Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Latest Episodes:

CLIMATE ONE: Our Greatest Unintended Experiment Feb 18, 2022

Show notes

For years, scientists, activists, and politicians have tried to warn the world of the potential catastrophic consequences of dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere: Think of An Inconvenient Truth in 2006. Or NASA scientist James Hansens’ testimony before the U.S. Senate in 1988, in which he said that “the greenhouse effect has been detected and it is changing our climate now.” Or go all the way back to 1856, when Eunice Newton Foote first warned the world that an atmosphere heavy with carbon dioxide could send global temperatures soaring.

Writer and climate campaigner Alice Bell lays out the history of evolving climate science and our forays into different energy technologies in Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis. Despite our current emissions trajectory, Bell says there’s still reason to hope: “We have been left a lot of opportunities and we still have got some time to seize them.”

Guests:

Alice Bell, climate campaigner, author, Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis

Meera Subramanian, environmental journalist

Katerina Gonzales, climate scientist

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Catherine and Tobias Wolff: Imagination, Creativity and Beyond Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

When our imaginations speculate about the afterlife that most of us believe in, they are probably less effective (as Sir Thomas Browne pointed out) than two infants still in the womb trying to describe our far more mundane adult human reality. But as Catherine Wolff demonstrates in Beyond, that does not stop us from trying. Over and over again. Autobiographical storytelling is a similar act of our imaginations’ desire to understand reality by editing it vigorously.

Join us to discuss how we think about the beyond with Catherine Wolff, and with her husband Tobias Wolff, a master of that autobiographical art. We will delve into the overlapping boundaries of our imaginations, our creativity, our dreams, and what comes next. If anything.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Catherine Wolff

Former Director, the Arrupe Center for Community-Based Learning, Santa Clara University; Author, Beyond: How Humankind Thinks About Heaven

Tobias Wolff

Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor, Emeritus, Department of English, Stanford University; Author, This Boy’s Life and In Pharoah’s Army

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

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 February 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Immigrants: One Quarter of the Nation Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

Nearly 86 million Americans are immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants. Though many authors have looked at how America changes immigrants, Nancy Foner focuses more on how immigrants have changed America. She reminds us that immigration has long had an important influence on American culture.

Today the advantages of immigration continue: rejuvenating our urban centers as well as some rural communities, strengthening the economy, fueling the growth of old industries, spurring the formation of new ones, and refining how Americans perceive race, all while playing a pivotal role in reshaping electoral politics and party alignments. Immigrants affect virtually every facet of American culture, from the music we dance to and the food we eat to the films we watch and the books we read.

The impact of immigrants over the past half century has become so much a part of everyday life in America that we sometimes fail to see it. Foner makes sure we don't forget all the positive ways in which immigrants continue to change our country.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Nancy Foner

Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York; Author, One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

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Humanities West Presents Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

The most famous and most beautiful tomb in the world was born in the broken heart of Shah Jahan, when his wife Mumtaz Mahal died at 38 giving birth to their 14th child. The riches of the Mughal Empire were poured into this testament to his grief and to his love, as thousands of artisans labored between 1632 and 1643 to construct it, along with multiple other projects, including gardens, palaces and mosques. The expenditure was immense, even by today’s standards. The Taj Mahal and these other marble monuments were intended to serve the deceased and the living as well as the future of the Mughal house. Shah Jahan ruled until 1658, when he became seriously ill and was overthrown by his sons, each wishing to succeed him. He spent the last years of his life imprisoned and as disheartened as King Lear.

Join Humanities West in person at The Commonwealth Club, or via live stream, to gain a deeper understanding of the Mughal dynasty that created the Taj Mahal and what went into the construction of one of the most visited architectural wonders in the world—which never fails to impress visitors, no matter how high their expectations were. Fortunately, unlike the Egyptian pyramids, we actually know from Mughal records how and why the Taj Mahal was constructed. The story of the Taj Mahal is indelibly intertwined with the story of Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor, who ruled a vast empire on the Indian subcontinent from 1628–1658. His many architectural achievements, in addition to the Taj Mahal, were made possible because of his extraordinary wealth.

Catherine Asher will focus on the artistic achievement itself: how the Taj Mahal became reality from its inception to its completion, with attention to its remarkable artistic details. She will set this achievement in the context of that time—the previous Mughal artistic developments that had led to the training of so many skilled craftsmen who built not only the Taj Mahal but also the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi, the Moti Masjid in Agra, and the renovation of Agra Fort (and much more). All this was accomplished during Shah Jahan’s reign. Throughout her discussion she will interweave the Mughals' concept of state with architectural construction.

Note: Both speakers will be participating remotely.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Catherine Asher

Professor Emerita, Department of Art History, University of Minnesota, Specialist in Indian, Muslim and Mughal Dynasty art and architecture; Author, The Architecture of Mughal India

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

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 February 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michael Schur with Nick Offerman: How to Be Perfect Feb 16, 2022

Show notes

What do "Parks and Recreation" and "The Office" have in common with books that explore philosophical theories like deontology, ubuntu, utilitarianism and more?

They’ve all been written by Michael Schur, a television producer and character actor whose mind has made way for the creation of some of today’s most popular shows—including "The Good Place," "Parks and Recreation," and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." In his new book, How to Be Perfect, Schur shares yet another one of his masterful creations. He explores some of history’s most influential philosophical concepts and gives them various applications, from matters of conversation-starting to problem-solving.

At INFORUM, Schur and Nick Offerman—best known for playing Ron Swanson in “Parks and Recreation”—will enlighten us with a new and relatable framework to learn about philosophy and ethics. They’ll tackle large questions—such as, “Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people?”—in a manner that can be both wise and refreshing everyone. While Schur and Offerman’s discussion of How To Be Perfect might not actually leave us with all the answers necessary to eradicate our imperfections, it will leave us with knowledge that could allows us to become even better people.

SPEAKERS

Michael Schur

Creator, "The Good Place"; Co-creator, "Parks and Recreation" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"; Author, How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question

In Conversation with Nick Offerman

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

Actor; Author; Humorist; Woodworker

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 February 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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She's Got All the Answers: Jeopardy Champion Amy Schneider Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

"I lost to Amy Schneider, but now I want her to keep winning. I want her to keep breaking records. I'm rooting for her with my whole heart. And as cheesy as it sounds, being a part of Amy's winning streak—even as someone she defeated—is an honor." —"Jeopardy!" contestant Andrea Asuaje

Amy Schneider has been breaking records and earned more than $1 million as a contestant on the brainy quiz show "Jeopardy!" She's an engineering manager based in Oakland, California, as well as a transgender woman who has described her identity as "important, but also relatively minor."

There's nothing minor about her historic run on one of the most respected game shows in the country, and she's having a major impact on attitudes about the trans community.

Come meet Amy Schneider live, in-person, at The Commonwealth Club or watch online as we ask her a few questions of our own.

Before the program, join us in the Hormel Lounge for coffee and treats provided by TransClinique.

NOTES

Thanks to TransClinique for providing coffee and treats for our pre-program reception in the Hormel Loung. TransClinique is a trans-owned and operated gender-affirming virtual clinic that was founded to serve trans and non-binary communities across the country by offering accessible telemedicine and on-demand HRT shipped right to your door.

SPEAKERS

Amy Schneider

Contestant, "Jeopardy!"; Engineering Manager; Twitter @Jeopardamy

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on February 10th, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Imani Perry: On the American South Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

The American South has always carved out a unique role in the American civic psyche. Even those who have never lived there can rattle off a list of signifiers from the area: the Civil War, Gone with the Wind, the Ku Klux Klan, plantations, football, barbecue, Jim Crow, slavery. Yet the South is far more complex than much of the country tends to acknowledge, even moreso with an in-migration of people from around the country over the past two decades.

In her new book, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, Princeton University Professor Imani Perry delves into the true character of the region and shows that the very meaning of America is inextricably linked with the South, and that the country's understanding of its history and culture, particularly as it relates to African-Americans, is the key to understanding the nation as a whole. Perry's book explores a range of personalities and stories from the South, from immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes, her own ancestors, and her lived experiences.

Please join us for illuminating conversation that will center the American South as critical to understanding the future of the United States.

NOTES

This program contains EXPLICIT language

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Imani Perry

Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University; Author, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation

In Conversation with Deesha Philyaw

Author, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

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Kenny Werner: Becoming the Instrument Feb 11, 2022

Show notes

When we hear music, we often experience how the physical flirts with the spiritual in profound and moving ways. Werner contends that this confluence is possible not only in music, but also in your daily personal and work life, and it's easier than you think.

In Becoming the Instrument, Werner shares insights and anecdotes from his 40 years of studying, performing and teaching music, including a guide for accessing the spiritual in our everyday existence and applying it to the pursuits we love. Werner shows us how to lift our daily performances to their highest level by being spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined.

Whatever you are trying to master, Werner says the key is learning how to slip into "the space," the place beyond the conscious mind that allows us to effortlessly embody whatever we are doing. Entering this sort of flow state might seem esoteric and difficult to achieve, but his easy exercises will allow you to access and achieve mastery, because "mastery is not perfection, or even virtuosity. It is giving oneself love, forgiving one's mistakes, and not allowing earthly evidence to diminish one's view of one's self as a drop in the Ocean of Perfection."

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Kenny Werner

Pianist and Composer; Artistic Director, Effortless Mastery Institute, Berklee College of Music; Author, Becoming the Instrument: Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

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 February 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Meet the State Assembly Candidates for District 17 Feb 11, 2022

Show notes

It's one of the most-watched California elections this season.

Meet all four candidates seeking to succeed David Chiu representing District 17 in the California State Assembly. David Campos, Matt Haney, Bilal Mahmood and Thea Selby will make their cases to be sent to Sacramento, and we'll ask your questions.

About the Speakers

David Campos has served as a San Francisco deputy city attorney, eventually serving as the general counsel for the city's school system. He also served as a San Francisco police commissioner, a supervisor representing District 9 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, deputy county executive for the County of Santa Clara and as San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s chief of staff. In that role, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the office, before taking leave during this final stretch of the campaign.

Matt Haney is a San Francisco supervisor who has also served as San Francisco Board of Education president, nonprofit founder, advocate, organizer, pro bono tenant attorney, and state legislative aide. He currently represents downtown San Francisco on the Board of Supervisors and serves as the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. Prior to his election to the Board of Supervisors, Haney was elected twice to the San Francisco Board of Education.

Bilal Mahmood is a civil servant and entrepreneur with experience in both the public and private sectors. He has a background as a neuroscientist, created a microlending nonprofit to help people lift themselves out of poverty, served as a policy analyst in the Obama administration, and helped restaurant workers in San Francisco offset lost wages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thea Selby has been a small business owner for more than 20 years. She is the co-founder of the Lower Haight Merchant and Neighbor Association, served seven years on the City College Board of Trustees, and co-founded Voices for Public Transportation.

SPEAKERS

David Campos

Former Supervisor, San Francisco; Deputy County Executive, County of Santa Clara; Former Chief of Staff, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin

Matt Haney

Supervisor, San Francisco

Bilal Mahmood

Former Policy Analyst, Obama Administration; Entrepreneur

Thea Selby

Co-Founder, Lower Haight Merchant and Neighbor Association; Business Owner

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

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CLIMATE ONE: The Enablers: The Firms Behind Fossil Fuel Falsehoods Feb 11, 2022

Show notes

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 law firms helping fossil fuel companies delay the transition to clean energy while claiming they are on the side of climate protection.

Guests:

Benjamin Franta, PhD candidate in History of Science, Stanford University.

Jamie Henn, founder and director, Fossil Free Media

Kathryn Lundstrom, sustainability editor, Adweek

Christine Arena, former Executive Vice President, Edelman; founder, Generous Films

Michaela Anang, law student, UC Davis

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