CLIMATE ONE: Fighting Fire with Fiery Passion: 2026 Goldman Prize Winners

CLIMATE ONE: Fighting Fire with Fiery Passion: 2026 Goldman Prize Winners

Author: Commonwealth Club of California May 22, 2026 Duration: 53:47
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 protect and restore the natural environments we all depend on. This week we feature conversations with two of the 2026 Goldman Prize winners:  Iroro Tanshi, a tropical conservationist and bat ecologist who rediscovered a species that hadn't been seen in half a century. When climate-amplified wildfire threatened to destroy her new find, she built a community movement to virtually eliminate the wildfire risk.  Sarah Finch, a tireless environmental advocate who spent years in English courts using planning law as a defense against the fossil fuel industry. She won a major UK Supreme Court ruling, a ruling that is already constraining oil, gas, and coal development across the country.   What can we learn about passion, persistence, and collaboration from these two advocates? Guests:  Iroro Tanshi, Tropical Conservationist Sarah Finch, Environmental Campaigner For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit https://climateone.org/podcasts Highlights: 00:00 Intro 03:01 Iroro Tanshi on Warri, Nigeria and the oil industry 05:37 Iroro Tanshi on becoming interested in bats and the forest 09:24 Iroro Tanshi on finding a bat species once thought extinct 14:03 Iroro Tanshi on when a wildfire tore through the research site 19:20 Iroro Tanshi on the wildfire risks of forests in equatorial Africa  20:50 Iroro Tanshi on working with the community to address the wildfires 23:01 Iroro Tanshi how to scale what she’s learned world-wide  24:40 Iroro Tanshi on what bats can teach people about being human 27:17 Sarah Finch on realizing the far reaching implication of her work 30:49 Sarah Finch on why the legal argument finally worked  34:42 Sarah Finch on getting the confidence to go after big oil  44:43 Sarah Finch on how a group of people can make a real difference  ********** 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 at ⁠patreon.com/ClimateOne⁠.  Ad sales by ⁠Multitude⁠. Contact them for ad inquiries at ⁠multitude.productions/ads⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly a century, the Commonwealth Club of California Podcast has served as a vital platform for civic dialogue, directly from the nation's largest public affairs forum. Each episode captures live, thoughtful conversations with leading voices from across the political spectrum and various fields, all committed to exploring the most pressing issues of our time. As a nonpartisan and nonprofit operation, the Club’s priority is substance over soundbite, fostering a depth of discussion that is increasingly rare. You’ll hear authors, policymakers, scientists, and cultural figures engage in nuanced debates and detailed analyses, reflecting a genuine diversity of perspectives. This isn't just a recording of events; it's an ongoing, accessible chronicle of American and global thought. The audio you find in this podcast feed originates from the longest-running weekly radio broadcast of its kind in the United States, a tradition started in 1924, now shared with a modern audience. Updated frequently throughout the week, the feed ensures you have direct access to a forum where complex ideas about government, society, and current events are given the time and respect they deserve. Tune in for a consistently enlightening experience that challenges assumptions and provides context far beyond the daily headlines.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast
Podcast Episodes
CLIMATE ONE: ENCORE: Cities Leading the Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:09
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…
Safe Play: Creating Inclusion in Sport [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:52
Pride House SF and Commonwealth Club World Affairs are proud to assemble three hour-long events designed to showcase the importance of celebrating self and sport. Using the backdrop of this summer’s global soccer event—a…
Fake News for Good? Reporting from the Future to Save Democracy Today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:41
When the news moves faster than we can process it, how do we grasp what any of it actually means for our lives? And what happens when that overwhelming feeling isn’t accidental, but rather a deliberate political strategy…
Dion Lim: My Fight for Asian America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:43
February 24, 2020, started out like any other day for journalist and television anchor Dion Lim of San Francisco’s ABC News. Planning her pitches for the morning’s editorial meeting, she checked her Instagram account and…
Why We Run: A Special AAPI Month Program [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:46
Join us for a special AAPI Month program featuring prominent Bay Area Asian American elected officials. We'll hear from BART Board Director Janice Li, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, and San Mateo County Democrat…