Climate activist Greta Thunberg challenged world leaders at the Youth4Climate summit, criticizing their unfulfilled promises regarding the climate emergency. She dismissed their rhetoric as "blah, blah, blah," highlighting a lack of genuine action.

Thunberg called for constructive dialogue and urged media to prioritize reporting on politicians' deeds rather than their words. Her speech underscored the urgent need for tangible progress over mere platitudes.

Bryan Stevenson, acclaimed public interest lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, delivered the 2016 Anne and Loren Kieve Distinguished Speaker Lecture.

His address focused on race and the criminal justice system, followed by a roundtable discussion.

Bret Baier's *To Rescue the Republic* explores Ulysses S. Grant's critical role from the Civil War through Reconstruction and the 1876 electoral crisis. Grant led the Union Army to victory, advanced Reconstruction as President, and forged a compromise that saved the nation, albeit at a cost to civil rights.

This program, featuring Bret Baier and moderated by Melissa Caen, was part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series. Founded in 1903, the Club is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, hosting diverse speakers and over 400 annual events.

For more content: Subscribe, Upcoming Events, Become a Member, Donate, and Watch & Listen.

Join the Commonwealth Club's Virtual Gala on November 19 at 6 pm to celebrate women in science and medicine. Learn more at commonwealthclub.org/2021gala or text Club2021 to 41444 to register and donate.

Hear Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, the first African American female Superior Court judge in northern California, discuss her debut book, *Her Honor*. She will share insights from her five decades dedicated to justice, addressing system flaws and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, police accountability, and BIPOC communities. This "Good Lit" program exemplifies the Commonwealth Club's mission as the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum.

Join CCL's VP of Government Affairs, Dr. Danny Richter, for a training on Congressional dynamics and effective lobby meeting strategies. This session is highly recommended for those attending the November 2021 Lobby Meeting and Lobby Training #2.

The training covers current political dynamics, primary asks for both Democrats and Republicans, and how to maximize meeting effectiveness. Access additional resources, including the Q&A discussion, primary asks, presentation slides, and the CCL Community page, via the links below:

Q&A Discussion: https://vimeo.com/640472273 (separate video)
Primary Asks: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/237
Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/nov-asks-slides
CCL Community Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/459

This month's Big Tent Climate Talk featured Kyle Kammien, CCL's Senior Business Relations Manager, in conversation with Shannon Heyck-Williams, National Wildlife Federation's Senior Director on Climate and Energy Policy.

Big Tent Climate Talks are a new monthly series spotlighting climate leaders outside CCL. We believe effective climate solutions require diverse policies and perspectives, bringing together individuals from across the political spectrum. These talks foster collaboration and shared learning to advance climate action.

Join CCL, learn more about the National Wildlife Federation, or register for future Big Tent Climate Talks.

Join renowned climate scientist and CCL Advisory Board Member Dr. Katharine Hayhoe for an exclusive conversation about her new book, "Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World."

In "Saving Us," Dr. Hayhoe offers an optimistic, inclusive approach, demonstrating that climate change affects everyone. She argues that collective action arises from connecting with communities based on shared values, not doomsday scenarios.

Order the book here. Further resources include her TIME Essay, Global Weirding on YouTube, and Yale's Research. Dr. Hayhoe is Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a Texas Tech Professor.

Eight-year-old Bandi explains climate change, its global impact on children, and how kids can actively participate in climate action. His talk makes these complex issues accessible for young audiences.

Bandi is a precocious child who enjoys drawing, making origami, and outdoor activities. He watches science videos and aspires to become an engineer to solve pressing world problems. This talk was delivered at a TEDx event. Learn more at ted.com/tedx.

The concept of belonging might seem distant, but Lily, an IB student at NKCS, demonstrates its power through her experiences. At 14, she moved to an international boarding school in New York alone. A year later, COVID-19 prompted her transfer to NKCS. This journey taught her independence, resilience, and the profound meaning of choice.

Lily is an outgoing individual with diverse interests, including dancing, piano, and public speaking. She holds a Level 10 Chinese traditional dancing certificate and actively participates in speech competitions. Her talk explores how to acquire a sense of belonging and its benefits, drawing from her unique path. This TEDx event was independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx.

Parenting is a challenging journey, with parents often struggling to find the 'right' way to raise their children. Maaike suggests that a child's healthy future begins even before birth, highlighting the crucial role of parental habits.

Her TEDx talk, "Why a healthy future starts before birth," delves into this concept. This event was independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx.

Ari Matusiak is CEO of Rewiring America, a nonprofit dedicated to electrifying 121 million U.S. households. His work addresses the fact that 42% of energy emissions originate from home decisions like heating, cooking, and driving, aiming to launch a nationwide electrification movement.

He is also Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Purpose Venture Group, an advisory firm building community-centered ventures to combat climate and economic inequality. Matusiak brings nearly a decade of executive leadership in renewable energy and household electrification.

Previously, Ari served in the Obama White House as Special Assistant to the President, focusing on economic policy and private sector engagement. He is also Co-Founder and Chairman of Young Invincibles, a national nonprofit. Learn more about TEDx events here.

Dr. Judith Orloff, a *New York Times* bestselling author, teaches how to ignite empathy and intuition at work. She helps sensitive people thrive in an insensitive world, showing them how to manage emotions and intuition to avoid overload and burnout.

A psychiatrist and empath on the UCLA faculty, Dr. Orloff blends traditional medicine with intuition and energy awareness. She treats empaths and highly sensitive people globally through her private practice. Her work has been featured in O Magazine, Forbes, CNN, and NPR.

For more information, visit drjudithorloff.com. Moderated by Susie Ade.

Join the Commonwealth Club's Virtual Gala on November 19 at 6 pm to celebrate women's leadership in science and medicine. Raise a glass to Good Health! Learn more, register, or donate at commonwealthclub.org/2021gala or text Club2021 to 41444.

The Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, hosts over 400 annual events. Founded in San Francisco in 1903, we bring together 20,000 members and distinguished speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt to Hillary Clinton, fostering discussion on politics, culture, and society.

Explore more events, membership, and resources: Upcoming Events | Become a Member | Watch & Listen.

David Wessel's book, "Only the Rich Can Play," exposes the 2017 Opportunity Zone tax break. Intended to aid underserved communities, this initiative, passed with little scrutiny, primarily benefited wealthy areas like the Las Vegas Strip, allowing investors to avoid capital gains taxes.

Wessel's analysis details the program's failures and limited successes, offering lessons for better design. Join David Wessel (@davidmwessel) and Lenny Mendonca for an in-depth discussion on this system, which Wessel argues keeps the rich richer. This event was presented by The Commonwealth Club of California.

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Retired four-star U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, drawing on combat experience and work with business leaders, highlights a critical flaw in risk mitigation: focusing only on probability, not the management interface.

His new book, *Risk: A User’s Guide*, co-authored with Anna Butrico, offers a battle-tested system. It proposes a "risk immune system" through ten dimensions of control, enabling proactive anticipation and action against unforeseen challenges. Join General McChrystal to master the unknown.

For more, visit: YouTube | Events | Membership | Donate | Watch & Listen | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Human rights activists and business leaders Alex Gladstein and Fadi Elsalameen discussed Bitcoin's significance in the Middle East. Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and co-author of "The Little Bitcoin Book," connects dissidents with leaders to promote free societies.

Elsalameen, a critic of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, is known for pro-democracy and anti-corruption work, facing death threats. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the American Security Project. Jonathan Curiel moderated this October 18, 2021 event.

The Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's oldest public affairs forum, hosted this discussion. Explore more: Videos, Events, Membership, Donate.

Ahead of COP26, Miranda Schnitger (Ellen MacArthur Foundation), UK Climate Action Champion Nigel Topping, and Andrew Griffin (US State Department) shared their hopes for the conference's success and the circular economy's vital role in combating climate change.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK charity dedicated to accelerating the transition to a circular economy through business, learning, insights, and communications.

Explore our work at ellenmacarthurfoundation.org. Subscribe for more videos on YouTube. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

This month, CCL's Senior Business Relations Manager Kyle Kammien spoke with Shannon Heyck-Williams, National Wildlife Federation's Senior Director on Climate and Energy Policy.

Big Tent Climate Talks are a new monthly series featuring climate leaders outside of CCL. We believe solving climate change requires diverse policies and perspectives, bringing together people from across the political spectrum. These talks aim to foster collaboration and learn how we can all work better together.

Join CCL: https://cclusa.org/join
National Wildlife Federation: https://nwf.org/
Register for future talks: https://cclusa.org/bigtent

The food system contributes up to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, significantly impacting climate change. Transforming our diets is a crucial individual action. In this talk, Alina offers practical ways to change what we eat to benefit the climate.

Alina, a 6th grader at York House School, is an avid debater, public speaker, and classical pianist who also enjoys skiing and badminton. Her presentation was given at an independently organized TEDx event. Learn more at TEDx.

The pandemic accelerates the transition to digital and virtual health services. This talk explores current and proposed patient-centric solutions, emphasizing how new generations can drive technology for increased safety and satisfaction.

Rohan Mathur, MHA, PMP, from Moffitt Cancer Center's Enterprise Project Management team, will speak at TEDxUSF. With a vast background in clinical and administrative settings and degrees from USF and UCF, Rohan offers innovative ideas for the future of patient-centric care.

This independently organized TEDxUSF talk explores healthcare's future. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx.