Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Along with aviation, the construction industry is one of the hardest to decarbonize sectors in the global economy. Cement and steel production together are responsible for about 15% of global CO2 emissions. But look around our modern world and it’s hard to imagine doing without these materials. Carbon-negative cement has been talked about for years, and innovations in steel production show promise as well, but is either technology ready for primetime? And what about replacing these materials with engineered wood, which could also store carbon for decades? Guests:  John Fernández, Professor of Architecture, MIT Chathurika Gamage, Manager, Climate Aligned Industries, RMI Radhika Lalit, Chief Strategy Officer, RMI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UC Davis Professor of Law Mary Ziegler is one of the world’s leading authorities on the U.S. abortion wars and the history of reproductive rights in this country. Since the leak of a draft of a Supreme Court majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and the guaranteed right to an abortion, Ziegler has been one of the most sought-after experts on this issue. Ziegler's timely new book Dollars for Life: the Antiabortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment, explores how the antiabortion movement remade the Republican Party and led to this current historic moment. She traces how the anti-abortion movement helped to revolutionize the rules of money in U.S. politics and persuaded conservative voters to focus on the federal courts. Ziegler offers a surprising new view of the slow drift to extremes in American politics and says it had everything to do with the strange intersection of right-to-life politics and campaign spending. Her previous books have explored the legal history of Roe v. Wade

The recent white supremacist shooting in Buffalo that targeted African-Americans renewed attention to the global rise in white nationalistic terrorism. The shooting in Buffalo, which has brought domestic terrorism charges to the alleged assailant, included a digital manifesto that copied and mirrored previous manifestos—infused with racism and anti-Semitism—that accompanied previous terrorist shootings in New Zealand, Norway and the United States. The increasing numbers of these incidents and their similarities are signs of a growing but diffuse white power movement that is alarming terrorism experts globally. One of those most concerned is Dr. Daniel Byman, an author, professor and leading global counter-terrorism expert. Byman's new book Spreading Hate: The Global Rise of White Supremacist Terrorism draws upon vast amounts of research and years of experiencing analyzing the spread of the global phenomenon of white supremacy and white power. Explaining that after 9/11 pushed white supremacist terrorism to a

Alice Waters is a true Bay Area icon and one of the most influential chefs of her generation.  A long-time food activist, Waters first opened Bay Area local restaurant Chez Panisse in 1971 with the intention of feeding people good food during a time of political turmoil. Customers responded positively to the restaurant and its focus on locally sourced organic ingredients, delectable hand-made dishes, and wonderfully mastered hospitality.  In pioneering a revolutionary approach to food preparation and service, Waters determined that the rise of fast food, frozen meals, and prepackaged ingredients were increasingly overshadowing the human qualities of eating and cooking. In her recent book We Are What We Eat, Waters urges us to take up the mantle of slow food culture. She writes this book as a declaration of action against fast food values and a working theory about what we can do to change the course.  From years of working with regional farmers, Waters learned about the dangers of pesticides; the plight of fi

The climate crisis is a growing driver of human migration, exacerbating the misery of already struggling communities. According to the UN Refugee Agency, climate change typically creates internal displacement within countries before it pushes people across national borders. While much of this displacement is involuntary, many with wealth and foresight are able to move before they personally feel the most devastating effects. How well are governments prepared to handle an influx of people driven from their homes – and support those who are left behind?  Guests: Abrahm Lustgarten,  Senior Reporter at ProPublica Colette Pichon Battle, Esq., Co-Executive Director, Taproot Earth  Kayly Ober, Senior Advocate and Program Manager, Climate Displacement Program, Refugees International Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 2000 to 2022, one thing is certain: What it means to be Republican has changed. To former Republican political consultant Tim Miller, the GOP started down a path to disaster in the early 2000s. Lack of strategic decision making within the Republican Party at that time set the stage for Donald Trump to take over the party Miller once loved. He now seeks to answer a simple question: “Why did normal people go along with the worst of Trumpism?” Tim Miller is an author, activist and consultant who has held many positions within Republican campaigns. He has served as co-founder and political director for the advocacy group Republican Voters Against Trump and director of communications for Jed Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign. During his time in the Republican Party, he served in a variety of positions, including co-founder and executive director of the opposition research firm America Rising and “forensic analyst” for Mitt Romney’s failed 2012 presidential campaign. In his new book Why We Did It, Miller cuts

In a special online program live from Thailand, Matcha Phorn-In will join us for a discussion focused on how vulnerable populations who are "invisible" are impacted by racism, homophobia, transphobia, and gender inequities. Matcha Phorn-In is a lesbian, feminist human rights defender, passionately committed to building peoples' movements to advance human rights and justice. She has 15 years of experiences working to empower youth and people from the most marginalized communities, including LGBTQ, Indigenous, ethnic minorities, young women and girls, the stateless, undocumented refugees, and more.  She is the founder and executive director of the Aangsan Anakot Yawachon Development Project. Matcha Phorn-In has also served as president of the board of directors of APWLD (Asia-Pacific Forum on Weomen, Law and Development), a member of the board of directors for Internation Femily Equality Day, and president of the board of directors for ILGA ASIA Foundation. SPEAKERS Matcha Phorn-In Executive Director, Sangsan A

We’re on track for yet another summer of record wildfires in the western U.S., endangering lives, displacing communities, and sending unhealthy smoke across the nation.  The science is clear: human-caused climate change is making lands more conducive to burning, and we are increasingly living in flammable landscapes. Forest experts say there are tools to help reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, keep forests alive as valuable carbon sinks and make communities more resilient to megafires. But we may also have to become accustomed to more fire – and smoke – in our lives.  How can we better live with fire, including using it as a tool, rather than always fighting it? This week, we also take a deep dive into the recent Supreme Court case West Virginia v. EPA with Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law. Guests: Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley Law  Stephen Pyne, author, The Pyrocene: How We Created an Age of Fire, and What Happens Next  Susan Husari, member of the California Board of Forestry and Fire Prot

Join us for an in-depth discussion focused on the latest Youth Climate Survey by Blue Shield on how climate change is affecting the mental health of our youth community.  We'll be talking with David W. Bond, who is the director of behavioral health at Blue Shield of California—Promise Health Plan, where he leads initiatives to restore, sustain and enhance the behavioral health and well being of the state's Medi-Cal and Medicare beneficiaries; Joel Castro, a recent San Diego high school graduate and activist; and Maya Gomez, a Whitney High School incoming senior and a student representative for the Mind Out Loud program. Join us for this timely talk! NOTES This program is generously supported by Blue Shield of California. SPEAKERS Introduction by Antoinette Mayer Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, Blue Shield of California David W. Bond Director of Behavioral Health, Blue Shield of California—Promise Health Plan; Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress Joel Castro Inc

From the Andes to the Himalayas, mountains have an extraordinary power to evoke a sense of the sacred. In the overwhelming wonder and awe that these dramatic features of the landscape awaken, people experience something of deeper significance that imbues their lives with meaning and vitality. Drawing on his extensive research and personal experience as a scholar and climber, Edwin Bernbaum takes us on a fascinating journey exploring the role of mountains in the mythologies, religions, history, literature and art of cultures around the world. He delves deeply into the spiritual dimensions of mountaineering and the implications of sacred mountains for environmental and cultural preservation; he also shows how the contemplation of sacred mountains can transform everyday life, even in cities far from the peaks themselves. Join us for an online talk with Edwin Bernbaum. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond SPEAKERS Edwin Bernbaum Mountaineer; Scholar of Comparative Religion and Mythology; Author, Sacred Mountains of the W

Service is fundamental to who we are as Americans and how we meet our local and national challenges. For nearly 30 years, AmeriCorps has connected people of all ages and backgrounds together to tackle the country's most pressing problems. Today, from fighting the pandemic and responding to disasters, to boosting student success and tackling climate change, national service is seen as a proven solution that can unite Americans in strengthening their communities.  AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith knows firsthand how service can transform lives and communities. Born into poverty, Smith was nurtured by a group of mentors and coaches who lifted his sights to what was possible and instilled an insatiable appetite for service and civic engagement. He has dedicated his career to social justice and public service in underserved communities. Nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2021, Smith leads AmeriCorps in engaging more than 250,000 Americans in results-driven service at 40,000 lo

Since Darwin, evolutionary biology has been “all about the boys,” with the males of the species being the drivers of change and females simply passively devoted to them, zoologist Lucy Cooke argues. Rather than conforming with this male-dominated view of a male-dominated field, Cooke instead seeks to humorously reinvent the narrative—and show just how fierce, dangerous and hilarious the queens of the animal kingdom can be. Lucy Cooke is a British zoologist and an author, director and television producer. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford, where she was tutored by Richard Dawkins. A trailblazer in the field of evolutionary biology, Cooke’s works have included multiple BBC films and documentaries and has published numerous books on various members of the animal kingdom. In her latest book, Bitch: On the Female of the Species, Cooke gives a new look at the females of the species—from same-sex albatross couples raising chicks, to murderous mother meerkats and the titanic battle of the sexes waged by d

In February 2022, Chantale Wong was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in an overwhelming and bipartisan vote to serve as U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank, making her the first openly lesbian Senate-confirmed ambassador in U.S. history. The Asian Development Bank was founded in the mid-1960s as a financial institution focused on fostering economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions of the world. Based in Manila, The Philippines, ADB commits tens of billions of dollars to projects throughout the region. Join us for an online discussion with Ambassador Wong, who will be joining us from Manila to discuss the role of ADB as well as the impact of U.S. economic policies on gender equity, LGBTQIA rights and the environment. SPEAKERS Chantale Wong United States Director, Asian Development Bank; Twitter @chantalew Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host John Zipperer Producer and Host, Week to Week Polit

Africa is responsible for only less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet its people are already suffering some of the world’s most devastating climate impacts. For Wanjira Mathai, Regional Director for Africa and Vice President at the World Resources Institute, and the daughter of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, this raises a central moral question: When those most affected are those least responsible, how can those most responsible address that injustice? Guest: Wanjira Mathai, Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, World Resources Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on abortion rights (in Dobbs v. Mississippi) that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that has provided federal protections and defined a woman’s right to abortion since 1973. After decades of whittling away at Roe's protections, a majority of the court's justices have upended it, letting individual states decide their own approaches to reproductive rights. With this decision, some 22 states are expected to quickly make abortion all but illegal, while California will likely remain one of the few where full abortion rights are guaranteed. Women in other states across the country might lose access to reproductive care overnight or find services even more severely restricted. In California, women’s health-care providers and women’s rights organizations are gearing up for a massive influx of people seeking care and assistance, while some are already exploring how the state can become a sanctuary for women in search of reproductive health care. California'

A career in television journalism can be fraught with burnout, impostor syndrome and publicly aired stumbles. Especially in one of the craziest news eras America has ever seen, it is almost impossible to remain calm among the fury of stories to follow and the demanding and roles and responsibilities of the news industry. MSNBC anchor and New York Times bestselling author Katy Tur knows precisely what difficulties come from a life chasing news stories. Though she gained popularity covering then-candidate Donald Trump in 2015 and 2016, her newest release Rough Draft details the early years of her life as the daughter of two groundbreaking helicopter journalists in Los Angeles leading up to her own breakout career as a reporter. She explores the gift and curse of family legacy and for the first time, opens up about her complicated relationship with her parents. She also takes readers behind the desk to reveal what it is like to report during a time of massive chaos, disinformation and extremism, and she shares h

Anne W. Smith, the Commonwealth Club's Arts Member-led Forum chair, will moderate a discussion relative to restorative performing arts ideas and values, lingering pandemic issues and new implications for artist and audiences.  Sean Fenton, the “new kid on the block”, is executive director for the arts community service organization Theatre Bay Area. He will spotlight new approaches and thinking ideologies of large and small companies, including why  passion is central to leveraging  pathways through equity, diversity and inclusion as theatre’s strongest future. Phillippa Cole, senior director of artistic planning at San Francisco Symphony, will share the emerging impact of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen’s sparks of innovation underneath his galvanizing leadership model of collaborating artist partners. Is this how the symphony will—as Partner Julia Bullock so aptly wrote—“unpick the institutional tangle?" Why will Davies Hall’s collaborative space message prevail? And Carma Zisman, executive director of ODC

The Ronald Reagan Institute Shultz Lecture Series was originally conceived to honor Secretary Shultz on the anniversary of his 100th birthday; to celebrate and introduce more people to his incredible achievements and leadership in service to the United States and the world. This inaugural Shultz Lecture brings together three leading scholars to discuss the legacy of Secretary George P. Shultz: the man, the statesman, and a cherished friend and mentor to many. The George P. Shultz Lecture Series is a collaboration spearheaded by Taube Philanthropies in partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute. Two lectures will be held in 2022, with the West Coast lecture taking place at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in June, and the East Coast lecture being held at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C. , later this year.  NOTES The George P. Shultz Lecture Series is generously underwritten by Taube Philanthropies. Presented by The Commonwealth Club in partnership with the Ronal

Penetrating the fog of the coverup surrounding the murder of Stanford University's cofounder, historian Richard White deftly sifts through the evidence and reconstructs the full story. In 1885 Jane Stanford and her husband, Leland Stanford, co-founded Stanford University in memory of their deceased son. After Leland's death in 1893, Jane steered the university and its policies into eccentricity and controversy for more than a decade. When she died in 1905, her vast fortune was still the university’s lifeline. To foreclose challenges to her bequests, Stanford's president and his allies insisted it was death by natural causes. But it was a murder, by strychnine poisoning, and the culprit walked. Against a backdrop of San Francisco’s machine politics, corrupt policing, tong wars, and heated newspaper rivalries, White’s search for the murderer will draw you into Stanford’s imperious household and the tumultuous politics at the university. And he reveals that, although several suspects had both motive and opportun

As we mark World Refugee Day, an international day to honor refugees, we invite you to celebrate the strength and courage of all those forced to flee their homes in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February . Multiple organizations and individuals are lending their support to the estimated 6.8 million refugees from Ukraine who have fled to Poland, Romania and throughout the European Union. In addition, there are an estimated 8 million people displaced within the country, all of whom are seeking shelter and safety. After more than three months of war, this refugee crisis continues unabated, and even if a peace agreement were signed tomorrow, this conflict-driven mass migration will continue to impact millions, not only in Europe but also around the globe. How can we plan to support the Ukrainian community throughout the crisis and after the war ends as they return, resettle and rebuild? Join this conversation with leaders from two of the many organizations working with displaced Ukrainian fam