Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's largest public affairs forum. The nonpartisan and nonprofit Club produces and distributes programs featuring diverse viewpoints from thought leaders on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast — the oldest in the U.S., since 1924 — is carried on hundreds of stations. Our website features audio and video of our programs. This podcast feed is usually updated multiple times each week.

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast is a news podcast hosted by Commonwealth Club of California, with 1,000 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Commonwealth Club of California hosts Commonwealth Club of California Podcast, a news show with 1,000 episodes published.

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  Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

  CLIMATE ONE: It’s Too Damn Hot… So What Can We Do?

  Aug 21, 20261h 5m

  We all complain about the heat, yet it's a climate threat we routinely underestimate. In the U.S., extreme heat kills more people each year than floods, fires and hurricanes combined. About 16,000 excess deaths were recorded during Europe's June heatwave – a striking and tragic number. What does extreme heat do to our bodies, our wallets and our cities, and what can we actually do about it?  From creating insurance programs that pay out before the disaster to protecting workers who labor in the heat, many people are working on solutions. Cities are finding ways to prepare for temperatures they historically have never experienced. Plus, we hear about one woman’s “Grammy Ride” for the climate: a 3,000 mile bike journey raising climate awareness and funds for climate action.  Guests:  Donna Minter, Former forensic and neuropsychologist Kathy Baughman McLeod, Founder and CEO of HERA Juanita Constible, Senior Advocate, NRDC Highlights: 00:00 - Introduction  03:14 - Donna Minter on coming up with the idea for the “Grammy Ride”  05:21 - Donna Minter on how friends and family reacted 11:54 - Donna Minter on reflecting on her faith 15:15 - Donna Minter on her Texas stay    21:50 - Kathy Baughman McLeod on what extreme heat does to the body 28:34 - Kathy Baughman McLeod on the effect of naming heatwaves  30:57 - Kathy Baughman McLeod on the first heat related insurance for pregnancies 38:16 - Kathy Baughman McLeod on a heat policy success story  43:21 - Juanita Constible on what it takes to keep workers safe 46:34 - Juanita Constible on where worker heat deaths happen 52:49 - Juanita Constible on OSHA heat protections 57:47 - Juanita Constible on state adoption of heat protections For show notes, transcripts, and related links, visit ⁠⁠our episode page⁠⁠ at ClimateOne.org *** Join Climate One for a town hall event on September 28 at 6 p.m. on navigating AI, climate, and the future of democracy. How do we ensure that AI and data centers serve the public good? How does a democracy function when AI is distorting our sense of shared truths? 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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  Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

  The Future of Meat: Technology, Sustainability and the Meats of Tomorrow

  Aug 20, 20261h 1m

  For centuries, meat has been a cornerstone of cuisines and cultures around the world. Yet as global demand continues to rise, questions about sustainability, food security, human health, animal welfare and the environmental impact of food production have become increasingly urgent. In his new book, Meat, which will be available to purchase, Bruce Friedrich explores a provocative question: How can we continue to satisfy humanity’s appetite for meat while addressing the challenges facing our food system? As founder and president of The Good Food Institute, Friedrich has become one of the leading voices in the development of alternative proteins, including plant-based foods, precision fermentation, and cultivated meat. Join us for a timely conversation about the future of food. We will explore the technologies transforming protein production, the opportunities and challenges facing alternative proteins, and the broader questions surrounding nutrition, sustainability, consumer acceptance, and the role of innovation in feeding a growing global population. Whether you are enthusiastic, skeptical or simply curious, this discussion offers an opportunity to examine one of the most important—and controversial—food conversations of our time. About the Speaker Bruce Friedrich is founder & president of the Good Food Institute and author of the new book Meat, which Publishers Weekly selected as a top 10 new release in science and Nature featured Meat as one of its five "best science picks.” The book has earned endorsements from Nobel Laureate in economics Michael Kremer, primatologist Jane Goodall, The Ministry for the Future author Kim Stanley Robinson, bioethicist Peter Singer, SpaceX board member Steve Jurvetson, and others. A Nutrition, Food & Wellness 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: Patty James  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

  Ninety-Two: The Silent Revolt No One Saw Coming

  Aug 19, 202656 min

  Join us for an evening of film, data and dialogue exploring one of the most consequential workforce questions of our time, featuring the documentary Ninety-Two: The Silent Revolt No One Saw Coming. Black women are among the fastest-growing groups of breadwinners in America. Yet despite their outsized contribution to families, communities and the economy, they continue to experience disproportionate levels of burnout, workplace inequity, financial strain and invisible labor. What happens when the very people holding up the economy can no longer sustain the weight? The event will feature a screening of Ninety-Two: The Silent Revolt No One Saw Coming, a documentary examining Black women’s evolving relationship with work, ambition, caregiving, exhaustion, and resistance. Following the screening, attendees will join a moderated conversation featuring filmmaker and IKONI Institute founder Dr. Jade D. Singleton and executive producer Tara Jaye Frank, informed by emerging findings from the Global State of Black Women’s Labor Study—a multi-country research initiative examining the experiences of Black women across the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Canada and the United Kingdom. Together, we will examine: The hidden costs of burnout and invisible labor Why traditional workplace solutions are falling short The growing gap between mentorship and meaningful access The economic realities facing Black women breadwinners The intersection of labor, leadership, well-being and economic mobility What employers, philanthropists, policymakers and community leaders can do next Designed for nonprofit leaders, philanthropists, researchers, employers, policymakers, advocates and civic leaders, this event moves beyond awareness and toward action. An Arts 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. Main image by Ku Nakagawa, cinematographer; all photos courtesy of the speakers. Organizer: Robert Melton  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

  CLIMATE ONE: Benji Backer and Katharine Hayhoe on Finding Common Ground

  Aug 14, 20261h 2m

  At a time when nearly everything feels polarized, Benji Backer is trying to carve out a different path, one where caring about the natural world isn’t a partisan issue. As the founder of Nature Is Nonpartisan, he’s bringing together voices from across the political spectrum who might disagree on climate policy, but still share a desire to preserve public lands, wildlife, and the outdoors.  Similarly, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe firmly believes conversation – even with people you disagree with – can be one of the most powerful tools for climate action. And it starts from a place of respect. “If we begin a conversation by esteeming the other person rather than implicitly judging them, that conversation starts off with so much potential and can end in an incredibly surprising place,” Hayhoe says. Can conservation still serve as common ground in a divided country? What does it take to make environmentalism resonate beyond traditional audiences? Is a bipartisan movement possible in today’s political climate? Guests:  Benji Backer, Founder and CEO, Nature is Nonpartisan Katharine Hayhoe, Climate scientist; Chief Scientist, The Nature Conservancy; Distinguished Professor, Texas Tech University For show notes and related links, visit ⁠ClimateOne.org⁠. Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction 05:50 – Benji Backer on the origin of Nature is Nonpartisan 09:30 – Making an organization that’s culturally relevant 13:24 – Backer’s work on the Make America Beautiful Again Conservation Commission 21:00 – Working to undo polarization in conversations around climate and environment 24:50 – Backer on avoiding the word “climate” in certain conversations 32:00 – How Katharine Hayhoe deals with hateful messages online 33:30 – How Hayhoe talked about climate change to a Rotary Club in Texas 40:00 – Should scientists be more emotionally open when discussing climate? 45:00 – Hayhoe on what Bible teachings say about caring for the environment 48:15 – Hayhoe on how her Christian faith intersects with her climate research 54:45 – The power of taking action and starting conversations about climate change For show notes, transcripts, and related links, visit ⁠our episode page⁠ at ClimateOne.org *** Join Climate One for an electric conversation on October 14 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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  Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

  Sen. Adam Schiff: The "Cost of Corruption" Under Donald Trump, And How Americans Are Paying The Price

  Aug 12, 20261h 9m

  In a recent floor speech, California Senator Adam Schiff outlined ways he says that President Trump has used the presidency to enrich himself and his family, and how it’s driving up costs from gas to groceries for families. Schiff’s remarks came after the president reported making more than $2 billion dollars in his first year in office, mostly from cryptocurrency businesses.  “The payments to the president and his family have been massive,” Schiff said. “The self-dealing and profiteering have been absolutely breathtaking in their scope.” Schiff has a long history of political battles with the president, including serving as House impeachment manager during Donald Trump’s first trial in 2020. That continued after he was elected to the US Senate in 2024, winning the seat long held by Dianne Feinstein. Join us to hear Schiff talk about what he calls President Trump’s “self-enrichment schemes,” how it’s contributing to an affordability crisis, and why he is speaking out about them. We’ll also check in with the senator about his political and legislative priorities, the state of the economy, the November midterm elections, and the Iran war, among other topics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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