforts to undermine democracy erode human rights, destabilize governments, and exacerbate global health crises. Join Nancy Lindborg, president and CEO of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander for a conversation about the evolving threats to democracy—and a new framework for action to mitigate the risks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music and social movements have historically gone hand in hand. Folk music played a unifying role for the labor movements in the United States. Music was central to the protests against the Vietnam War and in favor of Civil Rights. As more people become aware of the climate crisis, music is starting to reflect that. But there is still no one song or artist inspiring climate action the way music catalyzed other movements. Why aren’t more musical artists raising the alarm over the growing climate catastrophe? And for the artists who are, how do they express the anxiety and grief that they and their listeners are experiencing?  Guests: Tamara Lindeman, Musician, The Weather Station Jayson Greene, Contributing Editor, Pitchfork For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last reported in November that he had been placed in permanent solitary confinement in the Russian penal colony where he is serving an 11-year sentence. This is just the latest attempt to silence the longtime anti-corruption activist and foe of Vladimir Putin.   Navalny was famously hospitalized in 2020 after being poisoned by a Russian-developed nerve agent. The gripping 2022 documentary Navalny chronicles his efforts to investigate his own poisoning . . . with shocking results. One of Navalny’s allies has called the film “life insurance” for the jailed opposition leader, since it is keeping him and his cause in the public consciousness.  Join us for a screening and discussion with the director of Navalny, which made the shortlist for the 2023 Academy Award for Best Documentary.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a 20-year career as a tech reporter for CNET, the New York Times, and the public radio program Marketplace, Molly Wood has come to see the climate crisis as an engineering problem requiring an acceleration of investment. And so, after producing the acclaimed climate podcast “How We Survive” for Marketplace, she left that program to begin a new career in venture capital. What are the limits of media in changing human behavior? And what is the role of capital in addressing the climate crisis, even while considering that capitalism itself may be incompatible with survival?  Guests: Molly Wood, Climate Solutions Investor, Podcaster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, fossil fuel companies have claimed to support climate science and policy. Many have recently pledged to hit net zero emissions by midcentury. Yet behind the scenes, they fight those very same policies through industry associations, shadow groups, and lobbying – all while spending vast sums on advertising and PR campaigns touting their climate commitments. This week we focus on the PR and consultancy firms helping fossil fuel companies delay the transition to clean energy while claiming they are on the side of climate protection. Guests:  Michael Forsythe, Reporter, New York Times Dr. Benjamin Franta, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Climate Litigation Lab, Oxford Sustainable Law Programme. Jamie Henn, Founder and Director, Fossil Free Media Christine Arena, former Executive Vice President, Edelman; Founder, Generous Films For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In what we hope is the late phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we'll take a look at other long-running issues relating to health care, healthy living, and access to care for the LGBTQ+ community. Our expert panelists for this discussion are leaders in the efforts to reach LGBTQ+ people, informing them and connecting them to appropriate health care services. About the Speakers Dr. Monica Ghandi, M.D., M.P.H., was a recipient of The Commonwealth Club's Distinguished Citizens Award in 2021. She is an infectious diseases doctor, professor of medicine and associate chief in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is also the director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and the medical director of the HIV Clinic ("Ward 86") at San Francisco General Hospital.  Craig Rouskey is the co-founder and CEO of Renegade.bio. Rouskey was also a co-founder and CSO at Pando Nutrition, an animal nutrition company. At Avant Immunotherapeutics, h

Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves through global energy markets, destabilized international food security, and continues to keep the world wondering whether the war will accelerate the transition to clean energy or lead to renewed dependence on fossil fuels. Climate One hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious review the top climate stories of the year, from the war’s global impacts, to the passage and signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, to the recent international climate summit in Egypt. This special episode features excerpts from some of Climate One’s most profound interviews of 2022, including conversations with such luminaries as Jamie Raskin, Wanjira Mathai, and Anand Giridharadas. Guests: Roman Zinchenko, Co-founder, Greencubator Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab Gina McCarthy, Former White House Climate Advisor, Former EPA Administrator  Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District  Anand Giridharadas, Au

An undeniable giant in the legal world, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas’s enduring legacy was his advocacy for the environment. He emerged as a true citizen justice through his speeches and articles warning against environmental dangers like logging, highway construction, and pollution. Justice Douglas’ actions were admired by conservation groups but often raised ethical dilemmas among his colleagues at the Supreme Court. Judge M. Margaret McKeown offers an insightful look at the lasting contributions that Justice Douglas made to both the physical environment and environmental law and how his work lives on today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and San José Mayor Sam Liccardo took office in 2015, they knew they would be grappling with issues such as homelessness, a widening income gap, and concerns over gun violence and police reform. They couldn’t have predicted they’d also be dealing with the deadliest pandemic in U.S. history. As Mayors Schaaf and Liccardo both prepare to leave office, we’ll talk with them about their legacies, the future of Bay Area cities, and how leaders can prepare for the unexpected. (EXPLICIT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for an end-of-year discussion with youth activists about mental health. We'll discuss how youth mental heath experiences can lead to mental health advocacy, specifically state-level advocacy and philanthropic funding. Only 2 percent of philanthropic dollars currently goes toward mental health funding, and many youth advocates are calling for more equitable use of philanthropic contributions in mental health initiatives. We'll also discuss how many youth have personal experiences with mental health that fuels their current passions. So reserve your free tickets now for this important program. Following the discussion, we'll have a reception on our beautiful rooftop deck with food and art. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year, Climate One grants an award in memory of pioneering climate scientist Steve Schneider, who fiercely took on the denial machine from the 1970s until his death in 2010. This year's recipient is German physicist and ocean expert Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf. Dr. Rahmstorf says we’re running toward a cliff in a fog. What can science tell us where that cliff is – and how to avoid it?  In a time of oceanic changes happening at an unprecedented pace, Dr. Rahmstorf exemplifies the rare combination of superb scientist and powerful communicator. He works to convey the impact of climate disruption on ocean currents, sea level rise, and increasing extreme weather events fueled by warmer oceans.  We also talk with past Schneider Award winner Ayana Elizabeth Johnson about the need for broader inclusion among climate leaders. What can the study of past ice ages tell us about our climate future? And what should be the role of scientists in the public sphere? Guests:  Stefan Rahmstorf, Co-Head of Research, Department on E

As American society ages, there is growing concern and interest about the causes of mental decline and how to slow it. However, serious mental decline is not an inevitable part of the aging process, according to popular scientist Dr. Marc Millstein. According to him, people can boost short- and long-term brain health and significantly lower the risk of dementia if the right steps are taken now. In his new book, The Age-Proof Brain, Dr. Milstein reveals his secrets to improving brain function, which he says lie in the brain’s surprising connection with the rest of the body. Debunking common misinformation, the book offers science-driven strategies focused on improving memory and productivity, increasing energy and boosting your mood, reducing the risk of anxiety and depression, and preventing nongenetic Alzheimer’s and dementia. Dr. Millstein believes that small changes can make a big difference right away.   Please join us for an important program that can provide tools people need to ensure a happy and healt

Although there are many effective treatments for depression, rates of depression are not going down. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have recommended that we implement currently known effective preventive interventions for depression to reduce the number of new cases. This talk will present a personal 50-year path committed to preventing mental disorders and influencing major health-science institutions to implement practices to prevent depression; examples of the types of prevention interventions currently available, with illustrations of the methods that have been found most useful (so that lay persons in a broad audience can envision what can be done to prevent clinical depression); a focus on preventing depression during pregnancy and postpartum, the benefit to the mother and to the baby, and how the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that pregnant persons at risk for depression be provided with preventive interventions that have been shown to be effective—and

Join us for a conversation with Elaine Forbes, the Port of San Francisco's executive director. Forbes will shed light on Port strategy and managing the 7.5. miles of San Francisco's waterfront, and its impact on the economic vitality of the Bay Area and beyond. About the Speaker Elaine Forbes is the executive director of the Port of San Francisco. She is a passionate champion and advocate for the San Francisco waterfront. An innovative and compassionate leader, she has provided a steady hand at the helm during a period of great change and a global pandemic. Mayor Edwin M. Lee appointed Director Forbes in 2016. Forbes is leading the Port and public through a waterfront renaissance. Central to her work is ensuring that all new developments on the waterfront align with key Port objectives of economic recovery, equity, and resilience. Due to her leadership, neighborhood communities at Pier 70, Mission Rock, and 88 Broadway provide more open space, new affordable homes, and robust climate change measures to ensure

Who is Vladimir Putin? In the West’s collective imagination, Putin is a deceitful cartoon villain, constantly plotting to destroy his enemies not only in Ukraine but around the world. But how did a mid-level KGB officer become one of the most powerful leaders in Russian history? In a unique graphic novel format, Russian expert Andrew Weiss chronicles Putin's political rise and reveals the truth behind the persona that Putin has spent his career cultivating. Weiss offers a compelling look at the myths surrounding Putin as a take-no-prisoners political mastermind and exposes who is really behind the façade. Andrew Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research in Washington and Moscow on Russia and Eurasia. He previously served as director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs on the National Security Council staff and was a member of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff during the administrations of Pres

It’s become common for homeowners to install solar panels to provide themselves with emission-free electricity. But increasingly more attention is being paid to decarbonizing things inside the home – the machines that heat and cool water and air, dry our clothes and cook our food. The Inflation Reduction Act includes many ways for homeowners and renters to start to electrify their lives. And in some places, builders are developing highly efficient, all electric homes from the get-go. What more is needed to make our buildings greener and get away from fossil fuels? Guests: Mark Chambers, Sr. Director Building Emissions & Community Resilience, White House Council on Environmental Quality Bruce Nilles, Executive Director, Climate Imperative Contributing Producer: Cody Short, WBHM 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

What Do We Know About the Moon? July 20, 2019 is the 50th anniversary of humanity’s first steps on the surface of the moon. In that time, the Apollo missions, a fleet of robotic probes and observations from Earth have taught us a lot about Earth’s surprising satellite. In this nontechnical talk, Andrew Fraknoi, who is sometimes called the Bay Area’s public astronomer, will look at the past, present and future of the moon, including its violent origins, the mystery of the frozen water we have found at its poles and its long-term future as it moves farther and farther away from us. Illustrated with beautiful images taken from orbit and on the surface, his talk will make the moon come alive as an eerie world next door, as a changing object in our skies, and as a possible future destination for humanity and its ambitions. Come find out how the achievements of the Apollo program fit into the bigger picture of our involvement with our only natural satellite. Fraknoi recently retired as the chair of the astronomy de

Julia Morgan was a lifelong trailblazer. She was the first woman admitted to study architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the first licensed to practice architecture in California. Born in San Francisco and trained in Paris, she developed a distinctive aesthetic that now defines certain regions of California. But only in the last 20 years has her contribution to architecture been fully recognized and celebrated. In 2014, the American Institute of Architects posthumously awarded her its Gold Medal; she is the first female recipient. Victoria Kastner has spent years compiling photographs, interviews, letters, drawings, and diaries—including material never published before—to create a comprehensive portrait of this amazing woman. Of Julia Morgan’s remarkable 700 creations, from hotels to churches to private homes, the most iconic is Hearst Castle. She spent 30 years constructing this opulent estate on the California coast for the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, forging a lifelong friend

When the United States was founded in 1776, its citizens didn’t think of themselves as “Americans.” They were New Yorkers or Virginians or Pennsylvanians. It was decades later that the seeds of American nationalism—identifying with one’s own nation and supporting its broader interests—began to take root. But what kind of nationalism should Americans embrace? The state-focused and racist nationalism of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson? Or the belief that the U.S. Constitution made all Americans one nation, indivisible, which Daniel Webster and others espoused?  Paul tells the fascinating story of how Webster, a young Dartmouth graduate and New Hampshire attorney, rose to political prominence by capturing the national imagination through his powerful oratory and unwavering belief in the United States. In his speeches—on the floors of the House and the Senate, in court, and as secretary of state—Webster argued that the Constitution was not a compact made by states but an expression of the will of all American

Dr. Mehrdad Ayati has identified eight critical challenges that currently face the aging population. Join Us at the Club for a discussion on healthy aging and Dr. Ayati’s proposed solutions to these critical challenges. Topics will include global aging trends and demographics, over medications, inappropriate use of vitamins and supplements to stay young, promoting healthy aging rather than just a diagnostic system, and lack of training in health care. Plus, what are the lessons that we have learned from the pandemic? How will it affect the future of our aging population? Dr Ayati is well-known nationally and internationally in the field of geriatric medicine, as a physician, speaker, author, and an educator. As the medical advisor to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, he raises awareness and provides advice on aging and challenges faced by the aging population in the United States. Dr. Ayati is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of General Medicine, Open Access, and co-author of Paths to Healthy Agin