Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Three decades after the end of the Cold War, the United States finds itself in a volatile rivalry with the other two great nuclear powers—Xi Jinping’s China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia—in a world far more complex and dangerous than that of half a century ago.

New Cold Wars—the latest from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author David E. Sanger—is a fast-paced account of America’s plunge into simultaneous confrontations with two very different adversaries. For years, the United States was confident that the newly democratic Russia and increasingly wealthy China could be lured into a Western-led order that promised prosperity and relative peace—so long as they agreed to Washington’s terms. By the time America emerged from the age of terrorism, it was clear that this had been a fantasy.

Sanger says now the three powers are engaged in a high stakes struggle for military, economic, political, and technological supremacy, with nations around the world pressured to take sides. Yet all three are discovering that they are maneuvering for influence in a far more turbulent world than they imagined.

Based on an array of interviews with top officials from five presidential administrations, U.S. intelligence agencies, foreign governments, and tech companies, Sanger confronts the era’s critical questions: Will the mistakes Putin made in his invasion of Ukraine prove his undoing and will he reach for his nuclear arsenal—or will the West’s famously short attention span signal Kyiv’s doom? Will Xi invade Taiwan? Will both men deepen their partnership to undercut America’s dominance? And can a politically dysfunctional America still lead the world?

From the battlefields of Ukraine—where trench warfare and cyberwarfare are interwoven—to the Taiwan headquarters where the world’s most advanced computer chips are produced and on to tense debates in the White House Situation Room, Sanger will explain America’s return to superpower conflict, the choices that lie ahead, and what is at stake for the United States and the world.

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In the early 1990s East Palo Alto was referred to as the “murder capital” of the United States. Thirty years later, the city has its youngest-ever mayor and has undergone a complete transformation, with zero homicides recorded in 2023. Mayor Antonio López believes that civics education and the energy of young people are keys to the continued growth of his city.

Mayor López, in conversation with Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ own Issabella Romo, talks about the role of a mayor, his path into politics, and how being a poet has shaped his leadership style. Mayor López talks to students about upcoming elections, the importance of civic discussion, and why young people matter in a democracy.

This program is part of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ civics education initiative, Creating Citizens.

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Batteries are a critical part of the transition away from fossil fuels. From electric vehicles to grid scale storage for wind and solar, demand for batteries is expected to grow 500% by 2030. In order to meet that demand, we’re going to need a lot more batteries. 

And while companies like JB Straubel’s Redwood Materials are building capacity for recycling, for now that means a lot more mining. With the battery supply chain only growing more critical as the electric vehicle market matures, we’re revisiting this critical episode from last summer exploring how to build a battery supply chain that meets demand while reducing harm.

Guests: 

JB Straubel, Founder and CEO, Redwood Materials 

Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance

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This episode was underwritten by ClimateWorks.

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Scientists have known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, critics say there has been a complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decisionmakers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the necessary systemic change?

Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action―but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. Spurred by the lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Join us as Fisher offers timely insights on how activist social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and create transformative climate action.

About the Speaker

Dana Fisher is director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her previous books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America and American Resistance: From the Women’s March to the Blue Wave. Her work has been profiled in the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Wired. She has appeared on ABC Nightline, Morning Joe, PBS Newshour, CNN, and on various programs on NPR, the CBC, and the BBC. She has published works in The American Prospect, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, The Nation, Business Insider, and at the Brookings Institution.

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We're honoring Southeast Asian thought leaders this year and will be having conversations with folks about their experiences and contributions as Southeast Asian artist and talent.

This program includes a traditional senior blessing ceremony, performances, and a reception featuring Thai, Cambodian, Lao and Burmese food.

About the Speakers

Neo-soul singer Bochan (Bochan Huy) is a Cambodian American artist based in Oakland, California. Born in Cambodia, her musical stylings and influence is a culmination of her experience as both a refugee and diaspora raised in the melting pot of the Bay Area. Bochan grew up singing in her father’s Cambodian American bands. Honoring traditional style and stepping bravely away, she ushers in a new musical age.

KP, also known as Khetphet Phagnasay, is a Lao-American actor, director, producer, and stuntman. He has worked on various projects, including the acclaimed Netflix series "Dahmer; Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," where he portrayed Sounthone, the father of a 14-year-old Laotian victim. He also shared a scene opposite Michelle Yeoh in The Brothers Sun.He has also been involved in films such as "God is an Astronaut," "Demon Fighter," "Street of Hope," and "Hollywood Road Trip," among others. He grew up in Oswego, Illinois, then moved to Waianae, Hawaii, before settling in Clovis/Fresno, California. He obtained his B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, and pursued further education in Asian Theatre, focusing on acting, at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. KP has also traveled to Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China as a performer.

Kevin Tancharoen is a director, writer, producer, and choreographer. His feature directing credits include Glee: The 3D Concert Movie for Fox and Fame for MGM. Tancharoen has directed multiple episodes of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., HBO Max’s Warrior, The Flash, 12 Monkeys, Titans, Amazon’s Prison Break event series and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. He most recently directed on "The Mandalorian" spin-off "The Book of Boba Fett" for Lucasfilm as well as directing and executive producing Thai Cave Rescue, a limited series at Netflix from Jon M. Chu and SKG. Prior to his film and TV directing career, he directed Britney Spears' "Onyx Hotel" tour, choreographing her "Me Against the Music" video; remixed projects for Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Tyrese; and contributed creatively to Britney Spears' "Dream Within a Dream Tour" and *NSYNC's "Pop Odyssey Tour.”

Our thanks for the generous support of The Bamboo Organization for making this program possible.

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Artificial intelligence can do some pretty amazing things, including for the climate. AI can help optimize the electric grid, make heating and cooling buildings more efficient, and pinpoint exactly where greenhouse gas emissions are coming from all around the world. 

On the other hand, the energy use of AI is massive and growing. A recent study estimates that in just a few years, the extra energy needed will equal whole countries the size of Sweden or Argentina. How do we make sure the benefits of AI outweigh its energy costs?

Guests

Karen Hao, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic 

Gavin McCormick, Cofounder and Executive Director, WattTime; Cofounder, Climate TRACE

Priya Donti, Assistant Professor, MIT; Co-founder and Chair of Climate Change AI 

Amy McGovern, Professor of Computer Science, University of Oklahoma 

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For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Anyone who has fallen off the conveyer belt of mainstream health care and into the shadowy corners of illness knows what a dark place it is to land. Where is the infrastructure, the information, the guidance? What should you do next? Susannah Fox draws on 20 years of tracking the expert networks of patients, survivors, and caregivers who have come of age between the cracks of the health-care system to offer a way forward. Covering everything from diabetes to ALS to Moebius Syndrome to chronic disease management, Fox taps into the wisdom of these individuals, learns their ways, and fuels the rebel alliance that is building up our collective capacity for better health.

Join us for a special online-only talk as Fox discusses the issues raised in her new book Rebel Health, an action-oriented and radically hopeful field guide to the underground, patient-led revolution for better health and health care.

Fox says the next wave of health innovation will come from the front lines of this patient-led revolution. Fox identifies and describes four archetypes of this revolution: seekers, networkers, solvers and champions. She has collected tips, such as picking a proxy to help you navigate the relevant online communities or learning how to pitch new ideas to investors and partners or new treatments to the FDA. On a systemic level, this “rebel health” movement is a competitive advantage for businesses, governments and organizations to understand and leverage the power of connection among patients, survivors and caregivers.

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Think you know the Bay Area? Our past is so much more diverse, more heartbreaking, and more inspiring than anything we are taught in school.

Join us as we explore some of these histories with Heather Bourbeau, Gary Kamiya, and Liam O’Donoghue, three locals who are deepening our understanding of and relationship to this place we call home.

Heather Bourbeau is an award-winning author whose latest poetry collection, Monarch, explores overlooked histories of the U.S. West where she was raised—California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Gary Kamiya is an award-winning journalist of “Portals of the Past” that ran for more than 10 years in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner.

Liam O’Donoghue is an award-winning journalist and hosts the “East Bay Yesterday” podcast.

MLF 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.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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From massive forest fires in California to hurricanes in Louisiana, receding coastlines in Massachusetts and devastated fisheries in Alaska, the climate catastrophe is already here.

Discussion of the climate crisis has always suffered from a problem of abstraction. Data points and warnings of an overheated future struggle to break through the noise of everyday life. Deniers often portray climate solutions as inconvenient, expensive and unnecessary. Many politicians, focused always on their next election, do not yet see climate as a winning issue in the short run, so they don’t take any action at all. But climate change, and its devastating consequences, has kept apace whether we want to pay attention or not.

CBS News national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti has seen that crisis unfold for himself, spending nearly two decades reporting across the United States (and the world) documenting the people, communities, landmarks, and traditions we’ve already surrendered. Vigliotti shares with urgency and personal touch the story of an America on the brink.

In his new book, Before It’s Gone, Vigliotti traces his travels across the country, taking him to the frontlines of climate disaster and revealing the genuine impacts of climate change that countless Americans have already been forced to confront. This is the story of America, and Americans, on the edge, and a powerful argument that radical action on climate change with a respect for its people and traditions is not only possible, but also the only way to preserve what we love.

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Is the future of San Francisco on the line right now? Since COVID hit, San Francisco has repeatedly made headlines across the world for the challenges the city faces. The pandemic, remote work, downtown retail woes and the perception of rising crime have all contributed to a “doom loop” narrative. In response, city boosters have acknowledged our city’s “boom and bust” cycles and looked forward to the city rising again.

Join Larry Baer, president and CEO of the San Francisco Giants, in conversation with NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai to explore how San Francisco’s business community is responding and how they propose to ensure the city’s best days are still ahead. As co-chair of Advance SF, Baer spearheads a group of business leaders born, raised and living in San Francisco, just like him, who are betting big on the city’s future.

From his work in the 1990s to keep the Giants in San Francisco to the Giants current role investing in and building Mission Rock, a new mixed-used neighborhood next to Oracle Park, Baer has been at the nexus of sports, business and innovation in the city for decades. And, of course, he will look ahead to the 2024 MLB season as it gets underway and we ask: Should we be betting big on the Giants?

A fourth-generation San Franciscan, Baer has gained a national reputation as one of professional sports visionaries leading the San Francisco Giants. Baer joined the team in 1992 as the executive vice president after he and Peter Magowan led the effort to assemble a new ownership group that kept the Giants in the city. A limited partner and board member of the ownership group, Baer was named CEO on January 1, 2012. In his first year as president and CEO, the Giants won their second World Series Championship in three years. In 2014, the Giants won their third World Series title in five years. Baer is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of the organization and serves as a key strategist and negotiator of the club’s major transactions.

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