Published December 2, 2025, by The New Press, "The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late" by Judith Enck, Adam Mahoney, and Beyond Plastics is an

Published December 2, 2025, by The New Press, "The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late" by Judith Enck, Adam Mahoney, and Beyond Plastics is an Amazon Editors' Pick. This powerful investigation reveals plastic's devastating impact on human health and the environment, from poisoned oceans and polluted air to microplastic contamination and environmental racism.

The book critically examines plastic's paradox, challenging the belief that recycling alone can solve the crisis. Instead, it debunks industry claims and emphasizes the urgent need for action, offering practical solutions like a "household waste audit" to empower readers. Learn more at: beyondplastics.org/publications/problem-with-plastic-book (ISBN: 9781620979457).

Join us for a program with Oglala Lakota leader Jim Warne, co-presented by the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter. Warne, an award-winning filmmaker, discusses Native American history and

Join us for a program with Oglala Lakota leader Jim Warne, co-presented by the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter. Warne, an award-winning filmmaker, discusses Native American history and building relationships for climate progress.

Warne notes many Americans lack accurate Native American history knowledge, often receiving a narrow perspective despite over 550 tribes and 200 languages. He emphasizes historical inaccuracies contribute to an "ignorance by design," hindering understanding.

Explore more programs and support The Commonwealth Club. Subscribe for videos: YouTube, see upcoming events: Events, or become a member: Membership. Watch & Listen: Watch & Listen.

The East Bay Sanctuary, founded in 1982, assists refugees, particularly Maya, fleeing violence and persecution from Central America's Northern Triangle. With 5 attorneys, 9 paralegals, and

The East Bay Sanctuary, founded in 1982, assists refugees, particularly Maya, fleeing violence and persecution from Central America's Northern Triangle. With 5 attorneys, 9 paralegals, and volunteers, it has helped thousands, anticipating its 4,000th asylum case win this summer. Michael Smith, Director of the Refugee Rights Program, joined in 1984. An anthropologist, he has received awards from Helen Bamber, the Dalai Lama, and Berkeley Law for his work.

MLF Organizer Patrick O'Reilly presents Michael Smith. The Commonwealth Club of California, founded 1903, is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, hosting over 400 annual events. For more: Subscribe, Events, Membership, Donate, Watch & Listen.

Established in 1982, the East Bay Sanctuary assists Central American refugees, particularly Maya fleeing violence and racial persecution. Director Michael Smith, an anthropologist who joined in

Established in 1982, the East Bay Sanctuary assists Central American refugees, particularly Maya fleeing violence and racial persecution. Director Michael Smith, an anthropologist who joined in 1984, leads the Refugee Rights Program. With 5 attorneys, 9 paralegals, and volunteers, the sanctuary has aided thousands and expects to win its 4,000th asylum case this summer. Smith has received awards for his work with refugees and law students.

The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. Hosting over 400 annual events, it has featured a diverse array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt to Hillary Clinton, Martin Luther King, and Ronald Reagan.

The San Francisco Foundation and The Commonwealth Club of California hosted a discussion on Black communities' complex relationship with American land. This conversation explored systemic racism,

The San Francisco Foundation and The Commonwealth Club of California hosted a discussion on Black communities' complex relationship with American land. This conversation explored systemic racism, "food apartheid," and the vital role of the Black farming movement in fostering environmental sustainability and worker cooperatives to ensure healthy, local food access for all.

Executive Director Doria Robinson (Urban Tilth) and Andrea Talley (Mandela Grocery Cooperative) shared insights on farming and food access for BIPOC communities. Noted author Natalie Baszile (*Queen Sugar*, *We Are Each Other's Harvest*) moderated. This program was supported by San Francisco Foundation's Bay Area Leads donors. Become a member: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership

Climate change demands urgent action from the world’s largest corporate emitters and their investors. Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit, is at the forefront of this effort, driving progress at

Climate change demands urgent action from the world’s largest corporate emitters and their investors. Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit, is at the forefront of this effort, driving progress at the necessary speed and scale.

Mindy Lubber, CEO and President of Ceres since 2003, is a global thought leader inspiring institutional investors and corporate executives to integrate sustainability into decision-making. Under her leadership, Ceres has significantly grown in influence, helping shift the climate conversation to focus on jobs and the economy. She received the UN 'Champions of the Earth' award and was recognized on Barron’s list of most influential women in U.S. finance.

Prior to Ceres, Lubber served as a Regional Administrator at the U.S. EPA. This talk was given at a TEDx event. Learn more here.

"Two American Families: 1991-2024" is a "knockout documentary" (The New York Times) chronicling the economic struggles of two Milwaukee families—one Black, one white—over three decades. From

"Two American Families: 1991-2024" is a "knockout documentary" (The New York Times) chronicling the economic struggles of two Milwaukee families—one Black, one white—over three decades. From 1991 to 2024, the Stanleys and Neumanns have battled poverty amidst a changing U.S. economy, marked by global shifts and lower-wage work, raising unsettling questions about America's economic future.

With profound intimacy, this FRONTLINE film reveals how these families and their now-grown children have navigated six presidential administrations, facing continuous challenges. As Terry Neumann notes, "It's like we haven't come very far," yet Jackie Stanley declares, "I won't give up." Directed by Tom Casciato and Kathleen Hughes, it offers a powerful window into enduring hardship.

Fritjof Capra: Patterns of Connection

Join us for a virtual conversation with Fritjof Capra to discuss the evolution of his thought. In the late 1950s Capra read the work of Werner

Fritjof Capra: Patterns of Connection

Join us for a virtual conversation with Fritjof Capra to discuss the evolution of his thought. In the late 1950s Capra read the work of Werner Heisenberg, a founder of quantum mechanics, and quickly intuited connections between the discoveries of quantum physics and the traditions of Eastern philosophy. The result was his bestselling book, The Tao of Physics. His synthesis, which dispensed with the mechanistic worldview of Descartes and Newton in favor of a systemic, ecological one, has provided him with a different perspective on the life sciences, ecology and environmental policy.

Six decades later, Fritjof Capra remains at the crossroads of physics, spirituality, environmentalism and systems theory. Organized thematically and chronologically, the essays in Patterns of Connection document his revolutionary and far-reaching intellectual journey.

Founded in 1903, The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum.

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