Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Episodi

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  CLIMATE ONE: Hollywood, Baseball, Cage Fights, and… Climate 31.07.2026 1h 2min

  When it comes to climate, we have the facts, but we aren’t moving fast enough. So we need to get climate education and solutions into the places where people already spend their time. Pop culture offers endless opportunities to influence audiences – your favorite movie or TV character can feel like a friend whose views on climate might affect your own. In this episode, we connect moments like this to the broader media environment shaping how we understand the world. Can you be masculine and care about the climate? Can watching a character take charge of the future onscreen actually change what people believe they can do in real life? And can the stories we consume ultimately shape public attitudes and even policy outcomes? Guests:  Allison Begalman, Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Context Collaborative; Co-founder, Hollywood Climate Summit Michael P. Haselhuhn, Associate Professor of Management, University of California, Riverside Brent Suter, Baseball player, Los Angeles Angels; EcoAthletes Climate Champion Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction  5:00 – Allison Begalman on why it’s important for climate to show up in popular culture 8:45 – Unpacking a climate-themed scene from the show “Hacks” 13:00 – Unpacking a climate-themed scene from “The Morning Show” 16:30 – Bringing new people in at the Hollywood Climate Summit 23:15 – Michael P. Haselhuhn on how men’s views on masculinity and climate change are linked 33:25 – Masculinity is multifaceted 34:30 – Kousha goes to an MMA cage fight to ask guys about their views on masculinity 40:15 – Brent Suter on where he got his nickname, “The Raptor” 42:00 – His reaction to seeing “An Inconvenient Truth” as a young person 44:00 – Speaking out against fossil fuel endorsements for pro sports 49:20 – Suter on how his faith drives his climate activism 54:30 – How Suter talks to his teammates about climate and the environment 57:40 – Climate One More Thing For show notes and related links, visit ⁠our episode page⁠ at ClimateOne.org *** Join Climate One for an electric conversation on September 1 at 6 p.m. between PG&E CEO Patti Poppe and California State Senator Scott Wiener about energy affordability, outages, and whether cities like San Francisco are ready to break up with the investor owned utility model. Tickets available at ⁠climateone.org/events⁠  *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on ⁠Patreon⁠, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. ⁠Sign up today⁠. *** Ad sales by ⁠Multitude⁠. Contact them for ad inquiries at ⁠multitude.productions/ads⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Navigating the Strait of Hormuz: Regional Peacemaking Amid the US-Iran Conflict 27.07.2026 55min

  With one-fifth of global oil supplies and the movement of critical LNG stuck in the crosshairs of a military standoff, the need for diplomatic off-ramps has never been more urgent. This panel brings together top diplomats and geopolitical experts to unpack the overlapping mediation efforts of key regional powers. From Pakistan’s frontline ceasefire negotiations to Qatar’s high-stakes maneuvering over nuclear frameworks and frozen assets, and Oman’s delicate balancing act of historical neutrality. Join us as we explore how these three nations are acting as vital firewalls against catastrophe, attempting to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran and how the two capitals respond. ORGANIZER: Banafsheh Keynoush Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  DJ DiDonna: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals 27.07.2026 1h

  The professional world usually prioritizes urgency, but the most important moments of our lives rarely happen at the desk. In his new book Big Time Off, Sabbatical Project founder DJ DiDonna offers up a simple but radical idea: sabbaticals help us avoid sleepwalking through life by giving us time to be present in moments of celebration, difficulty, and transition. Integrating original research and compelling stories of sabbatical-takers from all walks of life—from teachers and nonprofit leaders to startup founders and Fortune 500 employees—DiDonna explores why extended time away from work has such a profound effect on people’s identity, relationships, creativity, and direction. DiDonna covers when to take a sabbatical—and how to avoid waiting for a crisis to take off; why sabbaticals—unlike vacations—help you forge a new career path, feel human again, and live a more authentic life; how to navigate your sabbatical using archetypes—the explorer, the seeker, and the achiever—and avoid common pitfalls; and best practices for individuals—no matter the circumstances—and organizations of all sizes to make extended leave possible and sustainable. Whether you dream of making a big change, exploring the world, or simply carving out space to heal, think, and recalibrate, join us to hear DiDonna discuss his guide to creating a richer, more intentional life. About the Speakers DJ DiDonna is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, where he teaches entrepreneurship. In 2019, he founded The Sabbatical Project to define, explore, and research sabbaticals. DiDonna has advised over a dozen organizations on the creation of sabbatical policies, including Zappos, Google, and DaVita, and from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies, both in the United States and around the world. He has appeared on ABC, NPR, CNBC and attended Harvard Business School, later cofounding an international credit-scoring company, EFL Global (the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab), based in Lima, Peru. Aarti Shahani took a sabbatical from college to lead a campaign against her father’s deportation. After almost a decade, her advocacy was successful. Her family remained together in the United States. She went on to become a prominent voice for the country as an award-winning NPR correspondent, where millions of listeners have turned to her to explain the significant stories of our time. Her bestselling memoir Here We Are details the history of I.C.E. through her family’s experience. She regularly hosts conversations with leaders in business, politics and arts on her podcast “Art of Power” as well as shows like NPR’s "Fresh Air" and KQED’s "Forum." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Humanities West presents the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence 25.07.2026 2h 24min

  It has been 250 years since upstart young leaders of the American colonies declared independence from King George III and imagined founding a republic, based on a democracy of sorts, which has, over 25 decades of difficult growth and adjustment, arrived at our current version of a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” as President Lincoln put it. How far has our democracy come in a quarter of a millennium? And do we even believe yet in the idea at its core: that our civilization should change as the majority sees fit, with constitutional guardrails to protect us from their worst follies? Or are we almost all born authoritarians, bristling whenever the majority disagrees with our own visions of what America should be? Caroline Winterer will explain why the appeal to classical antiquity was so central to the American Revolution, and how even today it continues to shape our sense of America’s destiny. The United States is covered with classical architecture, and has a Senate, named for the ancient Roman senate. Even 250 years after the American Revolution, we continue to ask, “Are we Rome?” Is the American experiment in government by “we the people” doomed to fail, just as Rome did long ago? How can the United States avoid Rome’s destiny? Is the appeal to Ancient Rome an opportunity—or a trap? Ed Larson will explain why, in response to the words and deeds in the American fight for liberty, 1776 marked such a dramatic and decisive shift in patriot thinking. In a matter of months, the great bulk of American patriots went from seeking their rights as British subjects under royal rule to demanding their liberty under representative governments of their own making. With this came the corollary and similarly revolutionary embrace of the principle of the rule of law and the ideal of human political equality.   Join us to celebrate the improbable American experiment that has partially succeeded in achieving its goals for so long. A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. In association with Humanities West. Organizer: George Hammond  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  San Francisco Culture: Lost, Found or Reimagined? 24.07.2026 1h

  San Francisco has long been a city of dreamers, artists, innovators and cultural pioneers—a global epicenter of creativity, innovation and social change. From its modern origins during the Gold Rush to the Beat Generation, the Summer of Love, Silicon Valley and the AI revolution, each generation has shaped its own version of the city while wondering whether the San Francisco they love is disappearing. As San Francisco experiences a new wave of growth and renewed optimism, it also faces rising costs, changing neighborhoods and mounting financial pressures on arts and cultural institutions. Many are asking: What defines San Francisco culture today, and who gets to shape its future? Through personal stories, spirited debate, and audience engagement, we’ll explore what has endured, what has changed, and how artists, community organizers, small businesses, and social media creators are documenting, preserving and reinventing the city. Is San Francisco culture lost, found or reimagined? The answer may depend on who you ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  CLIMATE ONE: How Do I Say This… 24.07.2026 53min

  It’s becoming increasingly clear that how we talk about climate change matters as much as the science or policy itself. The words we use carry weight, and climate communicator Susan Joy Hassol says specific word choices, like “heat-trapping pollution” rather than “greenhouse gases,” can cut through polarization and help messages resonate with a wider range of people. Equally important is listening to what people and communities need to better handle the impacts from climate disruption. And different audiences need different approaches. For example: adults can help children process climate fear and grief without overwhelming them by offering age-appropriate honesty paired with validation of their emotions. Good communication can be one of the most effective forms of climate action. Guests:  Robin Cooper, Co-Founder and President, Climate Psychiatry Alliance Elizabeth Yeampierre, Attorney; Executive Director, UPROSE  Susan Joy Hassol, Director, Climate Communication Highlights: 00:00 Introduction  2:14 Robin Cooper on climate related mental health issues young people have 5:16 Robin Cooper on how adults can help young people in their lives 12:22 Robin Cooper on having multiple conversations with young people about climate 15:57 Robin Cooper on next steps after identifying climate anxieties in young people 19:46 Elizabeth Yeampierre on what it took to get Sunset Park Solar going 29:33 Elizabeth Yeampierre on building community trust and listening 31:40 Elizabeth Yeampierre on working with other communities  36:11 Susan Joy Hassol on not using the phrase “climate change”  39:52 Susan Joy Hassol on the phrase “natural disasters”  46:11 Susan Joy Hassol on dealing with hostility when discussing climate For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠episode page⁠⁠⁠⁠ at climateone.org *** Join Climate One for an electric conversation on September 1 at 6 p.m. between PG&E CEO Patti Poppe and California State Senator Scott Wiener about energy affordability, outages, and whether cities like San Francisco are ready to break up with the investor owned utility model. Tickets available at ⁠climateone.org/events⁠ *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up today⁠⁠⁠⁠. *** Ad sales by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Multitude⁠⁠⁠⁠. Contact them for ad inquiries at ⁠⁠⁠⁠multitude.productions/ads⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Melissa Murray: Understanding the US Constitution 23.07.2026 1h 9min

  The U.S. Constitution is often at the center of debates about rights and wrongs and public policies in this country, but how many people have actually read it? How many have thought about it? How many understand it? Join us as bestselling author and popular law professor Melissa Murray shares with us her look at the country’s founding legal document—a document that still guides our judges, lawyers, lawmakers and executives nearly a quarter millennium later. Murray has spent a lot of time demystifying laws for people, something she does as a contributor to MSNOW, on her podcast “Strict Scrutiny,” and in articles and books, including her most recent, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader. With the Supreme Court and its interpretations central to the continuation of the republic, come see Murray act as an expert guide for reading and understanding the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Dusty Baker: A Memoir in Baseball and Life 23.07.2026 1h 8min

  Join us in-person or online as legendary baseball player and manager Dusty Baker explores his extraordinary career, one filled with invaluable lessons on perseverance, leadership, and how to live life meaningfully on the field and off.Dusty Baker walked with baseball legends and became one himself. After he signed with the Braves in 1968 at the age of 19 (against his father’s wishes), no less than the great Hank Aaron promised to take Baker under his wing. Mentored by Aaron, Orlando Cepeda and Willie Mays, Baker became a premier hitter, helping take the Dodgers to a World Series victory in 1981. Along the way he spent 10 seasons as the manager of the San Francisco Giants from 1993-2002. He would later lead the Houston Astros to a championship in 2002.Baker has been respected by generations, and has come to embody the spirit of the sport. He explores this in his new book Crossroads, which delves into the mind of one of baseball’s mavericks: a curious, inquisitive thinker whose deep interest in the worlds of music, wine and the simpler joys of life charts a journey of success, struggle, faith and perseverance. Don’t miss this chance to hear from a true American original, who counts among his friends presidents and dignitaries, bluesmen and artists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Joanna Stern: I Am Not a Robot 22.07.2026 1h 1min

  We keep being told that artificial intelligence is going to help us do just about everything. Make us healthy. Personally tutor each student. Run our businesses efficiently. Make our decisions. Even fold our laundry. As a result, we would have hours of additional free time, and our AI machines would make discoveries previously unimaginable for humankind.  What does that really mean? Will AI really make things better? To find out, award-winning journalist Joanna Stern let AI run her life for one year. The results were both funny and unsettling, and she reported what happened in her new book I Am Not a Robot. Stern used AI tools and robots to do her household chores, manage her health, and transport her family on its vacation. If she needed a decision  made or a task done, she let AI take the lead. The results were not what you’d expect, and Stern has produced an AI guide for ordinary people and gets around the hype and jargon that clutters our AI discussions. Humankind is only a few years into the AI Age, but you can join us in-person—or virtually, like an AI agent—to get Joanna Stern’s lessons on what to expect and what it means for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Manoush Zomorodi and Melissa Painter: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age 21.07.2026 1h 6min

  Screens—all the time, everywhere, it seems. We sit at our desks facing screens, hold meetings over screens, answer email after email on them. You’ve heard about the mental health harms of screens, but what about the physical ones? Headaches, back pain, restless sleep, and rising rates of preventable disease. Manoush Zomorodi, host of the TED Radio Hour, says technology is breaking us down, and she comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share her investigation into how our digital lives are changing the way we think, learn and feel. It’s a topic she explores in her new book Body Electric. From breath and eyesight to blood pressure, posture, and productivity, she says science has shown how small shifts—not “digital detoxes”—can make us healthier, and all we need is five minutes. Melissa Painter, founder and CEO of Breakthru, will be joining Manoush Zomorodi. Painter is a pioneer in human-embodied intelligence, spatial computing, and kinetic literacy, working to redefine how we interact with technology to protect human health and cognitive performance. Her work bridges the gap between emergent technology and the physical self, creating practical avenues for embodied practices in an increasingly sedentary, screen-saturated world.  This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Safe Passage: The Untold Story of Diplomatic Intrigue, Betrayal, and the Exchange of American and Japanese Civilians by Sea During World War II 20.07.2026 1h 6min

  In her new book Safe Passage, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Evelyn Iritani reveals one of World War II’s little-known diplomatic triumphs—the rescue of nearly 3,000 Allied civilians held by Japan in two exchanges at sea—and the high price that was paid by the thousands of innocent men, women and children, mostly of Japanese descent, who were traded to a country that was no longer, and may never have been, their home. Sojourners and immigrants, diplomats and thrill-seekers, storytellers and proselytizers. Uprooted by a conflict of someone else’s making, this eclectic mix of humanity from both sides of the Pacific found themselves on a voyage across war-torn waters that would transform them in surprising, often tragic, and sometimes inexplicable ways. In the fall of 1943, during some of the Pacific theater’s bloodiest battles, the United States and Japan pulled off a diplomatic coup: the exchange of civilians caught on the wrong side of the battlefield after Pearl Harbor. Nearly 1,500 Allied civilians trapped in Asia, mostly Americans, sailed through dangerous waters to an Indian port city, where they were traded for an equivalent number of Japanese immigrants and their families sent from the Americas. The fate of the more than 10,000 Americans left behind rested on the success of this endeavor. In Safe Passage, Iritani reveals the herculean efforts of the American diplomat James Keeley to engineer these wartime exchanges despite great resistance from within and outside his government; the shipboard conflicts among passengers, including missionaries, revelers, and sharp-tongued journalists; and the moral compromises involved in securing their safe passage. Faced with too few bodies to trade and desperate to free Americans from perilous conditions, the United States uprooted and repatriated Japanese citizens of Latin America, sometimes against their will, while Japanese imprisoned in camps, many of them American citizens, were forced to choose between expulsion to a war zone or an uncertain future behind barbed wire. The result is a revelatory account of the hurdles to pursuing humanitarian action in wartime. About the Speakers Evelyn Iritani is an author, historian and former reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Los Angeles Times, where her reporting garnered numerous awards, including the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for a series she coauthored on Wal-Mart. She also authored the book An Ocean Between Us: The Changing Relationship of Japan and the United States Told in Four Stories from the Life of an American Town. Moderator Amanda L. Tyler is a professor of constitutional law at UC Berkeley Law School and author or contributor to numerous books and articles, including co-author with the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg of Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union. Recent article topics include the American and British approaches to internment of citizens during World War II and their lessons for today.  An Asia-Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Lillian Nakagawa  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Dr. Jennifer Grandis: Why Women Can't Get Ahead in Science and Health Care 19.07.2026 1h 5min

  Women continue to face systemic barriers in medicine and science, despite decades of progress. What is happening? In Harsh Medicine, Dr. Jennifer R. Grandis draws on decades of experience as a physician-scientist, mentor and leader to expose how deeply gender bias is embedded in the structures of academic medicine and scientific research. Through rigorous analysis, real-world case studies, and personal insight, she argues that policies, funding systems, promotion practices and cultural norms continue to disadvantage women at every stage of their careers. Although she focuses on academic medicine and science research labs, there are wider implications. Many women, no matter what their profession or circumstances, might see themselves in these pages. Dr. Grandis, who has experienced sexual harassment in her own workplaces, knows reporting on the problems is only half of the equation, and she offers resources and solutions to give readers hope that we still might be able to “shock the system” and effect great change in the workplace, making it more egalitarian for women and men alike. In association with Wonderfest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  AI for Good: In Climate, Health and Investing 18.07.2026 1h 28min

  When should artificial intelligence supplant human intelligence? And when should human intelligence lead? For climate action, for impacts on health, for investing and portfolios, where can AI tools multiply productivity—and what situations cause a quality assurance minefield?  Learn from innovators around the world (from Europe to Oceania to the Americas) when and how AI tools bring new value, expand audiences—and where human intelligence and empathy is still required, and how we all can benefit. We will delve into how AI can improve the expansion and sustainability of food systems, which can also enhance climate justice, and access to nutrition for low-income communities. Wine Sponsor: Bonterra Organic Wines A Business & Leadership Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Elizabeth Carney  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Ben Rhodes: All We Say, The Battle for American Identity 18.07.2026 59min

  What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide?  Americans have debated those questions for 250 years. The issue of what it means to be an American shaped the compromises in the Constitution and the arguments we’ve been having ever since—spawning abolitionism, secession, and civil war; populism, mass migration, and global leadership; movements for reform and the backlashes to them.  Former Obama speechwriter Ben Rhodes has examined the speeches of 15 people that shaped and reflected the argument Americans have been having from our founding to the present day’s heated divisions.  Rhodes has traced the history of our battle over identity. The result is a revealing portrait of America itself: a nation divided between two stories—one of inheritance, power, and exclusion; the other of equality, striving, and belonging. Drawing on a decade writing for Barack Obama, Rhodes also shows us how words can redirect a nation, what makes a speech enduring, and why oratory is a unique form of persuasion in American democracy.  From Benjamin Franklin’s call for compromise at the Constitutional Convention, to Alexander Stephens’ case for white supremacy as the cornerstone of the Confederacy; from Martin Luther King’s dream of true equality to Donald Trump’s rallying cry against democracy itself, these speeches remind us that history is a living argument. At a time when American identity—and truth—is contested, Rhodes comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to offer a fresh and powerful look at who we really are and who we could still become. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Jonathan Weber: City on the Edge, the Fight for the Soul of San Francisco 17.07.2026 1h 1min

  From boom to collapse? Veteran San Francisco journalist Jonathan Weber joins us for a deep-dive into San Francisco’s meteoric transformation into a global capital of technology—and how the same forces that gave rise to its boom nearly engineered its end.In the early 1990s, San Francisco was a beautiful if somewhat troubled mid-sized metropolis, still reeling from the AIDS epidemic and the Loma Prieta earthquake; its economy was stuck in a post-industrial torpor. The city that had once been considered the capital of the American West and later a home of counterculture, the city by the bay faced an uncertain future. But at that same time, a new wave of technology entrepreneurs were busy inventing the next stage of the internet, and the city would soon undergo an epic political, social and economic transformation into the tech capital of the world. Local politicians, including Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, became rising stars in the Democratic Party nationally.So, crisis averted? No. A host of urban ills were waiting to grab the limelight: homelessness, drug addiction, mental illness, and a crippling lack of new housing. The city’s famous left-wing political establishment struggled to get its arms around the problems, becoming a punching bag for President Trump and the resurgent right. When the pandemic arrived in 2020, it created new crises and laid old ones bare, shattering a “City Family” that had ruled for more than 30 years and prompting a sharp rightward turn by the once liberal tech industry. Weber saw it all up close as a reporter and newsroom leader. In his new book City on the Edge, he offers a sweeping history of a city that rose to dizzying heights, only to be undone by the heedlessness of a tech industry it did so much to spawn and politicians who had lost the plot. Hear all about the war waged for the heart of San Francisco—one that anticipated the culture wars raging around the world. Its outcome would have an impact far beyond the city’s famed Golden Gate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  CLIMATE ONE: Cleaner Steel is Coming. Will the Communities That Built the Industry Benefit? 17.07.2026 55min

  Making steel accounts for around 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But the industry could reduce that number by removing coal from the steel-making process entirely. Three of the U.S.’s last seven coal-based steel mills are situated along Lake Michigan. Together, these facilities produce nearly half of the steel made in the U.S., supplying skyscraper beams, car doors, and appliances across the country. And right now, in Northwest Indiana, a once-in-a-generation decision is on the table.  Nippon Steel, the owners of the Gary Works steel mill, can either extend the life of their aging blast furnaces for another 20 years and continuing coal-based production, or invest in cleaner, next-generation steelmaking. Other steelmakers have already moved towards decarbonization. Will Nippon switch to cleaner steelmaking for the next generation, or double-down on coal?  Guests:  Terry Steagall, Retired Steelworker, United Steelworker Union activist Hilary Lewis, Steel Director, Industrious Labs  Roger Smith, Asia Lead, SteelWatch Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction 1:55 Terry Steagall on the importance of the steel industry in northwest Indiana 4:31 Terry Steagall on relining blast furnaces  11:16 Terry Steagall on cleaner steel for the next generation  14:27 Hilary Lewis on steel industry emissions 19:36 Hilary Lewis on the realistic path to decarbonizing the steel industry 23:03 Hilary Lewis on the pressure facing the industry to make cleaner steel  27:57 Hilary Lewis on the industry’s move to southern states  34:01 Roger Smith on the scale of US Steel’s acquisition by Nippon Steel 36:58 Roger Smith on the “golden share” the Trump administration received  46:33 Roger Smith on the viable technology for cleaner steel For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit our ⁠⁠⁠episode page⁠⁠⁠ at climateone.org *** Join Climate One for an induction cooking demonstration night on July 21, at 6 p.m. at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Come enjoy delicious food and wine, and learn about why cooking with magnets beats cooking with gas. Tickets available at ⁠⁠⁠climateone.org/events⁠⁠⁠  *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. ⁠⁠⁠Sign up today⁠⁠⁠. *** Ad sales by ⁠⁠⁠Multitude⁠⁠⁠. Contact them for ad inquiries at ⁠⁠⁠multitude.productions/ads⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Healthy Society Series—America @250: What Kind of America Do You Want? 15.07.2026 1h 6min

  On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was issued, and it contains the DNA of the future United States of America.  At the heart of this remarkable document that sought to overthrow existing governmental institutions is the profound statement that echoes through the ages. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter, or abolish it, and to establish a new Government . . . as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” As we celebrate 250 years since this document was created, we will ask the question: What kind of America do you want? This is at a time of great social disruption, with many people believing that their life, liberty and happiness are under daily threat. This discussion will focus on where we go from here. A Health & Medicine Member-led Forum program. Forums and Chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Robert Lee Kilpatrick  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  A Story for Everything: An Afternoon with Corey Rosen, Host of ‘The Moth’ 14.07.2026 1h 3min

  Come and meet author and master storyteller Corey Rosen for an unforgettable evening as he talks about his new book, A Story for Everything, a practical and inspiring guide to telling meaningful stories in everyday life. In this engaging discussion, Rosen will share his personal experiences behind the book, the storytelling frameworks he teaches around the country, and the surprising ways stories shape our relationships, careers and communities. Rosen will share insights from hosting “The Moth,” why everyone has more stories than they think, the difference between a memory and a story, the “Moment, Meaning, Message” framework and how storytelling builds connection and trust. About the Speaker Corey Rosen is a writer, actor, visual effects producer and storytelling teacher based in San Francisco. He is the author of Your Story, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience, a laugh-out-loud, funny, practical and inspiring manual to develop true stories from concept through presentation. And his newly released book, A Story for Everything: Mastering Diverse Storytelling for Any Occasion, is a comprehensive guide to storytelling for professional, educational and personal success. Rosen got his start writing for Comedy Central and Jim Henson Productions. As staff writer for Lucasfilm Animation and Tippett Studio, he wrote the screenplays for several films and theme park rides and attractions exhibiting around the world. He has been featured on “The Moth Radio Hour,” is a regular contributor and on-air personality for Alice Radio’s “The Sarah and Vinnie Show” and is a company performer at BATS Improv, one of the world’s foremost centers for Improvisational Theater. Rosen also hosts The Moth StorySlams and GrandSlams. A Grownups Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Denise Michaud  This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Simone Stolzoff: How to Not Know 13.07.2026 1h 10min

  Famously or infamously, in 2002 Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters that “[A]s we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” That comment stoked a lot of mockery among his critics, but he was addressing something that all people feel. It is difficult to deal with uncertainty at times when our lives have never felt less certain in a world of increasing change. Now journalist and former IDEO design lead Simone Stolzoff comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss his guide to navigating uncertainty, spelled out in his new book How to Not Know. From politics to our careers to our personal lives, we don’t know what the future holds. Yet, Stolzoff says, our capacity to tolerate this uncertainty is declining. Stoloff shares stories of people who have grappled with big problems with no easy answers—such as an economist trying to predict the next market crash, or an island nation facing the existential impact of climate change. How can one be comfortable with ambiguity and the unknown? Join us to hear Stolzoff’s answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Humanities West Presents The Etruscans 13.07.2026 2h 12min

  The Etruscan culture, which flourished from the ninth to the first centuries B.C. in Tuscany, left behind a rich history with many unique traditions that are reflected in the artistic objects found in their tombs, temples, sanctuaries and homes. Renée Dreyfus and Lisa Pieraccini will discuss the latest advances in scholarship and archeological discoveries, and in the translation of the Etruscan language, which have been leading historians to an ever better understanding of the Etruscan contributions to Roman architecture, art and engineering. Renée Dreyfus, the curator of the current exhibit on the Etruscans at the Legion of Honor, has worked on bringing that exhibit to San Francisco for years: “This exhibition tells the story of this overlooked culture, featuring icons of Etruscan art surrounded by equally stunning and fascinating works that are little known or even unknown. Many of these works have never been seen in the United States before.” Lisa Pieraccini consulted on Dreyfus’s Legion of Honor exhibit. She also leads a project to study the Etruscan artifacts at the Phoebe Hearst Museum at UC Berkeley, where she teaches a seminar focusing on its largely unpublished collection. Join us, either before or after attending the Etruscans exhibit at the Legion of Honor, to hear from the curator and the consultant all about the nearly 200 objects from that ancient civilization that are on display—such as terracotta vessels and sculptures, dazzling gold jewelry, mirrors, recently excavated bronze sculptures demonstrating the Etruscans’ renowned metalworking skills, and the Linen Book of Zagreb: a third-century B.C. calendar of rituals and sacrifices for specific days of the year that is the longest Etruscan inscription known to exist.  A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. In association with Humanities West and the Italian Cultural Institute. Photos courtesy of the speakers; vessel image courtesy The Legion of Honor. Organizer: George Hammond  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices