Best and Brightest … Genius — Esquire

A once-in-a-lifetime game-changing advance
in our field everyone else will follow
— Marshall Goldsmith

Astrophysicist turned new media whiz — NBC

Passionate … confident … — Forbes

You don't just learn theory from
him, you improve your life.
— Inc.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard University, Standford University, Princeton University, MTV, IBM, US Army

My Mission

My mission is to help change American (and global) culture on sustainability and stewardship from expecting deprivation, sacrifice, burden, and chore to expecting rewarding emotions and lifestyles, as I see happen with everyone I lead to act for their intrinsic motivations.

In my case the emotions have been joy, fun, freedom, connection, meaning, and purpose.



Systemic change begins with personal change.

Some of my values. What are yours?
Months living off the grid in Manhattan: 22 (and counting)
Loads of garbage I filled in 2024 so far: 0
Loads of garbage I filled in 2023 so far: 0
Loads of garbage I filled in 2022: 0
Loads filled in 2021: 0
Loads filled in 2020: 0
Loads filled in 2019: 1
Loads filled in 2018: 1
Loads filled in 2017: 1
Days picking up litter: 2,528 and counting
Years not flying: 8 and counting
2024 grid electric grid use at home: 0 kilowatt-hours
Annual carbon emissions: about 1 ton
Daily burpees: 226,671 and counting
Resting pulse: 47 bpm

LATEST BLOG POSTS

One of my rock bottoms, learning beyond just showing up.

on March 27, 2024 in Fitness, Stories

A friend told me about a difficult situation for himself at work. The person he reports to suggested that he lacked assertiveness. He listened to being told the information calmly, but when he reflected afterward, he felt a lot of different things, including feeling “twisted up inside” and “frustration, anger, disappointment, feeling misunderstood.” I can’t say for sure if he would benefit from learning the skill of assertiveness or whatever[…] Keep reading →

Do people binge on food or only doof?

on March 26, 2024 in Addiction, Doof, Fitness

I don’t use refined oils at home and try to avoid them elsewhere. I attended a catered event and ate a noodle dish with a lot of oil and nearly no vegetables. They served grilled vegetables that were also covered in oil. The noodle dish was very palatable, in that it gave me pleasure to swallow it down my throat. It didn’t actually taste that good. It just prompted me[…] Keep reading →

More fun overcoming solar challenges, this time in Washington Square Park

on March 25, 2024 in Leadership, Nature

Yesterday was sunny. I went to Washington Square Park. I had been scheduled to meet a friend in the park before the problem with my roof arose so combined activities. We spoke about an hour. I think he enjoyed seeing everyone approach and hearing their questions and my answers. Right off the bat several people asked me about it. Some were interested, some just curious, some weird. So far only[…] Keep reading →

This week’s selected media: March 24, 2024: The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Elliot

on March 24, 2024 in Tips

This week I finished: The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Elliot, by Russel Kirk: I learned of this book from the Conservatism 101 course I wrote about in last week’s selective media post. I read the book partly to learn, partly to see what of conservative values, history, and philosophy might resonate with sustainability. It turns out plenty. I read some online but mostly listened to twenty hours of its[…] Keep reading →

Year 9, day 1 not flying

on March 23, 2024 in Addiction, Leadership, Nature

I last flew March 23, 2016. If I calculated right, today begins Year 9 of not flying. I expected that first year to be the worst of my life. Now I see flying as tearing families, communities, and nations apart. Everyone thinks of flying as bringing them to distant family members. What scattered the family in the first place? You didn’t bike away from your family. Likewise with feeling nature[…] Keep reading →

Not giving up, day 2 without roof access. Others can give up; not yet me.

on March 22, 2024 in Blog

On my second day suddenly without roof access, I went out in the morning to the bench, came back in to go to the bathroom and eat lunch, then changed strategies from before. First, I ran into my building’s handyman, who mentioned he knew a few superintendents on the block, so he may be able to put me in touch with people who can give me access to nearby roofs.[…] Keep reading →

More solar challenges. Not giving up.

on March 22, 2024 in Leadership, Nature

My building is doing construction so I don’t have roof access. Do I give up? Hell no! That’s what everyone else is doing and it’s making them miserable. And killing people (and wildlife). I have to figure out something longer term, maybe getting certified to go into a construction site (I’ve been trained and certified for things like it before, when my first company, Submedia, constructed our displays in subway[…] Keep reading →

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