Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Commonwealth Club of California
  • 4.6 (83)
  • Politics
  • Updated Daily

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.

  1. 3h ago

    Will It Ever End? San Francisco’s Drug and Homeless Crisis and Overdose Epidemic

    San Francisco’s drug and homelessness crisis is impacting everyone, and the community is sounding the alarm. As San Franciscans raise issues of safety, over the last 5 years the city has lost more than 4,500 people to fatal overdoses. Although San Francisco has poured billions of dollars into proposed solutions, our public health systems continue to fail the community. Many people continue to deny the link between addiction, homelessness, and crime, while others with lived experience are calling for balanced, common-sense strategies. The Way Out is a recovery-focused homeless initiative of the Salvation Army at the intersection of drug addiction and homelessness, grounded in the belief that people recover when given the right support, structure and opportunity. Built on an abstinence-based model (including medication-assisted treatment, or MAT), The Way Out provides real-time access to services and a clear pathway from the streets to stability and independence. Delivered through a comprehensive Recovery System of Care, services include a recovery-focused shelter, stabilization, and withdrawal management; residential drug treatment; recovery housing and independent living; workforce development and life skills, and an alumni support network.  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

    1 hr
  2. Beyond the Rights of Nature: Land that Owns Itself

    2d ago

    Beyond the Rights of Nature: Land that Owns Itself

    The “⁠rights of nature⁠” is the idea that if a corporation can have legal standing as a person, why can’t a river or a mountain? Thomas Linzey, one of the early architects of a legal framework for granting rights to nature, now believes that structure doesn’t go far enough: Even when ecosystems are granted rights, the land is still owned by someone or some entity, even if that is a land trust or conservancy.   Through Linzey’s work in collaboration with the ⁠Sacred Contract Coalition⁠, a 30-acre mountain in Colorado was recognized in June 2025 as the first mountain to own itself. What could this mean for protecting other places? Guests: Thomas Linzey, Senior Legal Counsel, Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights  Crystal Wolfchild, Guardian of The Mountain Kumu Ramsay Taum, Cultural Advisor Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction 02:30 – Thomas Linzey on his career fighting projects on behalf of communities 05:40 – Linzey on why federal environmental laws don’t protect air, water, or communities 11:00 – Linzey explains rights of nature legal framework 16:30 – Successful rights of nature cases in other parts of the world 19:15 – Rights of nature is Western law catching up with Indigenous cosmovisions 21:45 – Going beyond the rights of nature to land that owns itself 35:00 – Crystal Wolfchild on what it means to be a guardian of the Mountain 40:30 – Wolfchild on what this case could mean for other places 44:00 – Ramsay Taum on incorporating Hawaiian sense of environmental responsibility with Western worldviews 50:45 – Taum on the connection between restoring sovereignty and the rights of nature 56:00 – How to respond to climate changes like rising sea levels 58:00 – Climate One More Thing 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

    1h 3m

  3. 2d ago

    Jonathan Weber: City on the Edge, the Fight for the Soul of San Francisco

    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

    1h 2m
  4. Dead Heat: The Danger Of Home Power Shutoffs

    Jul 3

    Dead Heat: The Danger Of Home Power Shutoffs

    Summer is here, temperatures are rising — and so are electric bills. That also means many people are facing a severely overlooked issue: power shutoffs. According to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2024 utility companies disconnected U.S. households from electricity more than 13.4 million times due to a customer’s inability to pay. When that happens, people can’t turn on their lights, keep food refrigerated, or cool down the home. And regulations preventing shutoffs during extreme heat events are woefully inadequate.  But when utilities help pay the upfront costs of efficiency upgrades, the customers and utilities can both save energy — and money. How do we protect the most vulnerable people from the dangers of home power shutoffs?  Guests: Jean Su, Energy Justice Director, Center for Biological Diversity  Sanya Carley, Co-Director, Energy Justice Lab, University of Pennsylvania Tamara Jones, Co-Executive Director, Clean Energy Works Highlights: 00:00 Introduction     4:15 Jean Su on topline takeaways from nationwide data 10:04 Jean Su on why utilities don’t cover the cost of non-payment  12:55 Jean Su on polices to prevent shutoffs 16:16 Jean Su on the reality of underreported shutoffs  22:17 Sanya Carley on what happens to a household when a shutoff occurs 25:15 Sanya Carley on seeking help after a shutoff 27:44 Sanya Carley on federal impact on shutoffs 29:56 Sanya Carley on what state legislatures can do  35:25 Tamara Jones on working for justice 38:09 Tamara Jones on who is impacted by energy injustice 46:14 Tamara Jones on examples of where policy gets it right 50:56 Tamara Jones on what work needs to be done in policy and regulation 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

    59 min
  5. When Your New Neighbor Is… a Data Center

    Jun 26

    When Your New Neighbor Is… a Data Center

    Across the country, developers are racing to build huge new buildings to house computers to fuel the AI boom, creating an explosive demand for new energy. While some hyperscalers seek renewable energy, others are turning to fossil fuels. But concerns around high electric bills, air and noise pollution and water depletion have generated widespread community pushback against these giant facilities, and it seems opposing data centers is a bipartisan issue. Many cities and states are working to rapidly update zoning and other local regulations to respond to the dual pressures of developer interest and constituent backlash. Since data center development isn’t slowing down, what policies or creative strategies can lessen the impacts for local communities and ratepayers? Guests:  KeShaun Pearson, Executive Director, Memphis Community Against Pollution  Rebecca Egan McCarthy, Freelance Journalist Jason Plautz, Reporter, E&E News and Politico Astrid Atkinson, CEO, Camus Highlights: 00:00 Introduction 3:15 KeShaun Pearson on updates to the Colossus data center pollution 6:18 KeShaun Pearson on state regulators allowing an expansion of gas turbines  8:08 KeShaun Pearson on the effect of the pollution on the community 16:24 KeShaun Pearson on what he hopes the lawsuits can achieve  19:38 Rebecca Egan McCarthy on Archbald and data center development  22:26 Rebecca Egan McCarthy on who has the power to regulate data center projects 28:16 Rebecca Egan McCarthy on data center development outside of Archbald 30:21 Jason Plautz on changing attitudes toward data centers 34:32 Jason Plautz on where there is meaningful regulation happening 39:27 Jason Plautz on state level regulatory changes  41:26 Jason Plautz on the pace of data center development 44:45 Astrid Atkinson on the effects of data center energy load on the grid 46:19 Astrid Atkinson on what flexibility means in the energy world 50:39 Astrid Atkinson on hyperscalers paying for their energy 55:22 Astrid Atkinson on how some policy changes can help communities  For show notes and related links, 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 1m

  6. Jun 22

    Theo Baker: Uncovering Power and Money at Stanford University

    While just a freshman reporter at The Stanford Daily, Theo Baker reported on accusations about Stanford’s president that culminated in his resignation. For his investigative reporting, he became the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious George Polk Award. Now, Baker comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to tell a story of money and power and excess for teenagers at Stanford—slush funds, shell companies, yacht parties. He arrived at Stanford impressed with the atmosphere—and the stratospheric level of academics. But he says he soon discovered a culture that embraced corner-cutting, access with few safeguards to catch bad behavior.  He concluded that Stanford was less a school than a business and a training ground for Silicon Valley’s global businesses; the school had an annual budget nearly twice that of Harvard or Yale and higher than those of 116 nations. And Baker says the Stanford students deemed the next trillion-dollar startup founders were the prime product; for them there were secret societies, “pre-idea” funding offers, and social calls from billionaires, all with the expectation that these young people would soon join the ruling elite. At the top of this operation was Stanford’s president, and Baker will share how he learned about and pursued the story that would bring down the president of such an elite institution amid allegations of research misconduct. Join us to hear the entire gripping story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    59 min

  7. Jun 21

    Unapologetic Deliciousness: Separating Nutrition Science from Nutrition Noise (EXPLICIT)

    With so many conflicting and contradictory nutrition claims dominating headlines and social media, deciding what to eat has become unnecessarily complicated. Stanford nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., has spent more than three decades conducting evidence-based research to bring clarity to the conversation. In this program, Gardner shares what decades of human nutrition trials reveal about where true scientific consensus exists, and where it does not. From his landmark “A to Z” and “DIETFITS” studies to ongoing research on plant-rich alternatives, ketogenic diets, the gut microbiome, and inflammation, Gardner has worked to move the field beyond diet myths and toward practical, evidence-based guidance. At the center of his message is a powerful idea: healthy eating can be “unapologetically delicious,” built around whole, minimally processed, plant-rich foods aligned with personal values around culture, sustainability and social responsibility. He will address pressing questions about different diets, cholesterol, seed oils, ultra-processed foods, protein, plant-based meats, fiber, fermented foods and more, offering a framework that helps individuals make informed, flexible, and lasting food choices. This conversation invites us to reconsider not only what we eat, but how we think about food: as nourishment, pleasure, culture and a powerful tool for long-term personal and planetary health. About the Speakers Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., is a professor of medicine at Stanford Prevention Research Center who has led more than 20 years of NIH-funded, randomized controlled trials on nutrition. His work focuses on diet patterns, weight loss and cardiometabolic health. 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  This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 3m

  8. Jun 20

    Contested Continent: The Struggle for North America, c. 1000–1680

    North America was forged from the experiences of millions of Indigenous women and men as well as Europeans and Africans. Contested Continent, the first volume of the Oxford History of the United States series, is a far-ranging history of North America concentrating on the period from c. A.D. 1000 to 1680—from the arrival of Norse explorers to an explosion of revolts that underlined the stubborn struggle to master the continent some two centuries after Columbus’s landfall. This history spans the continent from the North Atlantic to the West Indies and includes the entire Atlantic basin. Peter Mancall and David Kennedy emphasize the experiences of diverse peoples while, at the same time, telling a new story about the origins of major aspects of American culture. They illuminate the rise of a booming trans-Atlantic economy based on the extraction of abundant American natural resources; the central role that European migrants and their descendants played in the enslavement of Africans and the displacement of Indigenous peoples; and the spread of self-governing polities where many enjoyed religious freedom. None of these developments was inevitable. Conflicts broke out frequently as different peoples battled over precious resources. Europeans’ appetites for material gain and expanding Christendom brought horrific consequences for those brutalized, enslaved, and vulnerable to infectious diseases. Join us to hear Mancall and Kennedy present their sweeping history of developments crucial to the eventual founding of the United States, underscoring the titanic struggles between the peoples who had populated the Americas for centuries and the migrants from the Old World who initiated changes that created a New World that offered boundless opportunities for some and crushed the aspirations of others. 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. Organizer: George Hammond  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 12m
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4.6
out of 5
83 Ratings

About

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.

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