Climate One At The Commonwealth Club

How far would you go to make your voice heard on climate change? College student Tim DeChristopher disrupted an auction for oil and gas leases - and landed in prison. Georgia Hirsty and other Greenpeace activists suspended themselves from a Portland bridge to protest an oil rig bound for the Arctic. Such extreme activism gets headlines, and sometimes results. But is radical civil disobedience the most effective weapon for change? Or is collaborating with corporations to encourage sustainable practices a better way to make a difference? Guests: Tim DeChristopher, Founder, Climate Disobedience Center Georgia Hirsty, National Warehouse Program Manager, Greenpeace Brendon Steele, Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Future 500 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Green New Deal in the national spotlight, a vigorous debate is happening: how ambitiously and broadly must the U.S. act on climate? Are issues like economic equity, job security and public health outside the frame of climate action — or fundamental to its success? Greg Dalton welcomes two key members of President Obama’s climate team: former White House Science Advisor John Holdren and former U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, in a special program recorded at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Cambridge, Massachusetts. John Holdren, Former Science Advisor to President Obama, Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at Harvard Kennedy School of Government Gina McCarthy, Former U.S. EPA Administrator; Director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Production of animal protein is producing vast amounts of climate-eating gases. But a new generation of companies are creating innovative food products that mimic meat and have much smaller environmental impacts. Some of this mock meat is derived from plants with ingredients designed to replicate the taste and pleasure of chomping into a beef hamburger. Others are growing meat cells that come from a laboratory and not a cow. Could these and other culinary innovations wean Americans away from their beloved hot dogs, hamburgers and tuna melts, reduce our impact on the planet, and help feed the world’s growing population? Guests: Patrick O. Brown, CEO and Founder, Impossible Foods Carolyn Jung, Journalist/Blogger, Foodgal.com Mike Selden, CEO and Co-founder, Finless Foods Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite having the top-selling luxury car in 2018, and a loyal if not rabid customer base, Tesla has been facing major challenges. In August, maverick CEO Elon Musk was slapped with SEC charges over some rather misleading tweets. That move cost him and the company millions in fines and forced Musk to step down as chairman. Other skidmarks for Tesla include production delays, shareholder skittishness and some well-publicized workplace complaints. Host Greg Dalton invites three journalists and Tesla-watchers to assess the health of Tesla, its overall impact on the auto industry and its future as a leader in the green economy. Guests: Hamish McKenzie, Author, “Insane Mode: How Elon Musk's Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution to End the Age of Oil” (Dutton, 2018) Lora Kolodny, Tech Reporter, CNBC Katie Fehrenbacher, Senior Writer & Analyst, GreenBiz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to get people off their phones and into the outdoors? Research has shown the deleterious effects of electronics on weight, sleep, and cognitive development in children, who in 2018 spend four hours or more each day glued to screens. Other barriers like income and proximity to nature make access to the outdoors extremely challenging for some families. Meanwhile, doctors have started prescribing hikes over medications, and terms like “forest schools” and “unstructured playtime” are new buzzwords. So how do we encourage outdoor curiosity and conservation in a generation raised on screen time? Guests: Phil Ginsburg, General Manager, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Rebecca Johnson, Co-Director, Citizen Science at the California Academy of Sciences Nooshin Razani, Pediatrician and Founder/Director of the Center for Nature and Health at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Dalton sits down for a rare interview with newly-confirmed U.S. EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler on cars, coal, and climate. Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, responds to Wheeler’s position on vehicle standards, and discusses her agency’s role leading a group of states in contesting the Trump administration’s revised auto emissions rules. Also featuring Albert Cheung of Bloomberg New Energy Finance on the future of personal mobility, and Helen Clarkson of The Climate Group on getting some of the world’s biggest companies to commit to 100% renewable energy. Guests: Andrew Wheeler, Administrator, U.S. EPA Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, Bloomberg New Energy Finance Mary Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board Helen Clarkson, CEO, The Climate Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last five years have been the hottest on record globally. But this past winter, plunging temperatures, snowstorms and torrential rains throughout the country have a lot of people questioning the reality of climate change. If the planet is warming up, why is the Midwest suffering record cold temperatures? Climate scientists, communicators and educators join us to talk about about why, after one of the hottest years on record, the country has suddenly gone into deep freeze. On today’s Climate One: climate science explained, and climate myths debunked. Guests: Katharine Mach, Senior Research Scientist, Stanford University Ben Santer, Climate Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory David Fenton, Founder, Fenton Communications Ann Reid, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From floods and fires to heavy snow and hurricanes, recent years have brought a raft of extreme weather disasters costing the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars in damages. How do we fight back? The mayors of three cities on the front lines of climate change – Houston, Miami, and Columbia, South Carolina – discuss what their cities are doing to recover, rebuild and prepare for the next mega-storm. And Seattle Times reporter Jon Talton explains why he thinks fighting climate change should be our biggest priority. Guests: Jon Talton, Economics Reporter, Seattle Times Steve Benjamin, Mayor, Columbia, SC Francis Suarez, Mayor, Miami, FL Sylvester Turner, Mayor, Houston, TX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fighting climate change isn’t cheap. Where’s the money coming from? Major philanthropic organizations like Hewlett and Bloomberg are at the forefront of addressing climate change, but could smaller funders be more in touch with grassroots needs? Are big donors out of touch – or just stretched too far? Where is the money coming from, where is it going, what are the biggest wins and what missteps are being made along the way? Greg Dalton is joined by donors big and small for a discussion on harnessing the power of the purse in the fight against climate change. Guests: Tate Williams, Science and Environment Editor, Inside Philanthropy Larry Kramer, President, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Farhad Ebrahimi, Founder, Chorus Foundation Sarah Shanley Hope, Executive Director, The Solutions Project Dan Chu, Executive Director, Sierra Club Foundation Joe Speicher, Executive Director, Autodesk Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just ten years ago, an entire state running on 100% renewable electricity seemed fanciful. But this dreamy vision became reality when, with the backing of big utilities, California committed to 100% use of zero-carbon electricity by 2045. A statewide pledge to go carbon-neutral by 2045 raised the stakes even higher. So what will it take for California to achieve such a feat? Will Governor Gavin Newsom embrace climate initiatives started by former Governor Jerry Brown? Join us in a discussion of California’s surprise gambit to take the world’s fifth largest economy to net zero. Guests: John Hofmeister, Former President, Shell Oil Company; Founder and Chief Executive, Citizens for Affordable Energy Bob Holycross, Global Director, Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters, Ford Motor Company Mary Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us find it daunting to talk with our neighbors, colleagues and family members about climate change. But climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says that having those difficult conversations is the first step towards solving the problem. Hayhoe is known as a “rock star” in the climate world for her ability to talk to just about anyone about global warming. She is joined by Stanford atmospheric scientist Noah Diffenbaugh for a conversation about communicating climate change in transparent, engaging, and accessible ways. Guests: Katharine Hayhoe, Professor and Director, Climate Science Center, Texas Tech University Noah Diffenbaugh, Kara J. Foundation Professor and Kimmelman Family Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to cutting emissions, there are many paths to success. Sweden, France, South Korea, and Ontario have all taken steps to replace fossil fuels with nuclear, hydro and renewable energy, while China is expanding electric car and battery production. But the absence of U.S. climate leadership is causing heads of state to ease off their goals, and violent protests in France against higher diesel taxes are casting a shadow over efforts to combat climate change. Join us for a discussion about who’s moving ahead and who’s moving backward in the transition to a clean energy economy. Guests: Sonia Aggarwal, Vice President, Energy Innovation Joshua Goldstein, Professor Emeritus of International Relations, American University Staffan Qvist, Consultant, Qvist Consulting Limited Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over a century ago, the industrial revolution brought wealth and opportunity to a generation of American innovators. It also brought us dirty coal power and a sky clogged with carbon emissions. The good news? There’s a new generation of entrepreneurs eager to make their fortune by fighting global warming. Creative start-ups are coming up with fresh, climate-friendly ideas for getting around town, powering your cell phones, and even eating breakfast. And there are a growing number of forward-thinking venture capitalist firms eager to seek out and nurture those innovative thinkers Guests: Lidiya Dervisheva, Associate, G2VP Davida Herzl, CEO and Co-Founder, Aclima Gabriel Kra, Managing Director, Prelude Ventures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can changing our consciousness hold off the climate apocalypse? When we think about the enormity of climate change and what it’s doing to our planet, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, even shut down, by despair. But is despair such a bad place to be? Or could it be the one thing that finally spurs us to action? A conversation about climate change, spirituality and the human condition in unsettling times. Guests: Roy Scranton, Author, "We're Doomed. Now What?" (Soho Press, 2018) Matthew Fox, Co-Author, "Order of the Sacred Earth" (with Skylar Wilson, Monkfish, 2018) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate change isn’t just an environmental problem – it’s also a health hazard. Air pollution and changing weather patterns give rise to heat-related illnesses, asthma and allergic disorders. Hurricanes and other disasters leave hospitals scrambling to save patients without power and resources. According to the Centers for Disease Control, insect-borne diseases have tripled in the United States in recent years – and warmer weather is largely to blame. Jonathan Patz, of the Global Health Institute calls climate change “one of the most important public health challenges of our times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In its infancy, the Paris Agreement carried the promise of a truly global climate solution. Supporters still say the Agreement is the first step in setting the global economy toward a sustainable future, but U.N. reports now say current commitments are only a fraction as strong as they need to be, and critics say it's dangerously delusional to think the pact is ambitious enough to avoid catastrophic climate change. Katharine Mach, Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University, and Trevor Houser, Partner at the Rhodium Group, join host Greg Dalton for a Paris checkup, three years on. Guests: Katharine Mach, Senior Research Scientist, Stanford University Trevor Houser, Partner, Rhodium Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The math is clear: lowering greenhouse gas emissions is not enough to keep the earth below 1.5 degrees Celsius of post-industrial warming. The latest science states that actively removing carbon from the atmosphere — storing it in rocks, soil, trees, and even turning it into products like concrete — is critical to restore the carbon and energy balance. To keep our planet from dangerous levels of warming, we’ll need to go carbon negative. Which natural and technological approaches are the most promising? Three experts and host Greg Dalton discuss the necessary negatives for a stable climate. Guests: Noah Deich, Executive Director, Carbon180 Diana Donlon, Director, Soil Centric Mike Biddle, Managing Director, Evok Innovations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re making a list (and checking it twice) of 2018’s biggest climate stories, with the help of Vox reporter David Roberts. Roberts notes that while President Trump’s continued rollbacks of environmental protections made the news, the Green New Deal and ongoing decline in costs of clean energy technologies are the year’s big stories. For other parts of the country, wildfires and other extreme weather events made the biggest headlines. Greg Dalton talks to some of California’s leading wildfire experts about how to adapt to the “new abnormal” of more intense and more frequent wildfires. Guests (in order of appearance): David Roberts, Staff Writer, Vox J. Keith Gilles, Chair, California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection; Professor of Forest Economics, UC Berkeley Maggi Kelly Professor and Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Environmental Science, Policy and Management Department, UC Berkeley Thom Porter, Chief of Strategic Planning, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Learn

We all know about the environmental and physical effects of climate change. But what about its impact on our mental health? Therapists report that their patients are exhibiting symptoms of what they call “climate anxiety” – loss of sleep, changes in appetite, feelings of grief, anger and hopelessness. How do we maintain our optimism in the face of a global existential crisis? And how do we talk with others about our fears without turning them off – or freaking them out? Three climate psychologists discuss how to cope with mounting anxiety brought on by climate change. Guests: Renee Lertzman, Climate Engagement Strategist; Author, Environmental Melancholia: Psychoanalytic Dimensions of Engagement (Routledge, 2016) Leslie Davenport, Psychotherapist; Author, Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change: A Clinician’s Guide (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017) Bryant Welch, Clinical Psychologist; Author, State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind (2018) Learn more about y

From fires and floods to hurricanes and hot temperatures, 2018 put climate on the front page in ways it hadn’t been before. Yet amidst the disruption, clean energy prices continued to fall, climate-conscious technologies continued to progress, and people living on the front lines of climate change found ways to adapt and thrive. Join us for a look back on some of our most memorable conversations of 2018. Guests (in order of appearance): Lizzie Johnson Scott Stephens Francis Suarez Steve Benjamin Sylvester Turner Solomon Hsiang Katherine Mach Arlie Hochschild Eliza Griswold Debbie Dooley Christine Pelosi Christiana Figueres Roy Scranton Davida Herzl Gabriel Kra Lydia Dervisheva Mike Selden Patrick Brown Sanjay Dastoor Megan Rose Dickey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices