Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

It is possible that the only news we hear about more than politics is the climate crisis, and sometimes it is politics about the climate crisis? But what are we hearing and saying about climate change, and is it what we think we’re hearing and saying? Genevieve Guenther, founder of the nonprofit organization End Climate Silence, has engaged journalists in efforts to improve coverage of environmental crises in their reporting. Publishers Weekly called her new book, The Language of Climate Politics: Fossil Fuel Propaganda and How to Fight It, a “revelatory study.” In it, she puts forth powerful new ways to talk about the climate crisis that she says will help create transformative change. Guenther argues that the climate debate is not neatly polarized, with Republicans obstructing climate action and Democrats advancing climate solutions. Partisans on the right and the left often repeat the same fossil-fuel talking points, and she says this repetition produces a consensus upholding the status quo, even as global heating accelerates. Guenther says big energy interests weaponize the discourses of science, economics, and activism, co-opting and twisting climate language to help “greenwash” their plans for ongoing extraction. But all too often climate scientists, economists, and even advocates will unwittingly echo the assumptions of their supposed political opponents. This apparent agreement between foes, filtered through the news media, not only influences views about the climate crisis but also enables powerful decision makers to justify the policy actions that threaten us all. Guenther says she knows how to transform it and equip people with powerful new terms that will enable them to fight more effectively for a livable future.Organizer: Andrew Dudley A People & Nature Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Globally, one-third of food produced every year is wasted. That’s enough to feed about 2 billion people — twice the number of people who are undernourished. The global food system also accounts for a whopping one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These two problems — waste and emissions — are intricately linked: Climate disruption exacerbates food insecurity. And industrial food production contributes to the climate crisis. When food is wasted, it’s also a waste of land, water and energy.In this episode, we talk with experts about how to fix the broken system and hear from some of the people on the ground recovering food before it goes to waste. How can we address both climate and food insecurity at the same time? This episode also features a news story produced by Harvest Public Media contributor Peter Medlin, a reporter with WNIJ Northern Public Radio.Guests:Dawn King, Senior Lecturer, Brown UniversityLisa Moon, CEO, The Global Food Banking NetworkNorma Alonso, ABACO, Cooperation Manager James Leyson, Managing Director for Global Impact and Operations, Scholars of Sustenance🎟️ Join Climate One live in San Francisco on December 9 for our celebration of 2024 Schneider Award Winner Leah Stokes! Tickets are on sale now.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.🦃 Happy Thanksgiving! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalism can be a powerful force for change, especially in helping people understand the complex causes and impacts of domestic violence. Reporting that includes the diverse experiences of survivors can help shine a light on solutions.This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, join us for a special event, "From Silence to Solutions: Changing the Conversation about Domestic Violence." Come together with a community of journalists, survivors, and advocates who want to change the conversation about domestic violence so that we can end it. The program will feature an interactive discussion with survivors and journalists, introduce a Journalists’ Playbook on covering domestic violence, and be followed by a networking reception.For more info about the toolkit for journalists, by journalists and survivors of domestic violence: https://journalists.letsenddv.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The national results of the recent general election caused a wave of shock through many progressive organizations in the country and here in the Bay Area.Join us for a live town hall with speakers from leading LGBTQ organizations, including SF AIDS Foundation, LYRIC, NCLR, SF Pride, El/La Para Translatina, SF HRC, EQCA, SF Office Transgender Initiative and more to come. They'll discuss the election results, its impact on various LGBTQ communities, and plans to respond.Fireside Chats:ImmigrationNicole Santamaria, executive director, El/La Para Translatina—ModeratorJennicet Gutierrez, co-founder and co-executive director, Familia TQLMOkan Sengun, co-founder, Center for Immigrant ProtectionYuan Wang, executive director, Lavender PhoenixState of LGBTQIA+Honey Mahogany–ModeratorImani Rupert-Gordon, NCLRTyler TerMeer, SF AIDS FoundationSuzanne Ford, SF PrideLance Toma, executive director, San Francisco Community Health CenterTGNC Youth, Families, and Gender Affirming CareGael Lala-Chavez, executive director, LYRIC—ModeratorDr. Alexis Petra, founder, Transclinique Lizette Trujillo, proud mother to a transgender son, volunteer for the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance/FluxxShay Franco-Clausen, political director EQCAIndigo Jensen, youth speaker, advocateSpecial Guests:Dr. Marcy AdelmanRoma GuyAni Rivera, commissioner, San Francisco Department on the Status of WomenSee more  Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.Thanks to our sponsors:SF PrideAlaska AirlinesSF Human Rights CommissionRobert HolgatePartners:NCLRSF AIDS FoundationLYRICSF Community Health CenterEl/La Para TranslatinaCIP- Center for Immigration ProtectionLGBT AsylumOffice of Transgender Initiatives Parivar Bay AreaLavender Phoenix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rising star New York Times technology reporters, Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, tell for the first time what they say is the full and shocking inside story of Elon Musk’s unprecedented takeover of Twitter and the $44 billion deal’s seismic political, social and financial falloutThe billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become inextricable from X. the social media platform that until 2023 was known as Twitter. Started in the mid-2000s as a playful microblogging platform, Twitter quickly became a popular nexus of global politics, culture and media—where the retweet button could instantly catapult any idea to hundreds of millions of screens around the world, unleashing raw collective emotion like nothing else before. While its founder had idealistically dreamed of building a "digital town square," he detested Wall Street and never focused on building a profitable business.Musk joined the platform in 2010 and, by 2022, had become one of the site’s most influential users, attracting more than 80 million followers with a mix of provocations, promotion of his companies, and attacks on his enemies. To Musk, Twitter—once known for its almost absolute commitment to free speech—had badly lost its way. He blamed it for the proliferation of what he called the “woke mind virus” and claimed that the survival of democracy and the human race itself depended on the future of the site. By April 2022, he was its largest shareholder, and soon made an unsolicited offer to purchase the company for the unimaginable sum of $44 billion dollars. Backed into a corner, Twitter’s board accepted his offer—but Musk quickly changed his mind, forcing Twitter to sue him to close the deal in October.The richest man on earth controlled one of the most powerful media platforms in the world—but at what price? Before long Twitter would be gone for good, replaced by something radically different, as Musk remade the company in his own image from the ground up.Join us in-person or online as Conger and Mac follow the inner workings of the company as Musk lays siege to it, first from the outside as one of its most vocal users, and then finally from within as a contentious and mercurial leader. Musk has shared some of his version of events, but Conger and Mac have uncovered the full story through exclusive interviews, unreported documents, and internal recordings at Twitter following the billionaire’s takeover.This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.This program contains explicit language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a lively discussion on the future of San Francisco's downtown. Featuring leaders in the post-pandemic San Francisco revival story, our program will explore the challenges and opportunities facing downtown San Francisco, the progress that has been made and what is around the corner that could turbocharge or derail the next chapter of our city. Discover the city’s post-pandemic hidden triumphs and where we should be looking for approaches and policies to shape a more resilient and vibrant urban core. We’ll be talking: entertainment zones and pop-ups, new jobs and revamping spaces. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from key voices driving the transformation of San Francisco's heart, and join the conversation on how we can collectively reimagine our city's downtown for a brighter future.UP NEXT. . .Save the date: August 29, 5:30 p.m.: "California Volunteers," the role of community and service in San Francisco's revival.Coming soon: "A Thriving, Natural City," how should we shape a sustainable San Francisco future?"What's Good, SF!” is a compelling series delving into the post-pandemic revitalization of San Francisco. Through three insightful programs, the series navigates the city's landscape of opportunity and challenge. Join us as we uncover the stories of resilience, adaptation and transformation that define San Francisco's journey toward a new, vibrant and sustainable future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 fall general election has just ended. Who won? Who lost? Why did anyone win or lose? Which party controls Congress, the White House, most state houses? And what happens next? Will there be a peaceful transition of power?Join us for the post-election special edition of our Week to Week political roundtable. 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. This program contains EXPLICIT language, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate advocacy is a dangerous business. According to Global Witness, every week, somewhere in the world, between three and four environmental activists are killed. And even when they don’t suffer bodily harm, they are routinely arrested and jailed for speaking out. They are also sued in civil cases, bogging them down for years or even bankrupting them and their families.Each personal story in this episode is unique, but the physical threats and legal weapons fossil fuel companies and governments wield against them are eerily similar. And yet, the voices of climate defenders will not be silenced.Guests: Alfred Brownell, Founding President, Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef) Laura Furones, Senior Advisor, Land and Environmental Defenders Campaign, Global WitnessNicole Figueiredo de Oliveira, Executive Director, ArayaraSarah Benn, Medical Doctor and Climate Activist🎟️ Join Climate One live in San Francisco on December 9 for our celebration of 2024 Schneider Award Winner Leah Stokes! Tickets are on sale now.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through its direct contact with the public and its protection by the First Amendment, news media has long been considered the “fourth branch of government.” As the media landscape continues to change and partisan news becomes increasingly popular, many journalists are examining their own profession and responsibilities. Investigative reporter Bigad Shaban, himself the son of immigrants and educators, wants folks to understand the importance of media in a civil society. Bigad, in conversation with San Francisco State’s Dr. Laura Moorhead, talks to an audience of high school journalism students about the belief he has in his profession. Bigad discusses his beginnings as a journalist, what he’s learned over an 18-year career, and why a healthy democracy relies on a news media to hold it responsible.This program is part of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ civics education initiative, Creating Citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Ethnic studies” is an ideological battleground in higher education, and now California is bringing its 1.6 million high school students into the fray. Every one of them must take an ethnic studies course to graduate, starting in the fall of 2025.But what will the course teach them? The State Department of Education’s original model curriculum—now candidly dubbed the “Liberated Ethnic Studies Curriculum”—was criticized for its anti-capitalist agenda, embrace of critical-race themes, and alleged antisemitism. Reaction was so intense that Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the original curricular mandate legislation. A second State Model Curriculum toned down some of the original emphases. The final legislation signed by the governor had a local-option twist: school districts are free to determine the ethnic studies curriculum used in their schools. As a result, the skirmish over ethnic studies can now be replayed district by district.Independent Institute has created what it calls a balanced curriculum for the consideration of districts throughout the state. The “Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies Curriculum” portrays the full tableau of American ethnic history, dark moments as well as instances of triumph and personal success. It explores contending schools of thought. Animated not by ideology but by balance, this curriculum builds on years of research and pedagogical insight. This panel will include a survey of California’s ethnic studies controversy, and presentation of the "Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies Curriculum" by its project leader Williamson M. Evers, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.This program is part of our American Values Series, underwritten by Taube Philanthropies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices