Public Affairs (Audio)

The ocean is a critical component of climate solutions. Not only does the ocean have the potential to provide food security, but it can provide critical minerals for the energy transition, species with biopharmaceutical and biotechnology potential, a source of income through sustainable tourism, and innovation of renewable power technologies. Samantha Murray, Executive Director of the Marine Biodiversity and Conservation program at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Amanda Netburn, Assistant Director for Ocean, Science and Technology for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, discuss how further exploration of the ocean may help scientists learn more about future climate solutions and improve biodiversity conservation. Series: "Institute of the Americas" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 38165]

The U.S. is blessed with stable neighbors to the south and north. Despite the polarization of immigration issues along the southern border, Mexico is the indispensable ally of the U.S., according to Rafael Fernandez de Castro,

director of UC San Diego's Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies. Mexico is the top U.S. trading partner with over 6 million American jobs dependent on trade in goods and services with our neighbor to the south. Mexico also plays a substantive role in migration and border affairs. Series: "Triton Talks" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38070]

For San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, public office is about the opportunity to improve the lives of the people he serves. Fletcher's road to public service is grounded in a difficult upbringing where he and his mother endured domestic violence and poverty in the South. He worked during high school to support his family, went to college on a football scholarship and served a decade in the Marine Corps. Fletcher says looking forward and a commitment to community is important. As the leading face of San Diego's COVID-19 response plan, Fletcher acknowledges how difficult the pandemic has been on people, from health care workers to parents to small business owners. He says many challenges - homelessness, poverty, mental illness and high cost of housing - remain, and he is committed to continue to fight forward. Series: "Triton Talks" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38069]

The State of California has been steadfast in battling climate change and has passed several pieces of legislation including the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 which established a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all sources throughout the state. California is at the forefront of working towards 100-percent renewable energy by 2045. Siva Gunda, the Vice Chair of the California Energy Commission, and Wade Crowfoot, the Secretary of California Natural Resources Agency, discuss lessons learned from the state's adaptation to the growing threat of climate change and the action policymakers are taking to prevent that threat from growing. Series: "Institute of the Americas" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 38164]

The United States Southern Command's (USSOUTHCOM) is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central and South America, and the Caribbean. USSOUTHCOM is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the Department of Defense. While regional security is an important aspect of its mission, climate change is having an affect on its area of responsibility. Climate change is impacting our national security and the security of our partners and allies. USSOUTHCOM's area of responsibility faces increased demand for humanitarian and disaster relief assistance during a hurricane season that could see a record number of storms. This comes as several Central and South American countries face a drought. Former U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay, Leslie Bassett moderates a discussion with the commander of USSOUTHCOM, GEN. Laura Richardson who underlines the effort being made to help combat climate change in the region. Series: "Institute of the Americas" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 38163]

In California, the car is king. Most travel is conducted by car across all socio-economic groups and has been incentivized by massive government investment in roads, infrastructure, and sprawling land use developments. Will gas-fueled cars continue to dominate the roads or do we need an alternative transportation future? How can we redesign our transportation system to reduce chronic traffic congestion, promote healthier environments, reduce the cost of travel, and provide greater mobility between work, home, and play for all? Series: "Design at Large" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Business] [Show ID: 38118]

Spanning nearly 63 million square miles from California to China, the Pacific Ocean is by the far the largest of the world's ocean basins. The Pacific contains more than half of the free water on the planet and is the deepest ocean on Earth. Climate change impacts are being felt around the globe, but what do we do about it? Much of the ocean is still waiting to be explored, but human activities like industrial fishing, deep-sea mining, and fossil-fuel burning are changing it in significant ways. Scripps Institution of Oceanography professor Brice Semmens moderates a discussion with NOAA Administrator, Richard Spinrad and State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary of Ocean, Fisheries and Polar Affairs, Maxine Burkett on the State of the Pacific Ocean and how the hemisphere can work together to combat the growing effects of climate change. Series: "Institute of the Americas" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 38162]

This program looks at education and how the brain of adolescents primes them for learning. Caroline Hoxby, professor of economics at Stanford University and one of the world’s leading scholars in the field of education economics, says investing in education in early adolescents can have profound impacts on the continuation of learning through teenage years and beyond. She says that more education leads to social cohesion, advancing economic opportunity, reducing inequality and decreasing geographic and political polarization. This discussion includes commentary by Jan-Werner Müller, Erik Hurst, and Silvia Bunge. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 37733]

One of the world’s leading scholars in the field of education economics, Caroline Hoxby’s lectures draw upon economics, neuroscience, and education. She shows that early adolescence is the point at which most people either join the path towards advanced cognitive skills or not. Hoxby argues that it is imperative to invest in early education. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 38061]

One of the world’s leading scholars in the field of education economics, Caroline Hoxby’s lectures draw upon economics, neuroscience, and education. She shows that early adolescence is the point at which most people either join the path towards advanced cognitive skills or not. Hoxby argues that, in a highly industrialized economy like that of the United States, it is not unreasonable for people on the non-advanced-cognitive-skills path to exhibit “economic fatalism” — despair at their long-term economic prospects. This may explain patterns in persons’ susceptibility to populism and political movements that promise to insulate them from the world economy. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 37731]