Hollywood, Baseball, Cage Fights, and… Climate

Hollywood, Baseball, Cage Fights, and… Climate

Author: Climate One from The Commonwealth Club July 31, 2026 Duration: 1:03:03
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 this to the broader media environment shaping how we understand the world. Can you be masculine and care about the climate? Can watching a character take charge of the future onscreen actually change what people believe they can do in real life? And can the stories we consume ultimately shape public attitudes and even policy outcomes? Guests:  Allison Begalman, Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Context Collaborative; Co-founder, Hollywood Climate Summit Michael P. Haselhuhn, Associate Professor of Management, University of California, Riverside Brent Suter, Baseball player, Los Angeles Angels; EcoAthletes Climate Champion Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction  5:00 – Allison Begalman on why it’s important for climate to show up in popular culture 8:45 – Unpacking a climate-themed scene from the show “Hacks” 13:00 – Unpacking a climate-themed scene from “The Morning Show” 16:30 – Bringing new people in at the Hollywood Climate Summit 23:15 – Michael P. Haselhuhn on how men’s views on masculinity and climate change are linked 33:25 – Masculinity is multifaceted 34:30 – Kousha goes to an MMA cage fight to ask guys about their views on masculinity 40:15 – Brent Suter on where he got his nickname, “The Raptor” 42:00 – His reaction to seeing “An Inconvenient Truth” as a young person 44:00 – Speaking out against fossil fuel endorsements for pro sports 49:20 – Suter on how his faith drives his climate activism 54:30 – How Suter talks to his teammates about climate and the environment 57:40 – Climate One More ThingFor show notes and related links, visit our episode page at ClimateOne.org *** Join Climate One for an electric conversation on September 1 at 6 p.m. between PG&E CEO Patti Poppe and California State Senator Scott Wiener about energy affordability, outages, and whether cities like San Francisco are ready to break up with the investor owned utility model. Tickets available at climateone.org/events  *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. 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

The conversation about our changing planet is often reduced to headlines and political noise, but Climate One moves beyond that. Hosted by Greg Dalton, Ariana Brocious and Kousha Navidar, this podcast from The Commonwealth Club creates a space for the full, complex dialogue we need. Each episode features candid discussions with scientists, policymakers, activists, and thinkers who are on the front lines. The focus is on drawing connections-between personal action and economic systems, between daunting scientific reports and tangible community solutions. You’ll hear analysis that doesn’t shy away from the severity of our situation while actively exploring pathways for genuine progress, from technology and finance to culture and justice. This isn't about alarmism or easy answers; it's about equipping listeners with a deeper understanding of the intertwined challenges and opportunities. Tuning into this podcast means joining a crucial exploration of how we adapt, mitigate, and fundamentally rethink our relationship with the natural world. The dialogue here is built on the idea that confronting the climate emergency honestly, in all its facets, is the first necessary step toward shaping a livable future.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Climate One
Podcast Episodes
Beyond the Rights of Nature: Land that Owns Itself [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:44
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…
ENCORE Dead Heat: The Danger Of Home Power Shutoffs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:11
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…
When Your New Neighbor Is… a Data Center [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:40
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…
Making Solar Great Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:27
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 reporte…
Medium Rare: What’s Next For Meat? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:01
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 ga…
ENCORE: Cities Leading the Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:39
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 th…
Fighting Fire with Fiery Passion: 2026 Goldman Prize Winners [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:17
The Goldman Environmental Prize is known as the Nobel for grassroots environmental champions, for good reason. Award-winners are earth defenders, often bucking entrenched systems and powerful interests in order to protec…
Protest and Beyond: Annie Leonard On What You Can Do [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:39
Protest is the ultimate in equal-opportunity political action. As Annie Leonard, former executive director of Greenpeace USA says, "Making change is like laying a stone path across the garden. Peaceful protest may be eve…
Mother is Mothering [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:30
Sometimes mothers are biological; other times, they’re chosen. But often, they're the fiercest people you can have on your side. In this special Mother’s Day episode, we’ll hear stories about the vital role mothers and c…