Climate One

Cities around the country are reshaping their economies for a greener future. Mayors and chambers of commerce are promoting smart growth and moving toward cleaner energy, cleaner cars, and cleaner buildings, with or without support from Washington. On today’s show we discuss how local businesses and political leaders in red states and blue states are growing their economies, cutting carbon pollution, and preparing for the challenges of climate disruption in their own communities. Guests: Diane Doucette Co-Founder and Executive Director, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy Elizabeth Patterson, Mayor, Benicia, CA Carl Pope Former Executive Director, Sierra Club Rod G. Sinks City Council Member, Cupertino, CA This program was recorded live at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 4, 2017.

The Lone Star State leads the country in wind power, thanks to legislation signed by Governor Bush; clean energy has breathed fresh air into Texas’ economy. Kip Averitt, Former Chair, Texas Clean Energy Coalition Stephanie Smith. COO, Greencastle LLC Pat Wood III, Principal, Wood3 Resources This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 25, 2017.

What can you do if you care about putting your money to work toward a cleaner economy? Join us for a conversation on pressuring companies and personal brands. Host: Greg Dalton Guests: Shannon Coulter, Co-founder, #GrabYourWallet Annie Leonard Executive Director, Greenpeace USA This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 19, 2017.

Will the arrival of robotic cars lead to the blissful end of traffic? Or will they instead put drivers out of work and clog our streets more than ever before? Amory Lovins, Cofounder and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute Emily Castor, Director of Transportation Policy, Lyft Gerry Tierney, Associate Principal, Perkins + Will This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 12, 2017.

Can the far right and far left come together on clean energy? Join us for a meeting of the minds between staunch members of both the Tea Party and 350.org. Debbie Dooley, President, Conservatives for Energy Freedom, Co-founder, Tea Party Movement May Boeve, Executive Director, 350.org Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator (D) Rhode Island This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 29, 2017.

Cities are leading the way in the greening of America’s economy. From urban parks and farms to microgrids and living buildings, dynamic urban planning can adapt to changing coastlines and severe weather delivered by a volatile climate. But there’s a risk that green-living innovations become solely the domain of a privileged urban elite. On today’s show we hear how issues from transit to housing to jobs are all affected by our changing climate, and how states like California are working to ensure that everyone benefits from a greener economy.

Who is bankrolling our political system? Jane Mayer takes us behind the scenes to expose the powerful group of individuals who are shaping our country. Jane Mayer, Staff Writer, The New Yorker and Author, Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (Doubleday, 2016) This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 4, 2017.

Noted conservationist Jane Goodall talks about her life’s work, the link between deforestation and climate change and why she sees reasons for hope. Jane Goodall, Founder, Jane Goodall Institute; United Nations Messenger of Peace Jeff Horowitz, Founder, Avoided Deforestation Partners This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 3, 2017.

Our planet’s oceans drive our weather and generate much of our oxygen -- and they’re being severely impacted by climate change. What can be done about it? Liz Taylor, President, DOER Marine Peter Willcox, Captain, Rainbow Warrior, author, Greenpeace Captain: My Adventures in Protecting the Future of Our Planet (Thomas Dunne Books, 2016) Stiv Wilson, Director of Campaigns, Story of Stuff

Cigarette makers downplayed the dangers of smoking for decades with distracting science. How close is the link between tobacco denial and climate denial? Lowell Bergman, Investigative Journalist Stanton Glantz, Director, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, UCSF Kenneth Kimmell, President, Union of Concerned Scientists William K. Reilly, Senior Advisor, TPG This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 18, 2016.

The "Internet of things" promises a world with smart connected devices such as refrigerators that automatically order food and robots that anticipate our desires. On today’s show we hear how that vision is coupled with a push to run those machines, and our online lives, on cleaner power. California plans to get half of its energy from renewable sources but some advocates say the state should make a national statement by aiming for 100% clean electricity. Not everyone agrees on how the existing energy grid can integrate new technologies, or whether getting to 100% is even technically possible yet.

Today’s youth activists are speaking up and speaking out, pressing for more government action on climate change now to protect their future and ours. James Coleman, High School Senior; Fellow, Alliance for Climate Education Lou Helmuth, Deputy Director, Our Children's Trust Corina MacWilliams, Co-director, Earth Guardians 350 Club, South Eugene High School This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 9, 2016.

Communities of color are most affected by pollution, yet they’ve been overlooked by the green movement. How can we ensure environmental justice for all? Manuel Pastor, Director, University of Southern California Program for Environmental and Regional Equity Vien Truong, National Director, Green for All Miya Yoshitani, Executive Director, Asia Pacific Environmental Network This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 9, 2016.

An information war is raging in our country, in mainstream news and on social media. What is factual and what is an “alternative fact?” Do facts even matter? George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics, UC Berkeley Robert Rosenthal, Executive Director, The Center for Investigative Reporting This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 23, 2017.

Geoengineering may sound like science fiction, but there are many who believe we can -- and should -- be taking drastic measures to cool our planet down. Oliver Morton, Briefings Editor, The Economist; Author, The Planet Remade: How Geoengineering Could Change the World (Princeton University Press, 2015) Kim Stanley Robinson, Author, 2312 (Orbit, 2012) Ken Caldeira, Climate Scientist, Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 28, 2016.