Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Are we doing enough to protect our planet? According to world-renowned scientist and Astronomer Royal Martin Rees, humanity has reached a critical moment, and there is no plan B for Earth. With our world changing at a rapid pace, Rees explains why the future of humanity is bound to the future of science. He offers a compelling look at how advancements in biotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence, if applied wisely, can help address these growing challenges and threats. In association with Wonderfest.

Monday Night Philosophy investigates why the world is grappling with a fierce resurgence of “us versus them” nationalism. Veteran political reporter and author John Judis analyzes the underlying causes of the nationalist revolt and its global impact, arguing that nationalism is an inescapable aspect of politics that the Left has ceded to the Right. The result: the rise of leaders such as Donald Trump in the United States and Viktor Orbán in Hungary. Judis looks to the future and urges leaders to identify and reclaim what is valid in nationalism while recognizing that it is in a country’s national interest to work together with strong international institutions. MLF Organizer Name George Hammond Notes MLF: Humanities

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. This week, we'll talk about what to expect in the new year—the people, the issues, the events that will affect the LGBTQ community for better and worse—and we'll review the newsmakers (again, for better or worse) of 2018. Come and join us, and bring your list of the 2018 and 2019 LGBTQ people and things to watch!

What could we achieve if our old and young generations unite together in their pursuit of social good? Author Marc Freedman delves into this intriguing issue, highlighting the untapped opportunity to harness the experience of our older generations. While American youth seemingly enjoy defying their parents, Freedman offers a profound contrasting perspective, emphasizing the power of cooperation and connection. As CEO of Encore.org, Freedman is dedicated to developing social work opportunities for those over 50. Freedman emphasizes mentorship and purpose, with the goal of creating a better world for future generations. People of all ages should listen to what Freedman has to say. Notes In association with the Grownups Member-Led Forum Freedman will also be speaking in Marin on 1/30/19

Happy New Year! Let's kick off 2019 by previewing the people and policies and events that will be driving politics in the new year. Join Bob Butler and Dr. James Taylor in our studio, plus Debra J. Saunders on phone from Washington, D.C., for a lively discussion of the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues. We'll cover the major political news of the day, and we'll talk a bit about what to expect in 2019. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news; and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz!

In its infancy, the Paris Agreement carried the promise of a truly global climate solution. Supporters still say the Agreement is the first step in setting the global economy toward a sustainable future, but U.N. reports now say current commitments are only a fraction as strong as they need to be, and critics say it's dangerously delusional to think the pact is ambitious enough to avoid catastrophic climate change. Katharine Mach, Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University, and Trevor Houser, Partner at the Rhodium Group, join host Greg Dalton for a Paris checkup, three years on.

The math is clear: lowering greenhouse gas emissions is not enough to keep the earth below 1.5 degrees Celsius of post-industrial warming. The latest science states that actively removing carbon from the atmosphere — storing it in rocks, soil, trees, and even turning it into products like concrete — is critical to restore the carbon and energy balance. To keep our planet from dangerous levels of warming, we’ll need to go carbon negative. Which natural and technological approaches are the most promising? Three experts and host Greg Dalton discuss the necessary negatives for a stable climate.

We’re making a list (and checking it twice) of 2018’s biggest climate stories, with the help of Vox reporter David Roberts. Roberts notes that while President Trump’s continued rollbacks of environmental protections made the news, the Green New Deal and ongoing decline in costs of clean energy technologies are the year’s big stories. For other parts of the country, wildfires and other extreme weather events made the biggest headlines. Greg Dalton talks to some of California’s leading wildfire experts about how to adapt to the “new abnormal” of more intense and more frequent wildfires.

For most of the 20th century, the U.S. government systematically forced Native American children from their homes and placed them with white families. Even as recently as the 1970s, one in four Native children nationwide was living in non-Native foster care, adoptive homes or boarding schools. Many of these children experienced devastating emotional and physical harm from adults who mistreated them and tried to erase their cultural identity. Dawnland, a feature-length documentary, follows the first government-sanctioned truth and reconciliation commission in the United States. The film tracks the commission’s journey across Maine, to gather testimony and bear witness to the devastating impact of the State’s child welfare practices on families in Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribal communities. Collectively, these tribes make up the Wabanaki people. Following the screening, Women’s March San Francisco will host a panel moderated by Michelle Meow to hear directly from members of the Native American community about how their families were impacted by these atrocious acts, and we will explore parallels to similar atrocities happening today with immigrant families being separated at our borders.  The panelists include: Mari Villaluna, descendent of the Mohawk people, is with The Center for Political Education and Indigenous Peoples Media Project. Previously, she served in the U.S. Army and then as a career counselor and tutor in San Francisco schools. Mari is a Native American activist and has traveled to Indian Island, featured in "Dawnland." Dr. Melinda Micco (Seminole/Creek/Choctaw) is associate professor emerita from Mills College. Her research has focused on multiracial identity in American Indian and African American communities. Her documentary about Native women, Killing the 7th Generation: Reproductive Abuses Against Indigenous Women, has been shown in many areas, including the Bioneers Conference, Intertribal Friendship House, The Queer Women of Color Film Festival, and the UC Santa Barbara and Bay Area libraries. She is working on a book, Seminole Voices in Indian Country, and a film on the Refinery Healing Walks with Chihiro Wimbush. Please join us for this informative discussion and screening of this important film. In association with Women's March Bay Area

Join us for an in-depth program as part of our Michelle Meow Show series at The Commonwealth Club, in which we explore topics and speakers of interest to the LGBTQ community. This week, we speak with some experts dealing with the increase in sexually transmitted diseases and how to help the LGBTQ youth population. Dr. Derek Blechinger is a physician at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco who specializes in HIV and LGBT primary care. He completed residency in San Francisco in internal medicine and preventive medicine, during which he began his career in PrEP research and is now on the clinical faculty for the Bay Area, North and Central Coast AIDS Education Training Center (AETC) conducting "PrEP Bootcamps" throughout the greater Bay Area as well as a recent tour through states in the South. He completed a master's in public health and epidemiology from UC Berkeley, and went to medical school in Seattle at University of Washington. Before medical school, Dr. Blechinger worked in public health, where for many years he conducted outreach testing and counseling for LGBT adults and youth in Minnesota's largest HIV and STD clinic. In his spare time he sings in the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and stays active in his community. Sherilyn Adams is the executive director of Larkin Street Youth Services. For more than 30 years, Sherilyn Adams has dedicated her career to the nonprofit sector, focusing on issues of child abuse and neglect, family violence, mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness. The first member of her family to attend college, Sherilyn’s early life was touched by many of these issues. This personal history is part of what drives her to be a catalyst for change in the lives of at-risk populations. Serving as Larkin Street Youth Services' executive director since 2003, Sherilyn has led the agency through tremendous growth, nearly tripling the number of housing beds, and putting Larkin Street at the vanguard of the field for its innovative multi-service model to resolve youth homelessness. Prior to joining Larkin Street, she worked with a variety of nonprofits, including child sexual abuse treatment, domestic violence shelters, adolescent outpatient programs and residential treatment for adults. In 2012, the White House honored her as a “Champion for Change in the Fight Against Youth Homelessness,” and in 2015, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee honored Sherilyn as one of the courageous leaders changing the lives of San Franciscans.

The extraordinary range of textile designs and clothing in the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s exhibit “Veiled Meanings: Fashioning Jewish Dress” illuminates the story of how diverse global cultures have thrived, interacted and inspired each other for centuries. Honoring Jewish communities from Afghanistan to Yemen, the exhibit represents excellent examples of Jewish diasporic textiles and offers an incisive and compelling examination of diversity and migration through the lens of fashion. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

We all know about the environmental and physical effects of climate change. But what about its impact on our mental health? Therapists report that their patients are exhibiting symptoms of what they call “climate anxiety” – loss of sleep, changes in appetite, feelings of grief, anger and hopelessness. How do we maintain our optimism in the face of a global existential crisis? And how do we talk with others about our fears without turning them off – or freaking them out? Three climate psychologists discuss how to cope with mounting anxiety brought on by climate change.

Join us for a special evening edition of our weekly Michelle Meow program. We’ll start with a 30-minute program featuring a discussion with James Loduca, director of equality programs at Salesforce. Then stay for some or all of the next hour when we’ll celebrate the end of a year, preview an exciting 2019, and share some good food and drink. As director of equality programs at Salesforce, Loduca leads advocacy and community engagement for the Office of Equality. His work focuses on driving equal pay, equal rights, equal opportunity and equal education throughout Salesforce, the technology sector, and communities where the company operates and serves. He previously served as senior vice president at San Francisco AIDS Foundation, where he led a $15 million initiative to establish the first wellness center for gay, bisexual and transgender men, and served as a senior advisor to the Obama White House on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Prior to his work at the foundation, Loduca held a number of roles in the private sector, including at Gilead Sciences where he helped launch the world’s most successful HIV treatment. Loduca serves on the LGBTQ advisory committee for U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In 2015, he appeared as an expert speaker at the White House, and in 2016 was an Israel Visiting Scholar in the Civil Leaders Program of the Jewish Community Relations Council. He lives in San Francisco with his partner, Charlie Smith, and their newborn daughter.

Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry and Minyon Moore have worked behind the scenes of some of the country’s most influential and historic presidential campaigns in history, all four beginning their careers with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and eventually working with the likes of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama and, most recently, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Together they form a political supergroup they like to call “The Colored Girls,” and, like many other women of color in politics, they are unsung heroes of public service who have dedicated their lives to demanding diversity in American politics. Brazile, Caraway, Daughtry and Moore paved the way for many women and people of color currently in the political arena, and they will visit The Commonwealth Club on the heels of an exciting midterm election where the topic of diversity was at the forefront. Join us as the four women discuss For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics, their new book, which chronicles their incredible stories, sheds light on their successes and offers insight on the many hurdles they faced in getting there.

Best-selling Bay Area author Adam Hochschild is back with a varied collection of essays on ideas and concerns that have spurred his career, with a particular focus on issues related to social justice and the people who have fought for it, the toll and aftereffects of colonialism, and the dangers of government surveillance. Hochschild was moved to collect and curate these essays (more than two dozen in all) by a sense that these issues matter more than ever in Trump’s America. The pieces in his new volume range from a day on the campaign trail with Nelson Mandela to walking through construction sites with an ecologically pioneering architect near the southern tip of India. Many of the pieces evince a personal angle: visits to Finnish prisons, exploration of former gulag areas in Siberia, his own dealings with the CIA when talking about new revelations of the agency’s control of ostensibly independent organizations in the ’50s and ’60s. As always, Hochschild’s journalistic skills, deep historical knowledge and activist leanings illuminate each essay. A longtime lecturer at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley, Hochschild is the author of numerous books. His writings have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, The Nation and other publications.