Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

America’s National Parks are struggling to find a balance between the needs of a growing population and the desire to preserve our natural heritage.

A distinguished panel will discuss the impressive contributions the tiny state of Israel (known as the Start Up Nation) has made in finding and sharing solutions to big problems threatening the environment, health and economies throughout the world. In particular, DCG Baer will speak to how the government supports Israeli technology, research and development, as well as assisting other societies, such as California with our drought.

Can geo-engineering help us stave off even more dramatic climate disruption? Dr. Field and Dr. Neudermans will be interviewed by Gerald Harris, chair of The Commonwealth Club's Science & Technology member-led forum. He will inquire about the latest approaches to geo-engineering to address climate change, the need for such work, the risks involved and the potential benefits. Mr. Harris has been consulting to the electric power industry on long-term planning for more 25 years and has been an executive at both Bechtel Engineers and Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

It’s the 35th anniversary of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellows Program, the so-called “genius grants” that recognize exceptionally creative people who inspire us all. Past MacArthur Grantees include “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, choreographer Twyla Tharp and world wide web inventor Tim Berners-Lee. Join us for a fascinating conversation with MacArthur Fellows from the Bay Area about creative problem solving. Cecilia Conrad, managing director of the MacArthur Foundation, will talk with computer vision technologist Maneesh Agrawala and digital artist Camille Utterback. Mr. Agrawala is a computer scientist designing visual interfaces that enhance our ability to understand large quantities of complex information. Ms.Utterback is an artist who uses digital technologies to create visually arresting works that redefine how viewers experience and interact with art. Ms. Conrad will also discuss 100&Change, MacArthur’s new competition for a single $100 million grant to solve a critical problem of our time.

The vulnerability of minority communities has always been a big problem, but it is particularly so when fear exacerbates ignorance. Not long ago, it was Japanese Americans; now it is Muslims. Professor Bannai illuminates this theme through the story of Fred Korematsu, a 22-year-old Oakland welder who refused to comply with orders that led to the incarceration of more than 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry during World War II. In Korematsu v. United States­, the wartime Supreme Court rejected his challenge to the government in one of its most infamous cases. More than 40 years later, Professor Bannai was part of the legal team that successfully challenged Korematsu's conviction based on proof that the government had falsified the record. For Korematsu’s courage and for his work warning of the dangers of prejudice, President Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.

The dichotomy between good and evil was popular long before Zoroaster was born, and it will probably continue to be long after Manichaeism's last influences subside. But is evil a useful concept? Or an obfuscating one? The big solution to this big problem in understanding reality comes from comparing the concepts of good and evil to the less emotionally fraught concepts of hot and cold. They appear to be opposites at first, but are actually relative labels we apply to our experiences that depend both on an objective reality and on the relative perspective of the perceiver. Understanding evil this way vastly reduces the fears that have scared us silly for centuries, and provides a tremendous boost to the effectiveness of our pursuit of happiness—a big solution indeed.

It's general election time, and you don't want to take your eyes off of the presidential campaign now. We'll explore the biggest, most controversial, and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil, and have a good sense of humor. Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz!

Monday Night Philosophy contributes to our special August series with a close look at the resilience of slavery in the 21st century. Ending slavery was a 19th century obsession that appeared quite successful, as did the attempt to end intemperance. But was slavery, like drunkenness, just pushed underground when it was criminalized? The intense psychological desire for hierarchical status, and the economic desires that reinforce that, explain why slavery is as hard to eliminate as other social ills, as is evidenced by the continuing mass incarceration of African-Americans and the endurance of various forms of female slavery. The big solution to this big problem is an easily understood and almost as easily adopted perspective that effectively undermines the psychological need for hierarchy. There are also legal incentives, and technical half-solutions, which could help minimize the demand for enslaving each other in the meantime.

For more than 38 years, Talmage Boston’s vocation has been getting to the heart of his cases by asking the right questions—and not stopping until he gets them answered. He has been voted among the best lawyers in America since 2013 and is a seven-time recipient of presidential citations. Three years ago, he had an epiphany: What if he used his examination skills to go deeper into his lifelong avocation—the study of presidential history? He interviewed some of America’s leading presidential historians and presidential insiders, including former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, Pulitzer Prize-winners David McCullough and Jon Meacham, and New York Times best-selling historian Douglas Brinkley. In this historic election year, hear from this seasoned trial lawyer on the most important questions Americans should have about our commanders-in-chief.

California storms and droughts are getting more extreme, according to new research from Stanford examining recent rainfall patterns. The result is a new normal with fewer average years and more dry times and also more wet times. Other forecasters warn that California may be entering an extended period of drought known as a megadrought. Uncertainty about changing rainfall is a challenge for the state’s water system built on the predictable arrival of snow and rain. What is California doing to prepare for bigger storms and droughts? What can an average person to do use water more efficiently and think about the water embedded in their food? Join us for a conversation about California’s water future in strangely wet and dry times driven in part by the high-pressure system hanging off the coast called the ridiculously resilient ridge.