In 2007, Greg Dalton and a group of Commonwealth Club members visited the Arctic Circle aboard...
- Cruising 55
- In a striking change from years past, US automakers stood with President Obama last year to support the biggest increase in auto fuel economy standards ever. The new rules call for a fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, which means about 43 miles per gallon in real life driving. California is joining the parade to higher efficiency this year. How will automakers meet the new requirements? Which companies have an edge? Will consumers have more choices for gas hybrids and pure electric...
- From Durban to Rio
- For the first time ever, developing and industrialized countries are crawling together toward a new treaty to reduce greenhouse gases. While there is serious doubt that a meaningful global deal will ever materialize, supporters of the UN process find hope in an agreement struck in Durban to craft by 2015 a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol. Others say that bureaucratic process will not produce a deal with teeth in time to avert climate catastrophe, and that bilateral and industry-focused...
- Covering Carbon
- California’s scheme to reduce carbon pollution is forging ahead even though Washington DC and other states have hit the brakes on similar efforts. How is the state’s main climate law (AB 32) holding up in a national political environment hostile to any environmental regulations? How well is the mainstream news media covering the complex and murky world of carbon trading? Is the media giving people who deny basic climate science too much voice? We’ll discuss the news media and...
- GM CEO, Dan Akerson
- The American auto industry is adding jobs and helping spur sluggish economic growth. Does that mean General Motors is on track to pay off its government loans this year? Can the Chevy Volt overcome its battery problems and drive the “new GM” into the future? China is looming as a big market and also a source of powerful new competitors. A simmering trade spat threatens to complicate matters. Will China beat the U.S. in the race to develop and deploy cleaner transportation...
- Speaking Youth to Power
- From courtrooms to diplomatic enclaves, youth advocates are clamoring to make their voices heard. Climate Progress dubbed 21-year-old college student Abigail Borah the “Durban Climate Hero” for her appeal for faster action at a recent UN climate conference. Other advocates are filing suits claiming the U.S. and state governments have a legal responsibility to protect the atmosphere for future generations. Join us for a conversation with youth trying to build a cleaner future...
- Water World
- Wild weather and growing population are increasing stress on global fresh water supplies. Scientists project more extremes of both too much water in some places and other times not enough. In the United States, aging infrastructure is in need of upgrade but cash-strapped governments have little appetite for big ticket items these days. And then there’s the need to adapt California’s water capture and storage systems to the climate-driven new normal. Is there a global water crisis?
