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Climate One

Climate One

By: Climate One from The Commonwealth Club
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We’re living through a climate emergency; addressing this crisis begins by talking about it. Co-Hosts Greg Dalton, Ariana Brocious and Kousha Navidar bring you empowering conversations that connect all aspects of the challenge — the scary and the exciting, the individual and the systemic. Join us. Subscribe to Climate One on Patreon for access to ad-free episodes.Copyright © Climate One from the Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. All rights reserved. Earth Sciences Politics & Government Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • CEO of Nation’s Biggest Utility Talks Affordability, Fires, Outages, and Public Outrage

    CEO of Nation’s Biggest Utility Talks Affordability, Fires, Outages, and Public Outrage
    Oct 23 2026
    After PG&E pled guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the 2018 Camp Fire, Patti Poppe was brought on as the utility’s new CEO. Her stated mission: to fix it. Now, rising electricity prices, repeated power outages, and the growing impact of climate change have put PG&E in the crosshairs of the public and legislators. Again. This summer, California lawmakers rejected a bill that would have capped the utility’s liability if their equipment sparks another fire. In response. PG&E announced it would defer roughly $2 billion in capital investments planned for 2027 as it works to strengthen its finances and, in Poppe’s words, “reinvent” the company. That means plans to connect new housing projects, clean energy initiatives, and some technology upgrades may be put on hold. In a climate-changed world, is the investor-owned utility model still sustainable? Are utilities putting too much emphasis on profits at the expense of maintenance? And how do utilities across the country balance the needs for affordability, reliability, and climate resilience? Guests: Patti Poppe, CEO, Pacific Gas & Electric Ryan Reed, Co-Founder, FireGeneration Collaborative Kyle Trefny, Seasonal wildland firefighter; Co-Founder, FireGeneration Collaborative For show notes, transcripts, and related links, visit our episode page. 00:00 – Introduction 03:30 – PG&E CEO on rising costs of electricity 06:50 – Is PG&E beholden to Wall Street instead of Main Street? 10:00 – Why the utility hasn’t put more power lines underground 12:00 – Poppe on how data centers could help normal ratepayers with lower costs 19:00 – Can the grid handle all this new demand from data centers and electrification? 20:45 – Wildfire risk and liability 27:30 – Customer outrage about power outages, more calls to break up PG&E 30:00 – How much would it cost for San Francisco to buy out PG&E 32:00 – Lightning round 40:00 – Ryan Reed and Kyle Trefny on history of wildfire and fire suppression 45:00 – Reed and Trefny on the work of FireGen Collaborative 49:00 – “Good fire” versus catastrophic, climate-fueled wildfires 57:00 – Climate One More Thing On November 5 at 5:30 p.m., join Climate One and the Children & Nature Network for an evening with Richard Louv, author of the internationally bestselling Last Child in the Woods. Tickets are available at climateone.org/events Support Climate One by going ad-free! Subscribe to Climate One on Patreon for exclusive access to all future episodes, free of ads. Sign up today. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Kate Marvel on Fear, Wonder, and Leaving NASA

    Kate Marvel on Fear, Wonder, and Leaving NASA
    Oct 16 2026
    Climate scientist Kate Marvel made headlines this year when she publicly resigned from NASA, drawing coverage from Bloomberg to The New York Times. Marvel says her resignation wasn’t newsworthy on its own. What made it notable is that she was one of more than 10,000 Ph.D. scientists to leave the federal government during President Trump’s second term, part of what she calls a “mass nerd exodus.” She is now senior climate scientist at Project Drawdown and author of “Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet.” Marvel argues that scientists need to stop hiding their feelings behind the data. “When we pretend we don’t have emotions, that’s not making us more credible, because that’s lying,” she says. “You can feel a whole range of human emotions and still get the numbers right.” Guests: Kate Marvel, Senior climate scientist, Project Drawdown; author, “Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet” Michael McPhaden, Senior oceanographer, University of Washington For show notes, transcripts, and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Highlights: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:24 Kate Marvel on if leaving NASA was newsworthy 00:08:05 Kate Marvel on why science should be publicly funded 00:12:18 Kate Marvel on “emergency break” solution 00:15:01 Kate Marvel on why feelings are a major topic in her book 00:18:11 Kate Marvel on which emotion was hardest to write about 00:23:06 Kate Marvel on which emotion isn’t discussed enough 00:26:27 Kate Marvel on when she felt wonder 00:30:36 Kate Marvel on how to talk about climate change 00:33:28 Kate Marvel on why it’s not too late 00:37:18 Michael McPhaden on this year’s El Niño 00:39:40 Michael McPhaden on the hurricane season 00:41:06 Michael McPhaden on the Climate change and El Niño connection 00:46:12 Michael McPhaden on what people should look out for ****** On October 20 at 6 p.m. join us, in partnership with The Redford Center, for a screening of the short film In Earth We Trust, followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, the film’s central figure, and other faith leaders. Tickets available at climateone.org/events On November 5 at 5:30 p.m., join Climate One and the Children & Nature Network for an evening with Richard Louv, the internationally bestselling author of Last Child in the Woods. Tickets available at climateone.org/events Support Climate One by going ad-free! Subscribe to Climate One on Patreon for exclusive access to all future episodes, free of ads. Sign up today. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • We Got $9.99 Problems, and Energy is One

    We Got $9.99 Problems, and Energy is One
    Oct 9 2026
    The war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz created a global energy supply crisis. And while gasoline prices didn’t reach the extreme highs some predicted a few months ago, the global markets are still in flux. “What has been disrupted most is the confidence in the old energy system where you could reliably and affordably dig up a source of energy thousands of kilometers away from where you expected to ignite it and expect that process to be smooth,” says Gerald Butts, chairman of political risk consultancy the Eurasia Group. What has the war in Iran meant for energy markets? How much have shortages and price spikes pushed more companies and countries toward renewable energy? As China reaps the benefits of decades of investment in clean tech and renewable energy, will the U.S. be left behind? Guests: Gerald Butts, Chairman and Senior Advisor, The Eurasia Group Scott Marlow, Founder and CEO, Long Rows Consulting; Agricultural policy expert Alex Wang, Law Professor, UCLA; Faculty Co-Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Last decade of geopolitical turmoil on energy markets 07:00 – Responses of countries like Canada, China 13:30 – Risks of the U.S. being “Overpowered” according to The Eurasia Group 17:30 – Decarbonization is happening but it’s going to be slower than science demands 21:00 – How high diesel prices impact farmers 27:00 – How farmers cope with all the pressures of their business plus climate impacts 33:00 – We’re on the cusp in major change in how we farm in U.S. – Scott Marlow 42:00 – Alex Wang on China’s pivot towards pollution reduction and investments in clean tech 49:45 – How China flexed its oil demand during recent global energy crisis 54:00 – Last few months showcase two different paths towards energy supplies between China and U.S. For show notes, transcripts, and related links, visit ⁠⁠our episode page. *** Join us on October 14 at 6 p.m. for a conversation with PG&E CEO Patti Poppe on energy affordability, outages, and public outrage. Tickets available at climateone.org/events *** On October 20 at 6 p.m. join us, in partnership with The Redford Center, for a screening of the short film In Earth We Trust, followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, the film’s central figure, and other faith leaders. Tickets available at climateone.org/events *** On November 5 at 5:30 p.m., join Climate One and the Children & Nature Network for an evening with Richard Louv, the internationally bestselling author of Last Child in the Woods. Tickets available at climateone.org/events *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! Subscribe to Climate One on Patreon for exclusive access to all future episodes, free of ads. Sign up today. *** Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
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