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Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

KQED

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.

Location:

San Francisco, CA

Networks:

KQED

Description:

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.

Twitter:

@cwclub

Language:

English

Contact:

The Commonwealth Club of California 595 Market Street 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 415-597-6700


Episodes
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The Economy 2025: The Impacts of Tariffs, Tax Cuts and Trump

2/4/2025
The Walter E. Hoadley Annual Economic Forecast, presented by Bank of America. Major changes are coming to tax, tariff, and regulatory policy in the wake of the November 2024 election. What impact will the new administration and Congress have on the economy in 2025? Will inflation be a big factor? How will our international trade fare? And will unemployment and consumer spending continue on their current paths? Our expert panel—including John H. Cochrane, the Rose-Marie and Jack Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution; Mary Daly, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Susan Hyde, Robson Professor in the Travers Department of Political Science and co-director of the Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley; Baie Netzer, senior investment strategist for Bank of America Private Bank; Adam Lashinsky, editor-at-large for The San Francisco Standard and contributing columnist for The Washington Post (moderator)—will give you insight to help you better understand the trends, policies, dangers and opportunities that lie ahead for your business and your wallet in 2025. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. This event is underwritten by Bank of America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:10:35

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Silicon Valley Reads 2025—Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World

2/3/2025
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation about technology and humanity with Silicon Valley Read’s featured authors Charlee Dyroff (Loneliness & Company), Dr. Fei-Fei Li (The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI), and Ray Nayler (The Mountain in the Sea). Attendees are invited to come early to see two robot dogs and visit the Euphrat Museum of Art, for their special exhibit where artists will be showcased around the theme "Encoding Empathy." Hosted by Santa Clara County Library District, Santa Clara County Office of Education, San José Public Library, and DeAnza College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:16:08

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CLIMATE ONE: What Climate Progress Is Possible Now?

1/31/2025
The second Trump administration has hit the ground running. The president has signed a flurry of executive orders targeting everything from birthright citizenship to pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords. This is a far different moment from the first Trump term. The president is more focused, his team is more focused, and energy policy is at the top of their action list. However, the renewable energy market is also much more mature, and the transition away from fossil fuels has been accelerated by three major climate-related bills passed during the Biden years. In this new political and economic landscape, how do climate advocates need to think and act differently to sustain progress? Guests: Dana R. Fisher, Director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity, School of International Service, American University Nathaniel Stinnett, Founder and Executive Director, Environmental Voter Project Arnab Datta, Director of Infrastructure Policy, Institute for Progress 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. Join us at noon in San Francisco for a can’t-miss show. Tickets are on sale 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 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

Duration:00:59:08

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'America First' Foreign Policy Fights in Trump 2.0

1/27/2025
The Chinese have a saying, or perhaps a curse: "May you live in interesting times." From Taiwan to Ukraine, the Middle East and now Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal and the Gulf of Mexico—from existing conflicts and perhaps soon-to-be conflicts, these are interesting times we find ourselves living in. Who better to help us understand and navigate through the swirling news and events in the dawning of the new Trumpian Age than Professor Casimir Yost from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. We hope you can join us on Thursday, January 23, at 5.30 p.m. at Commonwealth Club World Affairs in San Francisco as our chair Dr. Kalidip Choudhury engages with Professor Yost to shed light on the conflicts we can and cannot expect in the age of Trump. About the Speaker Casimir Yost is a senior fellow in the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and teaches in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. From 2009 to 2013. Yost served on the National Intelligence Council (NIC), where he directed the Strategic Futures Group and its predecessor, the Long Range Analysis Unit. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and on the Board of Directors of the American Ditchley Foundation. Organizer: Kalidip Choudhury The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. An Asia-Pacific Affairs 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:09:34

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Plot Twist: Could Artificial Intelligence Be the Transformative Force for Justice?

1/26/2025
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, from predictive analytics to advanced data systems, has emerged as a catalyst for innovation. Yet, the criminal justice system lags decades behind, as more than 3,000 counties in the United States continue to rely on outdated and manual case management systems, making the path to justice far from linear. This technological gap means that while other sectors move forward, many parts of the criminal justice system continue to struggle with inefficiencies and disparities that hinder true progress. Imagine a world where communities have access to the reliable data they need to create change and drive informed, fair decision-making; a world where AI bridges gaps and promotes transparency. But there’s a crucial question: How can we ensure this powerful tool closes the equity gap instead of widening it? The stakes are high, and ethical implementation is key. Despite the United States investing billions annually in policing, courts and corrections, outdated technologies and lack of access to high-quality data have often deepened existing disparities. If we—as a collective of public and private sectors, communities, and institutions—incorporate AI thoughtfully, we can catapult ourselves into a world where the criminal justice system is fully transparent, accessible and accountable to the people it serves. The technological gap in the criminal justice system is significant, impacting not just efficiency, but fairness and equity. Embracing new technologies—such as AI, public facing dashboards, and modern case management systems—can enhance transparency, and rebuild public trust. Addressing these challenges is crucial for creating more effective and equitable criminal justice systems nationwide. Join Amy Bach (Measures for Justice), Raffi Krikorian (Emerson Collective) and Tom Kalil (Renaissance Philanthropy) as we explore these opportunities and discuss the role of AI in reshaping a justice system that is fair, transparent, and accountable for all. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:00:53

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CLIMATE ONE: LA Wildfires: Loss, Recovery and Resilience

1/24/2025
The wildfires ravaging Los Angeles have caused incredible destruction — loss of life, thousands of homes and businesses gone or damaged and hundreds of thousands of people displaced. While the scale and speed of these fires may feel unprecedented, the dry, fire-prone foothills around LA burn often. Yet increasingly we see wildfires spurred by climate factors including warmer temperatures and weather whiplash — cycles of heavy precipitation followed by extreme drought. This week we hear what climate science says about current and future wildfire risk and about ways to support an equitable recovery from such destructive urban disasters. Guests: Moira Morel, Cinematographer; Altadena Resident Hugh Safford, Research faculty, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, UC Davis Andrew Rumbach, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute Nick Mott, Multimedia journalist; Author of “This Is Wildfire” 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. Join us at noon in San Francisco for a can’t-miss show. Tickets are on sale 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 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

Duration:01:02:06

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Mark Clifford: How Jimmy Lai Became Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident and China's Most Feared Critic

1/21/2025
How did the billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai become one of Hong Kong’s leading activists for democracy—and China’s most famous political prisoner today? Jimmy Lai escaped mainland China when he was 12 years old, at the height of a famine that killed tens of millions. In Hong Kong, he hustled; no work was beneath him, and he often slept on a table in a clothing factory where he did odd jobs. At 21, he was running a factory. By his mid-twenties, he owned one and was supplying sweaters and shirts to some of the biggest brands in the United States, from Polo to The Limited. His ideas about retail led him to create Giordano in 1981, and with it “fast fashion.” A restless entrepreneur, as Giordano prepared to go public, he was thinking about a dining concept that would disrupt Hong Kong’s fast-food industry. But then came the Tiananmen Square democracy protest and the massacre of 1989. His reaction to the violence was to enter the media business to push China toward more freedoms. He started a magazine, Next, to advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. Then, just two years before the city was to return to Chinese control, he founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Its mix of bold graphics, gossip, local news, and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party was an immediate hit. For more than two decades, Lai used Apple and Next as part of a personal push for democracy—in weekly columns, at rallies and marches, and, memorably, sitting in front of a tent during the 2014 Occupy Central movement. Lai also took his activism abroad, traveling frequently to Washington, where he was well known in Congress and in political circles. China reacted with fury in 2019 when he met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A draconian new security law came into effect in Hong Kong in mid-2020, effectively making free speech a crime and censorship a fact. Lai was its most important target. Apple Daily was raided on August 10, 2020. He was arrested and held without bail before being convicted of trumped-up charges ranging from lighting a candle (“incitement to riot”) to violating a clause in his company’s lease (“fraud”). At the end of 2023, a lengthy trial began alleging “collusion with foreign forces” and printing seditious materials. China’s most famous political prisoner has been in jail for more than 1,100 days and could spend the rest of his life there. Join us to hear from Mark Clifford, author of The Troublemaker, and learn all about the billionaire behind bars. This program is generously supported by the Ken and Jaclyn Broad Family Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:04:50

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California Forever: Can Building New Cities Help Solve Our Housing Crisis?

1/18/2025
California faces an urgent housing crisis: Median home prices are double the national average and while in 2016 it was projected that the state needed to build 3.5 million new homes by 2025 to meet demand, just one quarter of those have even been permitted. Is building new cities from scratch the solution—or is it just a Silicon Valley pipe dream? Join us for an eye-opening fireside chat with Gabe Metcalf, head of planning at California Forever, exploring why he sees greenfield development, rather than infill alone, as our best shot at addressing the housing crisis. Drawing upon years in his previous role as CEO of SPUR and now leading urban planning for California Forever’s controversial East Solano Plan—a proposed, VC-backed new city in Solano County—Metcalf will discuss why he believes that cities are humankind’s greatest invention and why building walkable, compact communities must become a normal form of development. Is it time to rethink our approach to building mass housing or will hurdles mean new cities never break ground? An essential discussion for residents, urban planners, environmental advocates and anyone invested in the Bay Area’s housing future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:06:11

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CLIMATE ONE: Even Old Houses Can Learn New Elec-Tricks

1/17/2025
If we include personal cars, along with appliances like water heaters, stoves and furnaces, more than 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from individuals at the home level. The good news: no matter where you live, there are steps you can take to make your home cleaner, healthier and more comfortable. And thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, there’s now a raft of federal incentives to help homeowners electrify their lives. Electrification has even become a theme on long running home improvement programs like “This Old House.” But with all the new technology and the federal tax credits, where to start? Guests: Ross Trethewey, Home Technology Expert, “This Old House” Ari Matusiak, Co-founder, President and CEO, Rewiring America Edith Buhs, Electrification Coach, Rewiring America; Decarbonization Advisor, Abode Energy Management 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

Duration:00:58:06

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Obi Kaufmann—The State of Fire: Why California Burns

1/16/2025
How do we live with fire? Join us for a talk about stewardship, resilience and hope. Fire is an essential part of California's ecology. Humans have been using it to shape the California landscape for thousands of years. But today many Californians' relationship to fire is one of fear. Obi Kaufmann, author of the best-selling California Field Atlas, now asks: How do we live with fire? What makes fire essential to a healthy and biodiverse Golden State, and how do we benefit from its teachings? With the same solution-minded ethic as his much-admired The State of Water: Understanding California's Most Precious Resource, Kaufmann presents fire as a force of regeneration rather than apocalypse. He considers the long history of ecological burns, the varied ways fire behaves across the state, and the lessons we can learn from California's largest fires of recent decades. Organizer Andrew Dudley A People & Nature 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

Duration:01:15:42

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Seth Rockman: A Material History of American Slavery

1/14/2025
How interdependent were the Northern industrial economy and Southern slave labor in pre-Civil War America? Historian and Brown University history professor Seth Rockman says the traditional way of thinking about the United States in the early 19th century—that of a nation with an industrializing North and agricultural South—overlooks the economic ties that held together the nation before the Civil War. He says it misses slavery’s long reach into small New England communities, and it fails to recognize the role of Northern manufacturing in shaping the terrain of human bondage in the South. Rockman, in his new book Plantation Goods, looks at the shirts, hats, hoes, shovels, shoes, axes, and whips made in the North for use in the South. By following the stories of material objects, such as shoes made by Massachusetts farm women that found their way to the feet of a Mississippi slave, Rockman says it was a national economy organized by slavery—a slavery that outsourced the production of its supplies to the North, and a North that outsourced its slavery to the South. Examining producers and consumers linked in economic and moral relationships across great geographic and political distances, Rockman explores how people in the 19th century thought about complicity with slavery while showing how slavery structured life nationwide and established a modern world of entrepreneurship and exploitation. Organizer: George Hammond 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:03:54

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Can a City Department Be a Hub for Community Problem Solving, "Can a City Department Be a Hub for Community Problem Solving, Innovation and Social Change?

1/12/2025
Lessons learned from former community-oriented department heads, a civil rights attorney and a former controller who has ideas about making the city more flexible and responsive. About the Speakers Margaret Brodkin is one of the nation’s leading children’s advocates. She was the executive director of Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth for 26 years, leading systems change work in juvenile justice and social welfare, budget advocacy, and parent and youth organizing. In 2004, she was appointed by Mayor Newsom as the director of the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF), where she developed innovative models for coordination, partnerships, service delivery, policy and civic engagement. Sheryl Davis is a passionate advocate for equity, and educational opportunity. Davis is the creator of Everybody Reads, a summer learning, family literacy and reading development initiative centering BIPOC youth. Throughout her career and many roles, she has continued to design programs and curriculum centered around social justice, racial equity, student wellness and achievement. Davis is an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco and senior advisor at the Institute for Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School. Ed Harrington was controller for the City and County of San Francisco from 1991 to 2008 and the general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission from 2008 to 2012. During that time he was also chair of the Water Utility Climate Alliance, president of the Government Finance Officers Association and a member of the Financial Accounting Foundation Board. Since his retirement Harrington has worked extensively with governmental and nonprofit organizations. He is on the boards of SPUR and the Children’s Funding Project and is an adviser to California’s Funding the Next Generation. Saidah Leatutufu-Burch, Ed.D. (“Dr. Sai”) is a Black and Indigenous Samoan organizer, cultural orator, and a dedicated disruptor of anti-Black racism and systems rooted in white supremacist ideology. A daughter of San Francisco, Dr. Sai values racial equity, justice, and the power of the people. Most recently, Dr. Sai served as the director of the Dream Keeper Initiative at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission—a $60 million-annual effort aimed at advancing prosperity, equity and community well-being across San Francisco’s diverse Black communities. Passionate, outspoken and insightful, Areva Martin is an award-winning civil rights attorney, national bestselling author and one of the country's leading influencers shaping public discourse on issues of race, politics and the law. She is the founder and managing partner of Martin & Martin, LLP, one of Los Angeles’ premier Black, female-owned law firms. She is one of the nation’s leading attorneys on reparations and restorative justice. Areva is an on-air legal commentator and host of the daily news and opinion streaming and radio talk show "Areva Martin in Real Time" on KBLA. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our online programming. This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:15:14

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CLIMATE ONE: Leah Stokes: 2024 Schneider Award Winner

1/10/2025
Every year we highlight the work of a scientist who excels in communicating their work to the world. Climate One is delighted to present the 2024 Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication to political scientist and energy expert Leah Stokes. Her rare ability to communicate complex information to both academic audiences and the general public has established her as one of the most influential voices in climate action and clean energy policy. “What I've started to think about is not how can I make my impact as small as possible, like a carbon footprint, trying to shrink, but actually how can I make my impact as big as possible by joining with others in campaigns to try to change policies and laws so that we're not just trying to make marginal, incremental improvements on a fossil fuel-based energy system, but actually change the system towards clean electricity,” she says. Guests: Leah Stokes, Anton Vonk Associate Professor at UC Santa Barbara; Senior Policy Advisor, Rewiring America; Co-host of the podcast “A Matter of Degrees” Rebecca Solnit, Author, journalist, and activist 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:56:14

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CLIMATE ONE REWIND: Geothermal — So Hot Right Now

1/3/2025
When most people hear the phrase renewable energy, they imagine fields full of solar panels or giant spinning wind turbines. But another source may be heating up: geothermal. Twenty years ago, it was thought that geothermal could provide at most 10% of any given area’s electricity, and only in very limited regions. There were also environmental concerns about depleting groundwater. But new technological advances may have unlocked the potential for scalable geothermal energy just about anywhere. And in a bit of irony, those technological advances came from the oil and gas industry. This episode originally aired February 23, 2024, and features content from contributing producer David Condos. Guests: Amanda Kolker, Laboratory Program Manager for Geoscience and Geothermal Technologies, NREL Jamie Beard, Founder of Project InnerSpace Lauren McLean, Mayor of Boise 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:55:55

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CLIMATE ONE REFRESH — Big Plastic: The New Big Oil

12/27/2024
Plastics are everywhere. And while we’ve known for a long time that plastics and our environment aren’t a good mix, it's becoming apparent that they’re massive climate polluters too. The production of plastics alone produces about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. After what is often a single use, the resulting waste continues releasing the greenhouse gasses ethylene and methane as it breaks apart. Yet, as petrochemical companies pay lip service ending fuel production, they are pouring resources into plastics production. How do we wrap up our reliance on plastics? This episode originally aired on May 10, 2024, following the fourth negotiating session of the Global Plastics Treaty. This update includes a new interview with David Azoulay on the latest treaty negotiations. Guests: Diane Wilson, Founder and Director, San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper Jane Patton, U.S. Fossil Economy Campaign Manager, Center for International Environmental Law Susannah Scott, Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara David Azoulay, Director of Environmental Health, Center for International Environmental Law 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:56:09

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Jeff Jarvis: How We Can Reclaim the Internet

12/23/2024
The internet stands accused of dividing us, spying on us, making us stupid, and addicting our children. In response, the press and panicked politicians seek greater regulation and control, which some fear could ruin the web before we are finished building it. Jeff Jarvis is convinced we can have a saner conversation about the internet. Examining the web’s past, present and future, he says that many of the problems the media lays at the internet’s door are the result of our own failings. The internet did not make us hate; we brought our bias, bigotry and prejudice with us online. That’s why even well-intentioned regulation will fail to fix hate speech and misinformation and may instead imperil the freedom of speech the internet affords to all. Jarvis says that once we understand the internet for what it is—a human network—we can reclaim it from the nerds, pundits, and pols who are in charge now and turn our attention where it belongs: to fostering community, conversation,and creativity online. Join us as he comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs and discusses these issues, raised in his new book The Web We Weave. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:02:00

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The Power of Human Connection: Photographer Harry Williams on the Michelle Meow Year-End Special

12/21/2024
Join us for our celebratory year-end Michelle Meow Show special. We'll start with a conversation with local photographer/artist Harry Williams, who photographs the people of San Francisco. We'll explore human connections and how community engagement can preserve our dignity and compassion for each other. We'll end our program with a special performance by SNOWW. Then stick around for a fun reception and holiday cheer. About the Speaker Harry Williams says his work "is rooted in capturing the resilience and humanity of marginalized communities, presenting them in a way that commands attention and challenges perceptions." He spent more than a year photographing on the corner of Jones and Ellis Streets in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, a neighborhood known for its abundance of single-occupancy residence (SOR) housing and its association with drugs and crime. "This body of work speaks to more than one community; it reflects a reality familiar to cities and small towns alike, where certain neighborhoods undergo shifts that can displace the people who have long called them home. As these areas change, often becoming less accessible to those who built their lives there, a profound cultural and personal loss occurs. . . . Through these images, I seek to preserve the spirit and stories of these communities, highlighting their strength and significance in ways that demand respect and remembrance. Ultimately, I hope that these monumental images confront viewers with both the beauty and strength of communities often sidelined, making space for empathy, connection, and reflection." SNOWW is a celebrated Chinese artist whose talents span electronic music production, DJing, singing, and songwriting. She is the founder of Fake Gentle and The Hormones bands, as well as the creative force behind the E-Motion label. With her distinctive musical style and a keen ear for melody, SNOWW has emerged as an influential figure in the contemporary electronic music scene. In SNOWW’s musical universe, the vast electronic soundscapes resonate like a storm of snow, seamlessly intertwining with her warm and evocative voice. Her work combines elements of Deep House, Chillwave, and classical music, crafting an immersive listening experience that feels both intimate and expansive. Her music takes listeners on a dreamlike journey, reflecting the harmony between the digital and natural worlds. As a devoted advocate for melody, SNOWW infuses her compositions with rich and intricate emotional layers. She brings a unique perspective to electronic and rock music, continually exploring diverse sound elements in her creations. In 2021 and 2022, SNOWW was invited to perform at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival for two consecutive years in its online showcases. The Commonwealth Club thanks Gilead Sciences, Inc. for its generous support of The Michelle Meow Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:15:32

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Week to Week Holiday Special: The New Era

12/20/2024
Join us in-person or online for the holiday special edition of our Week to Week political roundtable. We'll do a year-end wrap-up of political news, just one month after one of the most epochal elections in recent history. It's an understatement to note that we have many things to discuss—a new mayor in San Francisco, a new administration and Congress in Washington, a new political environment all around. Be around other politically interested citizens and we'll all examine what has changed, what hasn't, and maybe what should. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our online programming. 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

Duration:01:01:34

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CLIMATE ONE: This Year in Climate: 2024

12/20/2024
2024 set new records for extreme heat around the world in what is already the warmest decade on record. According to the World Meteorological Organization, sea-level rise and ocean heating are accelerating along with the loss of ice from glaciers. We continue to see extreme weather of all kinds wreak havoc on communities across the world. In spite of the growing disruption, countries continue to miss their self-imposed climate targets. And in November, the U.S. re-elected Donald Trump to the presidency, a move that will almost certainly slow the transition to cleaner forms of energy. And yet, the transition continues. As the year winds down, Climate One hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious look back upon recent climate progress and pitfalls and revisit some of our most illuminating interviews of 2024. Guests: Karen Hao, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic Shelley Welton, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Law and Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy Justin J. Pearson, District 86 State Representative, Tennessee General Assembly Aja Barber, Author, “Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change and Consumerism” Jamie Beard, founder of Project InnerSpace Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Climate Justice Activist Tzeporah Berman, Chair, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty John Morales, Hurricane Specialist, WTVJ NBC6 Miami Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California Emily Raboteau, Author, “Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against ‘the Apocalypse’” Jane Goodall, Ethologist, conservationist 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:03:20

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Craig Mundie with Sam Altman: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit

12/17/2024
In his final book, the late Henry Kissinger joined forces with two leading technologists to mount “a profound exploration” (says Walter Isaacson) of the epochal challenges and opportunities presented by the revolution in artificial intelligence—a breakthrough that they believe dramatically empowers people in all walks of life while also raising urgent questions about the future of humanity. Kissinger and his coauthors, technologists Craig Mundie and Eric Schmidt, argue that as AI absorbs data, gains agency, and intermediates between humans and reality, it will help us to address enormous crises, from climate change to geopolitical conflicts to income inequality. It might well solve some of the greatest mysteries of our universe and elevate the human spirit to unimaginable heights. But it will also pose challenges on a scale and of an intensity that we have never seen—usurping our power of independent judgment and action, testing our relationship with the divine, and perhaps even spurring a new phase in human evolution. Join us in person or online for this in-depth talk between Mundie and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, about charting a course between blind faith and unjustified fear while navigating the age of AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:00:16