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Climate One

Climate One

Climate One from The Commonwealth Club 901 Episodes Aug 21, 2026

Climate One is a podcast that explores the climate emergency through empowering conversations. Co-hosts Greg Dalton, Ariana Brocious, and Kousha Navidar discuss all aspects of the challenge, from the scary to the exciting, and from individual actions to systemic changes. The podcast aims to address the crisis by starting conversations about it.

Episodes

It’s Too Damn Hot… So What Can We Do?
It’s Too Damn Hot… So What Can We Do? Aug 21, 2026 3939 We all complain about the heat, yet it's a climate threat we routinely underestimate. In the U.S., extreme heat kills more people each year than floods, fires and hurricanes combined. About 16,000 excess deaths were recorded during Europe's June heatwave – a striking and tragic number. What does extreme heat do to our bodies, our wallets and our cities, and what can we actually do about it? 
ENCORE: Benji Backer and Katharine Hayhoe on Finding Common Ground
ENCORE: Benji Backer and Katharine Hayhoe on Finding Common Ground Aug 14, 2026 3743 At a time when nearly everything feels polarized, Benji Backer is trying to carve out a different path, one where caring about the natural world isn’t a partisan issue. As the founder of Nature Is Nonpartisan, he’s bringing together voices from across the political spectrum who might disagree on climate policy, but still share a desire to preserve public lands, wildlife, and the outdoors.  S
A Cancer Diagnosis Reframed How Ben Santer Thinks About Climate Science
A Cancer Diagnosis Reframed How Ben Santer Thinks About Climate Science Aug 7, 2026 3640 Atmospheric scientist Ben Santer pioneered the research that connects human activity to specific climate events. Now, pursuing treatment for a rare type of lymphoma, he sees his own diagnosis and his climate science as the same kind of detective work: using essential and basic science to conduct tests, read complex markers, and rule out every other cause. Even while ill, he's calling out efforts b
Hollywood, Baseball, Cage Fights, and… Climate
Hollywood, Baseball, Cage Fights, and… Climate Jul 31, 2026 3783 When it comes to climate, we have the facts, but we aren’t moving fast enough. So we need to get climate education and solutions into the places where people already spend their time. Pop culture offers endless opportunities to influence audiences – your favorite movie or TV character can feel like a friend whose views on climate might affect your own. In this episode, we connect moments like th
How Do I Say This…
How Do I Say This… Jul 24, 2026 3262 It’s becoming increasingly clear that how we talk about climate change matters as much as the science or policy itself. The words we use carry weight, and climate communicator Susan Joy Hassol says specific word choices, like “heat-trapping pollution” rather than “greenhouse gases,” can cut through polarization and help messages resonate with a wider range of people. Equally important is listening
Cleaner Steel is Coming. Will the Communities That Built the Industry Benefit?
Cleaner Steel is Coming. Will the Communities That Built the Industry Benefit? Jul 17, 2026 3388 Making steel accounts for around 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But the industry could reduce that number by removing coal from the steel-making process entirely. Three of the U.S.’s last seven coal-based steel mills are situated along Lake Michigan. Together, these facilities produce nearly half of the steel made in the U.S., supplying skyscraper beams, car doors, and appliances across t
Beyond the Rights of Nature: Land that Owns Itself
Beyond the Rights of Nature: Land that Owns Itself Jul 10, 2026 3824 The “rights of nature” is the idea that if a corporation can have legal standing as a person, why can’t a river or a mountain? Thomas Linzey, one of the early architects of a legal framework for granting rights to nature, now believes that structure doesn’t go far enough: Even when ecosystems are granted rights, the land is still owned by someone or some entity, even if that is a land trust or con
ENCORE Dead Heat: The Danger Of Home Power Shutoffs
ENCORE Dead Heat: The Danger Of Home Power Shutoffs Jul 3, 2026 3551 Summer is here, temperatures are rising — and so are electric bills. That also means many people are facing a severely overlooked issue: power shutoffs. According to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2024 utility companies disconnected U.S. households from electricity more than 13.4 million times due to a customer’s inability to pay. When that happens, people can’t turn on
When Your New Neighbor Is… a Data Center
When Your New Neighbor Is… a Data Center Jun 26, 2026 3700 Across the country, developers are racing to build huge new buildings to house computers to fuel the AI boom, creating an explosive demand for new energy. While some hyperscalers seek renewable energy, others are turning to fossil fuels. But concerns around high electric bills, air and noise pollution and water depletion have generated widespread community pushback against these giant facilities,
Making Solar Great Again
Making Solar Great Again Jun 19, 2026 3867 More and more, conservative voices are making the case that the U.S. can’t achieve energy dominance without solar power. Even the leading industry trade group is changing its strategy. Earlier this year, Politico reported that the American Clean Power Association launched the “American Energy First” campaign to engage Kellyanne Conway and conservative influencers like Katie Miller “to amplify the
Medium Rare: What’s Next For Meat?
Medium Rare: What’s Next For Meat? Jun 12, 2026 3901 Industrial agriculture accounts for a significant share of global emissions, but meat alternatives face real hurdles in becoming a mainstay of consumer diets. The hype around plant-based meat has cooled: hurt by price gaps, ultra-processed rhetoric, and culture-war politics around masculinity and food identity. Yet feeding a growing planet will require eating less beef, wasting less food, and prod
ENCORE: Cities Leading the Way
ENCORE: Cities Leading the Way Jun 5, 2026 3879 While the federal government has all but abandoned trying to address the climate crisis, cities around the world are stepping up. C40 is an international network of 97 cities representing 920 million people and 23% of the world’s economy. Seventy-three percent of these cities have already peaked their emissions. Here in the US, Climate Mayors is a bipartisan network of nearly 350 U.S. mayors, repr

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