Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Three years ago, Congress passed President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in U.S. history. The IRA set in motion a sweeping set of investments in nearly every aspect of energy and climate, mostly in the form of subsidies and tax credits, to boost domestic production of electric vehicles, batteries and carbon-free energy. Those investments have flowed to every state, but the majority have landed in Republican-held districts.  In spite of that, Congressional Republicans nearly unanimously passed President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” which the president signed on July 4. The megabill guts nearly all the program funds allocated under the IRA and slashes incentives and credits for solar, wind, energy efficiency and electric vehicles — precisely at a time when we need to dramatically scale up those sectors to address climate change. Why did Republicans let this bill move ahead? And how much will it exacerbate the climate crisis in the coming decades? Guests: Katherine Hamilton, Chair, 38 North Solutions Clayton Aldern, Senior Data Reporter, Grist Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy John Szoka, CEO, Conservative Energy Network   On July 31, Climate One is hosting Premal Shah and Kinari Webb for a live episode recording! With years of experience navigating the global climate movement, the two are sure to offer unparalleled insights during their conversation with Co-Host Greg Dalton. Tickets for the show, which will be held at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, are available now through our website. 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. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research funded by the federal government has been crucial in many of the defining technologies of our time: the internet, A.I., crispr, Ozempic, and the mRNA vaccines first used widely in the COVID pandemic. Between 2010 and 2019, more than 350 drugs were approved in the United States, and virtually all of them could trace their roots to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Now this administration is endangering our health by cutting funds to academic medical centers. Moreover, there are threats to Medicaid, as well as ongoing cuts to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Many universities have paused hiring due to the uncertainty at the NIH and are curtailing graduate programs. Biotech investors are warning of a contraction in medical innovation. NIH grants have been terminated on ideological grounds, which have resulted in clinical trials shutting down. Global health programs worldwide have been cut. A discussion on these destructive policies on medicine in our country is needed. About the Speaker Monica Gandhi M.D., M.P.H., is a professor of medicine and associate chief in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is also the director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and the medical director of the HIV Clinic ("Ward 86") at San Francisco General Hospital. She serves as the associate program director of the ID fellowship at UCSF. Her research focuses on HIV treatment and prevention optimization, HIV and women, adherence measurement in HIV and TB, adherence interventions, and on optimizing the use of long-acting antiretroviral therapy (ART). She is a long-standing NIH-funded researcher. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. 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. Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. OrganizerMichael Baker  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off its award-winning run in Europe, Democracy Noir arrives in the United States as a very timely documentary film about how Viktor Orbán politically reshaped Hungary. It paints an incisive portrait of how Orbán used a free and democratic election to install authoritarian rule, enjoying widespread approval from Hungarian nationalists as well as from conservatives around the world inclined to his illiberal views. He changed the constitution, took over the courts and the media, and dismantled the rule of law. Admired by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban’s influence helped shape Project 2025 and the current policies of the Republican Party. Democracy Noir tells this story through the activism of its three subjects: opposition politician Timea Szabo, journalist Babett Oroszi, and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) Antal. It details how unchecked power can quickly remove rights that once were taken for granted, and it shows how three women come to terms with their country’s unravelling social and cultural landscape. Studying the recent history of another country whose political trajectory mirrors your own can bring clarity to your situation. Join us to view, and then to discuss, this example of an increasingly emboldened far right political party and the rise of autocratic politicians around the world. 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. Documentary image and post courtesy Clarity Films; Field photo courtesy the speaker. OrganizerGeorge HammondNotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nature can feel distant from our everyday lives. Maybe it’s a place we visit on the weekends, a getaway from the hustle and bustle, something “out there,” just beyond the edges of our neighborhoods. But we are part of it, and as more and more people consider their impact on the Earth, sustainable practices are extending even to death, where green and natural burials are gaining popularity.  Within the field of biomimicry, a design practice informed by what already exists in nature, innovators are exploring ways to sustain the ecosystems we’re surrounded by, rather than depleting them. Scientists have looked to butterfly wings to improve the efficiency of solar panels, and wetland plants to purify water in buildings.  How can we build in a way that addresses climate concerns and has a softer impact on the environment in which it exists?  Guests:  Janine Benyus, Co-Founder, Biomimicry Institute Emily Miller, Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer; Founder, Colorado Burial Preserve This episode also features field reporting from Producer Megan Biscieglia at Fernwood Cemetery and Funeral Home. On July 31, Climate One is hosting Premal Shah and Kinari Webb for a live episode recording! With years of experience navigating the global climate movement, the two are sure to offer unparalleled insights during their conversation with Co-Host Greg Dalton. Tickets for the show, which will be held at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, are available now through our website. 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. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America, body weight has become a pain point shrouded in self-recrimination and shame, not to mention bias from the medical community. For many, this battle not only takes a mental toll but also becomes a physical threat: three-quarters of American adults struggle with weight-related health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. We know that diets don’t work, and yet we also know that excess weight starves us of years and quality of life. Where do we go from here? This evening, Dr. David Kessler will discuss some key points from his new book, Diet, Drugs and Dopamine, which unpacks the mystery of weight in the most comprehensive work to date on this topic, giving readers the power to dramatically improve their health. About the Speakers Dr. David Kessler is a prominent figure in public health, medicine and academia. He served as the commissioner of the FDA from 1990 to 1997, making significant contributions to drug approval, food safety and consumer protection. He is also a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco. Additionally, he has served as dean of the Yale School of Medicine and the UCSF School of Medicine. The moderator is Anahad O'Connor. He is a health columnist who writes about food and nutrition for The Washington Post's Well+Being desk. Anahad joined the Post in 2022; before that, he was a staff reporter for The New York Times, where he spent two decades covering health and science. 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. ORGANIZER: Patty James Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 2: Global Pride Organizers Rise in Right wing extremists and anti-LGBT rights advocates Moderator: Michelle Meow, Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show"Speakers: Carmen Prins (South Africa), Julia Maciocha (Budapest), Koko Tiamsai (Thailand), Melissa Gonzalez (Guadalajara), Jessica Yamamoto (Cambodia) See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 7 Closing PlenaryHarper Steele and Suzanne Ford See more  Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPLICIT language.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 4 KeynoteCity Attorney David Chiu Plenary: LGBTQIA in Politics Moderator: Evan Low of Victory FundSpeakers: Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Melissa Hernandez (Harvey Milk Democratic Club), Khilynn Fowler See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  SF Community Health Center PanelModerator: Human Rights Commission Board President Leah Pimentel Speakers: Lance Toma, Jahnell Butler See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPLICIT LANGUAGE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Breakout session 2:Our Family Coalition & LGBTQIA+ FamiliesMimi Demissew and Robin Lowey See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices