Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, is suing Greenpeace for $300 million. The pipeline company accuses Greenpeace of criminal behavior — trespassing, vandalism, and assault of construction workers — and inciting riotous behavior by protesters at Standing Rock in 2016.Greenpeace considers this legal action to be a “SLAPP suit” — a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation — aimed at silencing not just Greenpeace, but civil protests everywhere. The trial is just getting underway in Morton County, North Dakota. In this episode we unpack not just this case, but the broader implications of such suits.Guests: Rolf Skar, National Campaigns Director, GreenpeaceMontgomery Brown, Member, Standing Rock GrassrootsLaura Prather, Chair of First Amendment Practice, Haynes BooneOn March 24, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt and Irina Raicu, Director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center, will speak with Climate One about the development of sustainably powered artificial intelligence. Tickets are on sale 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

Join us in-person for a discussion with performance, as we delve into music and the technology revolution, hearing Black voices on how technology is impacting our music.African Americans have played an outsized and pivotal role in American and global music. At most of the shifts and transitions in music driven by technology and culture, Black Americans have been in the forefront. Join us for a discussion of the past, present and future of the mix of technology and music with a focus on African American innovation. In addition to the panel discussion, we will end with a short suite of performances by the presenters.About the SpeakersAward winning recording artist Nicolas Bearde is a singer-songwriter, actor and educator whose career has spanned more than 35 years. Born and raised in Nashville, TN, the second of 7 children, he has toured the globe with many of today’s jazz legends, such as Bobby McFerrin, Nat Adderley, Jr., Bernard Purdie, Vincent Herring and more. His style is likened to Lou Rawls, Nat King Cole and Bill Withers and he is known for his “velvet voice,” wit and engaging rapport that has drawn audiences into his live performances around the world. As an educator, Nicolas has worked with the California Jazz Conservatory and Jazz Camp West teaching “Vocal Intensive” workshops, skills he honed on the road as a member of Bobby McFerrin’s wildly innovative a cappella ensemble, “Voicestra” for more than 10 years, and was the chair of “popular voice” for the Young Arts Foundation in Miami, Florida for 5 years.Phil Hawkins is a drummer and media producer living in San Francisco. He regularly performs with Ray Obiedo, Pete Escovedo and other local artists. Phil operates a media production business that offers audio recording, mixing, and mastering for videography, photography, and graphic design services. He has taught music production at the college level for more than 20 years.Glen Pearson is both a noted pianist as well as the current head of music studies at the College of Alameda. He began playing piano at age 6 and was playing professionally by age 15. He has appeared on stage, television and on recordings with such notables as Regina Belle, Jimmy Scott, Diane Reeves, Marlena Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson and Nicolas Bearde, and served for 11 years as the musical/band director for the world-renowned Boy’s Choir of Harlem. For the past 5 years he toured with The Count Basie Orchestra, who’s latest record, Basie Swings the Blues, netted “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” at the 2024 Grammy Awards.Organizer: Gerald Anthony Harris 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.Bearde photo by James Barry Knox Photography; Pearson photo by Timothy Bryan Burgess; additional photos courtesy the speakers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renowned gerontologist Barbara Waxman, an advocate for longevity and author of The Middlescence Manifesto, joins award-winning broadcaster Michael Krasny for a profound discussion. They challenge the misconceptions of aging, emphasizing the potential for quality of life over mere lifespan. The conversation covers the importance of social connections, holistic healthcare approaches, and lifestyle strategies to enhance well-being. They also explore the changing dynamics of family and the impact of aging on mental health, advocating for a transformative perspective on this demographic shift.

Join us for a new perspective that could rewrite our understanding of where moral judgments come from, and may reveal how we can overcome the feelings of outrage that so often divide us.It’s easy to assume that liberals and conservatives have radically different moral foundations. Kurt Gray, author of Outraged, showcases the latest science to demonstrate that we all have the same moral mind—that everyone’s moral judgments stem from feeling threatened or vulnerable to harm.Although we almost all care about protecting ourselves and the vulnerable, conflict arises when we have different perceptions of harm. We get outraged when we disagree about who the “real” victim is, whether we’re talking about political issues, fights with our in-laws, or arguments on the playground.In laying out a new vision of our moral minds, Gray tackles three common myths that he says prevent people from understanding themselves and those around them. For a long time, it was commonly believed that our ancestors were apex predators. In reality, we were more hunted than hunter. This explains why our minds are hard-wired to perceive threats, and why we’re so preoccupied with danger. Gray also examines new research that finds that our moral judgments are based more on gut feelings of harm than on rational thought. We condemn acts that feel harmful. Finally, Gray refutes the idea that facts are the best way to bridge divides. In moral and political arguments, facts often fail to convince others of our point of view, since our moral judgments are based on our subjective beliefs not on our objective observations. Instead, sharing stories of personal suffering can help to create more common ground.Join us in-person as Gray takes us on an insightful tour of our moral minds, drawing on groundbreaking research and fascinating stories to provide a new explanation for our moral outrage, and unpacking how to best bridge divides. If you want to understand the morals of the “other side,” ask yourself a simple question—what harms do they see?This program is supported by the Civic Health Project.This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How has consumer and business banking changed in 2025? What can we expect in the future? Tim Myers, president and chief executive officer at Bank of Marin, will take us through the challenges that financial institutions, businesses and consumers will face in 2025. Join us for this important discussion.Organizer: Frank Price An International Relations 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is hard to believe that February 12, 2025, marks the 21-year anniversary of when then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom sparked a ground-breaking civil rights movement by legalizing same-sex marriage. In doing so, he not only changed our nation’s views on life, love and marriage, but demonstrated the power of how a community can change discriminatory laws in its pursuit for equality. Join us for a timely anniversary celebration and special screening of the award-winning film "Pursuit of Equality." We will take a look back at the pivotal case as many members of the LGBTQ community enter 2025 questioning if their rights are protected under a new administration. Some are asking what it will take to continue the fight for equality.This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From hurricanes on the East Coast to wildfires in LA, to floods in Vermont and storms in Texas, communities across the U.S. are facing a growing number of intense and devastating disasters. There are significant disparities in who has the means to evacuate during a disaster and who has the resources to rebuild once the storm has passed. Long after the immediate impact, the challenges continue, with many left to navigate a slow, complex, and often confusing recovery process. As the harsh reality of climate chaos sets in, how can we better integrate community mental health into the disaster recovery process to ensure that emotional and psychological needs are addressed alongside physical rebuilding?Guests:Adrienne Heinz, Clinical Research Psychologist, Stanford University School of MedicineSamantha Montano, Assistant Professor of Emergency Management, Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Author, “Disasterology: Dispatches from The Frontlines of the Climate Crisis”Ralph Hamlett, Alderman, Canton, North Carolina; Professor Emeritus of Political Communications, Brevard CollegeHaley Geller, Photo stylist; Pasadena residentWe’re excited to share two upcoming opportunities to see Climate One Live! On February 25, internationally recognized environmental and civil rights activist Catherine Coleman Flowers will join Climate One for a live conversation about the future of environmental justice. And on March 24, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt and Irina Raicu, Director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center, will speak with Climate One about the development of sustainably powered artificial intelligence. Tickets to both shows are on sale 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 just $5/month.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

It's our anniversary! In February 2012, Week to Week debuted, starting an ongoing community with civil discussions about sometimes heated topics.Join us in-person or online for the latest edition of our Week to Week political roundtable, and get set to talk about new leadership in San Francisco, DOGE and executive orders in Washington, and much more. Come early for a pre-program social hour with wine and light bites, then enjoy and learn as our panel of political experts explains what happened and what to expect, and answers your questions.See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning investigative journalist Charles Piller, known for his incisive reporting in Science Magazine, exposes the murky depths of fraud in Alzheimer's research. He discusses a scandal involving falsified data that undermined significant studies and the role of self-serving entities in this crisis. Piller highlights the emotional toll on families and the ethical quandaries in research, while also presenting a hopeful shift toward innovative methodologies in drug development. His insights aim to ignite a call for accountability and integrity in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Chris Hayes, an Emmy Award-winning MSNBC host and author of The Siren's Call, dives into the complex world of attention in the digital age. He discusses how 'attention capitalism' reshapes our society and politics, likening it to the labor changes of the 19th century. Hayes critiques the role of tech giants in commodifying our focus and the implications for democracy. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity in broadcasting and collective action to support marginalized communities, while also sparking conversation about societal values and our digital existence.