Climate One

Pope Francis’ bold statement on global warming has prompted a discussion of stewardship across faiths. Can his upcoming visit change the climate in Congress? Rev. Canon Sally Bingham, Founder and President, Regeneration Project Father Paul Fitzgerald, President, University of San Francisco Sam Liccardo, Mayor, San Jose, California This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on September 10, 2015.

From fisheries to food safety, California drought to Toledo tapwater, the EPA is waging the battle against climate change both domestically and globally. Gina McCarthy, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on May 13, 2015.

China is both our economic competitor and an ally in the climate change fight. But can it reduce its carbon footprint while lifting its people out of poverty? Henry Paulson, Former United States Secretary of the Treasury and author of “Dealing with China: An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower” (Twelve, 2015) This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 28, 2015.

From hurricanes and superstorms to drought, fire and floods -- what’s causing our country’s extreme weather events, and how can they be prevented? Louise Bedsworth, Deputy Director, California Governor's Office of Planning and Research Kathryn Sullivan, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hunter Cutting, Director of Strategic Communications, Climate Nexus This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 3, 2015.

Our next program is all about water. We love gold. We fight over oil. But we can not live without water. And as snowpacks melt and aquifers drop, water is slipping through our fingers. How can we make the best use of this most precious resource in our cities and down on the farm? We can’t find solutions if we can’t face the issues. And talking about climate change can be a conversation killer. But it’s easy to talk about the weather. And the increasingly wild weather can give us an opening to talk about the bigger issue of climate disruption.

Sure, there are climate deniers – but even those who accept global warming as reality often fail to act on it. What will inspire both awareness and change? George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics, UC Berkeley; Author, Don’t Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate (Chelsea Green, 2004) Kari Norgaard, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Oregon; Author, Living in Denial: Climate Change, Emotions and Everyday Life (MIT Press, 2011) Per Espen Stoknes, Economist; Psychologist; Author, What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming (Chelsea Green, 2015) This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on May 12, 2015.

As the drought drags on, water is becoming an ever more precious resource. It’s time to rethink the ways that we use, reuse, share, sell and save every drop. Anna Michalak, Faculty Member, Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science Martha Davis, Executive Manager for Policy Development, Inland Empire Utilities Agency Abrahm Lustgarten, Reporter, ProPublica Tamin Pechet, CEO, Banyan Water and Chairman, Imagine H2O David Sedlak, Professor of Mineral Engineering and Co-director of Berkeley Water Center, UC Berkeley

As the Asian economy booms, its people have paid the price in polluted air and water. Can business and government solve Asia’s environmental problems? Mark Clifford, Author, The Greening of Asia: The Business Case for Solving Asia’s Environmental Emergency (Columbia University Press, 2015) Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society in New York Stella Li, Senior Vice President, BYD Company Ltd.

Climate change is more than a plot device – it’s our reality, and the signs are all around us. Can Cli-Fi help rally the troops in our battle to save the planet? Jason Mark, Editor, Earth Island Journal Kim Stanley Robinson, Author, 2312 (Thorndike Press, 2015)

Fossil fuels are at the core of the climate challenge. Even Saudi Arabia’s oil minister has said the fossil fuel merry-go-round will wind down one day. But are companies actually going to leave their oil, coal and gas assets in the ground? That won’t make stock holders very happy. As we look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint familiar culprits come to mind: the car’s tailpipe, the air conditioner, even our hamburger. But our laptops? Really? How much of a carbon impact are we making from posting, liking, tweeting and buying online? Climate One explores the path to a clean and cool planet.

Who’s really wasting our water? As the state heats up, so is the finger-pointing. Can Californians come together to find solutions to the drought? Ellen Hanak, Senior Fellow and Center Director, Public Policy Institute of California Felicia Marcus, Chair, State Water Resources Control Board Paul Wenger, President, California Farm Bureau Federation Marguerite Young, Director, Ward 3, East Bay Municipal Utility District Board This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on June 30, 2015.

Ride-sharing, biking, bussing – when it comes to getting around, there’s a growing menu of ala carte wheels to choose from. Can we curb our cars for good? Tom Nolan, Chairman of the Board, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Jeff Hobson, Acting Executive Director, TransForm Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Staff Reporter, San Francisco Examiner Padden Murphy, Head of Public Policy & Business Development, Getaround Chakib Ayadi, Executive Board Member, San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance Ozzie Arce, driver for Lyft This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on June 22, 2015.

Many Silicon Valley companies have committed to going 100% renewable. What are Facebook, Ebay and Yahoo! doing to build a cleaner, greener digital world? Gary Cook, Senior Policy Analyst, Greenpeace International Lori Duvall, Global Director, Green, eBay Christina Page, Global Director, Energy and Sustainability Strategy, Yahoo! Bill Weihl, Sustainability Guru, Facebook This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 3, 2015.

Past conferences have failed to reach consensus on addressing climate change. Can the Paris summit produce a lasting, effective and equitable solution? Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change William K. Reilly, Senior Advisor, TPG Capital This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on June 16, 2015.

As supply grows and demand decreases, oil prices are dropping by the barrel. Are we truly in a “carbon bubble”? What can we do to protect our investments? Kurt Billick, Chief Investment Officer, Bocage Capital Anthony Hobley, CEO, Carbon Tracker Initiative Anne Simpson, Director of Global Governance, CalPERS This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 12, 2015.