Commonwealth Club of California on 89.5-1

The nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The Commonwealth Club presents over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy to its 15,000 members, and a nation-wide public radio audience.

Wednesday May 1  David A. Stockman

Former U.S. Congressman; Author, The Great Deformation: How Crony Capitalism Corrupts Free Marks and Democracy

Stockman, one of the architects of the Reagan Revolution, says that crony capitalism has made fools of us all, transforming Republican treasury secretaries into big-government interventionists and populist Democratic presidents into industry-wrecking internationalists. Stockman will discuss where he believes capitalism went wrong in this country and how it might be restored. His analysis questions the assumptions of Keynesians and monetarists alike, arguing that both "liberal" and "neo-conservative" interference in markets can be damaging and often dangerous. Stockman was elected as a Michigan congressman in 1976 and joined the Reagan White House in 1981.

Wednesday May 8  Deborah Tannen: Can We Talk? What’s Really Going on in the Conversations Between Parents, Partners, Co-workers, Sibs and Kids!

University Professor, Georgetown University; Author; Poet; Essay Writer

Tannen is the author of You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, which was on the New York Times bes- seller list for nearly four years. Specializing in explaining how conversational style - how you say what you mean - can make or break relationships, she has examined conversations between men and women, mothers and daughters, co-workers, lovers, and siblings  Her insights aim to help all of us understand what is really going and provide ways to make things better. Her many books include You Were Always Mom’s Favorite!: Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives and You’re Wearing THAT?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation. Tannen is university professor at Georgetown University and has authored many scholarly books and articles as well as plays, poems, short stories and personal essays.  

Wednesday May 15  Pipeline Paradigm

Sam Avery, Author, The Pipeline and the Paradigm

Greg Croft, Lecturer, St. Mary’s College of California

Cassie Doyle, Consul General of Canada in San Francisco

Dan Miller, Managing Director, Roda Group

In a world still largely dependent on fossil fuels, calls for a transition from the fossil fuel economy have been met with considerable resistance. The Keystone XL pipeline and the Canadian tar sands have become symbols of the dissension over America’s energy future.

What would the pipelines mean for both the American and Canadian economies? If the tar sands are further developed what will be the climate impacts? A conversation on matching energy supply and demand in a carbon constrained world.

Wednesday May 22  Kenneth Feinberg: The Master of Disasters

Attorney; Author, What Is Life Worth?

Prominent alternative dispute mediator and attorney Feinberg has negotiated settlements in some of the most challenging and emotional crises of our times. The American Bar Association called Feinberg “the Master of Disasters”. Feinberg was dubbed “The Pay Czar” for his hands-on administrative work in the federal bailout assistance program called TARP and has taken on similar tasks for the September 11th Compensation Fund and the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund. He is currently working out settlements in Aurora, Colorado, for the victims of the mass shooting there. Penn State has hired him to help create a victim fund in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky case. He does many pro-bono projects including, after the Virginia Tech shootings, setting up a Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

Wednesday May 29  Barney Frank, Former Member of Congress

Former Member of Congress (D-MA)

First elected to Congress in 1980, Frank gained a reputation as a forceful legislator and a pragmatic politician whose intellect and sense of humor has made him one of the most influential and colorful figures in Washington. In 1987, Frank became the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as openly gay, and in 2012 he married his longtime partner, becoming the nation’s first congressman in a same-sex marriage while in office. Don't miss this chance to get up close and personal with the legendary legislator as he delves into his decades in political life, his ideas about current economic realities and his ambitions for the future.

Wednesday June 5  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Let's Talk Trash

Jared Blumenfeld, Pacific Southwest Administrator, EPA
Bea Johnson, Author, Zero-Waste Home
Shauna Sadowski, Sustainability Director, Annie’s
Mike Sangiacomo, President and CEO, Recology Inc.
Joel Makower, Chairman and Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group Inc. - Moderator

Imagine a world in which nothing goes into a landfill or an incinerator, one where all of our discarded materials become resources for others to use. It may sound impossible, but Zero Waste proponents disagree. Across the nation, policymakers, business leaders and individuals are reinventing their relationship to waste in incredibly innovative ways – from outlawing the use of plastic bags to designing responsible product packaging to wearing water-less denim. Innovators are coming to understand that the pathway to a sustainable future can be paved with more than just recycling bins and compost heaps; they say it requires us to take a close look at the ecosystem that we’ve all played a part in creating. A San Francisco urbanite, an infrastructure expert, a business sustainability director and a political leader show us the 30,000-foot view of a sustainable city and dive into the everyday actions that could move us toward a zero waste future.