Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

The Longevity Project explores the drivers of the length of life. It also examines the quality of life in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Lebanon, Israel and Tunisia. A goal is to explain how the Mediterranean diet is a transnational, intangible asset that can prolong life when combined with biodiversity, healthy lifestyles, beauty and art. Eating together is the basis of the cultural identity and continuity of the communities in the Mediterranean Basin. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the values of hospitality, neighborhood, intercultural dialogue and creativity, and it represents a way of life guided by respect for diversity. The Longevity Project features expert scientists, chefs, authors, researchers, celebrities and locals to discover the secrets of longevity. Recent film clips from Mediterranean locations will be screened and discussed. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Robert Kilpatrick MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As national politics face a pivotal transformation in the buildup to the 2020 presidential election, a human rights crisis at the border and multiple environmental issues, how are political leaders responding to the nation’s most pressing issues? Representative Ted Lieu from California is an outspoken leader of the Democratic Party and is on the front lines of tackling climate change, spearheading legislation on cybersecurity, and advocating for the rights of veterans, ethnic and racial minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. As a former active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force and a first-generation immigrant, Lieu has become a national spokesperson on national security and foreign affairs as well as contemporary civil rights. Join Lieu for an important conversation about democratic accountability and American privacy in the age of social media, Trump and political polarization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans spend $56 billion attending sporting events each year — but at what cost to the climate? From stadiums packed with energetic fans to food, beer, and waste, athletics can have a big carbon footprint. But sports franchises are learning that culture can have a bigger impact than carbon, with many embracing sustainability in venue design, waste, water, energy and food operations. Could the core values of athletics — integrity, teamwork, and commitment — be the same values we need to tackle the climate challenge? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zero for Zeros is a new campaign that seeks to convince companies that have declared themselves LGBT allies to end their donations to anti-LGBT members of Congress. Are corporations caught between conflicting needs to curry favor with lawmakers and to attract customers? How can businesses have consistent social policies? Lane Hudson is an activist whose exposure of Rep. Mark Foley's behavior helped lead to the congressman's resignation. Now he manages the Zero for Zeros campaign. Come learn about the campaign, and bring your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Highly respected, frequently provocative, always challenging, Harvey Rose has survived the drama and intrigues of San Francisco City Hall politics for many years as San Francisco's most highly respected, independent budget and legislative analyst. As part of a valued San Francisco institution, no financial or legislative detail escaped Rose’s attention. In his straightforward talk, Rose will discuss work and the critical need for independent view of San Francisco's money, politics and the work of city hall, supervisors, commissioners, legislators and mayors. MLF Organizer:Ann Clark MLF: Environment & Natural Resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's in our food and how it's grown has a profound impact on the health of our communities. Schools and hospitals are an increasingly critical intervention point for food access and long-term food systems shifts. Food and health issues are set against a seemingly paradoxical backdrop: One in eight Californians face hunger because of distribution and incentive problems. At the same time, one in four Californians suffer from diet-related diseases, directly related to social inequality, poverty and food availability. Learn more from California leaders who are improving lives and working to ensure the success of ecological farming through the food reaches the forks of families. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Cathy Curtis MLF: Food Matters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every breath you take has the power to heal, but learning how to breathe takes practice. In her book Breathwork, established yoga and breathwork teacher Valerie Moselle leads you through a practical program to boost your energy and physical health. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One young scholar noted his peers weren't represented in his university, and he set out to do something about it. As a queer Latinx person from Kerman, CA, Michael Pina understands the homophobic and racial bias that students can face when applying to different universities and scholarships. So he created Central Valley Scholars as a way to help minority students from his own communities with their college, student aid and Dream Act applications. Keeping everyone in mind, Michael has created a safe space for the undocumented community, the disabled community, the queer community, people of color, and more. As part of his work in Central Valley Scholars, Michael has created the first-ever LGBTQ+ scholarship in the Central Valley. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Talbot is a fifth-generation San Franciscan who began developing The Last Black Man in San Francisco with his childhood friend and star Jimmie Fails after leaving high school early to pursue film. Talbot, a Sundance Institute fellow, wrote and directed the acclaimed short American Paradise, which was shown at Sundance and SXSW. His feature-length debut was The Last Black Man in San Francisco, a movie that captures the past and present of this fast-changing city through the tale of Jimmie and his best friend Mont, who set out to reclaim the house Jimmie grew up in. And just added to our program: Star Jimmie Fails. Fails most recently starred in A24's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which made its debut at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Joe Talbot, Fails' best friend and longtime collaborator, directed the film with Plan B producing. It is a fable-like story based on Fails' life and the gentrification of San Francisco. It is his feature-length acting debut. **This program contains some explicit language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carbon offsets have been called everything from a band-aid solution to “the best thing a consumer can do right now.” A new service even offers customers a monthly subscription to offset their carbon footprint. Meanwhile, offset providers are scrutinized for transparency, and purchasers are criticized for using them as a get-out-of-jail-free card. In the race to bring carbon emissions to zero, are offsets a legitimate tool, or a delusion that allows heavy emitters a way out of taking real action? What impact does purchasing offsets have on poorer communities? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices