Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Thomas Byrne Edsall: American Democracy at the Crossroads Jul 23, 2023

Show notes

As Donald Trump seeks the presidency again, one of the country's most insightful political observers wonders whether American politics has already passed the point of no return in terms of its divided politics and culture and decayed social order.

New York Times columnist Thomas Byrne Edsall, author of the new book The Point of No Return: American Democracy at the Crossroads, fears the country might be headed over a cliff and argues that the 2016 election of Donald Trump was the most serious threat to the American political system since the Civil War.

As the country prepares for another election with Trump, Edsall documents how the Trump years of 2016–2020 negatively impacted the country, in his opinion. He explains the demographic shifts that helped make Trump’s election possible, and describes the racial and ethnic conflict, culture wars, rural/urban divide, diverging economies of red and blue states, and the transformation of both the Republican and Democratic parties that have left our politics in a state of permanent hostility.

As the country prepares for the 2024 election, can the country step back from the brink? Edsall isn't so sure. Please join us as the the prominent columnist explains why and what might be ahead for the United States.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Anand Giridharadas: Persuaders in a Hot and Polarized World Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

In a democracy, meaningful change often requires adapting views and building coalitions. Some believe finding common ground and building rapport is the best way to change minds. Others believe activism and protests are key to raising awareness. Increasingly, however, the acts of listening and persuasion are left out, as each side is convinced that the other is unmovable.

Anand Giridharadas is a journalist, columnist, on-air political analyst, and author. His latest book, “The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy,”explores how the tactics of persuasion can help strengthen democracy and foster positive societal change.

Guests:

Anand Giridharadas, Journalist, Author, “The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy”

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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The World According to Willie Brown Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

Recently, CNN wanted to find out, “What Happened to San Francisco?” They called Willie Brown. As two-term mayor of San Francisco and legendary speaker of the California State Assembly, he is still the go-to guy in California politics, government and civic life.

With the national media spotlight on the Bay Area as San Francisco faces twin crises of homelessness and drug addiction, Mayor Brown returns to The Commonwealth Club to give us the lowdown. He will separate hype from reality and talk about what local leaders can do to address the city's multiple challenges. A strong advocate for health equity, his focus is on ways to ensure access to quality health care regardless of income or background. He’ll also share his take on state and national politics as well as on the country’s growing polarization.

Join us for Willie Brown’s annual conversation with The Commonwealth Club.

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14th Annual Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit—Getting to Zero Deaths on Our Roadways: Is the IIJA up to the Challenge? Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

The United States faces a public health crisis on its roads. In 2021 alone, almost 43,000 people died in traffic crashes and millions more suffered serious injuries. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls the situation a preventable crisis—one for which we must take responsibility by recognizing that human lives are not a price to pay for modernity. New funding available through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides a significant opportunity to reduce crashes through infrastructure redesign.

Join the Mineta Transportation Institute and a panel of national experts to discuss the role of infrastructure redesign in achieving a national goal of zero traffic fatalities.

NOTES

This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University.

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CLIMATE ONE: Green Energy / Red States Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

Billions of dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act have started flowing into renewable energy projects and manufacturing. That’s bringing jobs and revenue back to the country and to some areas abandoned by the oil, coal and gas industries. Despite the massive investments in their districts, some Republican politicians aren’t fans of the green energy companies moving into their backyards and are doing everything they can to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act – putting them at odds with their constituents. How do we advance the clean energy transition when it’s seen as a partisan issue?

Guests:

Emma Dumain, Reporter, E&E News

Heather Reams, President, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

Terry Weickum, Mayor, Rawlins WY

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El Ultîmo Sueño De Frida Y Diego: Iconic Artists For Fashion, Art And Opera Jul 08, 2023

Show notes

El Ultímo Sueño de Frida y Diego (2022) by local composer Gabriela Lena Frank is the first-ever San Francisco Opera production by a female composer, and the first ever in Spanish (libretto by Nilo Cruz).The opera tells the story of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera reliving their tumultuous love for 24 hours on El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) through their paintings, embracing the passion they shared and the pain they inflicted upon one other.

Artists Kahlo and Rivera were and are icons of Mexican arts and culture, magic and realism. This Commonwealth Club panel will focus on the impact of their artistic motivation, clothing, design and the famed murals across the Americas. Their fashion and lifestyles have continued to inspire many in the arts world today, including the costumes in El Ultímo Sueño de Frida y Diego, the incredible co-commissioned production of San Francisco Opera you can see on stage from June 13–30, 2023.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith and Robert Melton

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CLIMATE ONE: Law and Oil: Taking Climate Offenders to Court Jul 07, 2023

Show notes

The last several years have seen a big increase in the number of lawsuits focused on the climate crisis. Some lawsuits challenge governments for their support for fossil fuels and for their failure to take climate action, while other cases target the fossil fuel companies themselves for knowingly misleading the world about the climate disrupting impacts of burning their products. Some of these cases seek monetary damages, others seek to hold governments accountable to their emissions reduction pledges. As more of these cases get their time in court, how powerful can litigation be in forcing action around the climate emergency?

Guests:

Delta Merner, Lead Scientist, Science Hub for Climate Litigation, Union of Concerned Scientists

Korey Silverman-Roati, Senior Fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School

Lucy Maxwell, Co-Director, Climate Litigation Network, Urgenda Foundation

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Jennifer Pahlka: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

Government at all levels has limped into the digital age, widening the gap between the policy outcomes we intend and what we get.

Jennifer Pahlka served as President Barack Obama’s former deputy chief technology officer. Join us for an in-depth talk as she offers a bold reexamination of how our government operates and the improvements that she says need to be made to end bureaucratic dysfunction.

It’s not more money or more tech we need; Pahlka calls for "recoding" American government to reclaim it for the people it is supposed to serve.

NOTES

This program is presented in collaboration with the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

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CLIMATE ONE: Peter Gleick on Water Poverty, Conflict, and a Hope for the Future Jun 30, 2023

Show notes

No elemental force has done more to shape life on this planet than water, from originating the earliest forms of life, to sculpting our landscapes, to determining patterns of human civilization. Humans have tried to control water for thousands of years, and access to this precious resource has caused conflict and also unlikely partnerships. In an era defined by climate disruption, the control, access, and quality of water will continue to determine our ability to survive and thrive. How can we ensure a future where clean water exists for all who need it – including the ecosystems we depend on – and navigate the challenges of too little or too much?

Guests:

Peter Gleick, co-founder, The Pacific Institute; author, “The Three Ages of Water”

Contributor: Luke Runyon, Managing Editor & Reporter, Colorado River Basin, KUNC Radio

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Rachel Nuwer: Understanding MDMA Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

Few drugs in history have generated as much controversy as MDMA—or held as much promise, according to some. Once vilified as a Schedule I substance that would supposedly eat holes in users’ brains, MDMA (also known as Molly or Ecstasy) is now being hailed as a therapeutic agent that could transform the field of mental health and outpace psilocybin and ketamine as the first psychedelic approved for widespread clinical use.

Award-winning science journalist Rachel Nuwer separates fact from fantasy, hope from hype, in the drug’s contested history and still-evolving future. Hear more as Nuwer explains the cultural and scientific upheaval that is rewriting our understanding of our brains, our selves, and the space between.

This program contains EXPLICIT content.

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