Category Archives: Nature
I spoke at the Sustainable Speakers Club, a Toastmaster event in the UK, on how to lead on sustainability and how not to. The theme was Transformational Projects the Motivate. It’s tempting to think giving people facts and numbers will motivate them, but it rarely does. Learning their intrinsic motivation and helping them achieve what they already wanted to helps more. I share a story illustrating how action leads to[…] Keep reading →
I was talking to someone who pollutes more than most people while being aware of environmental problems. She bought a luxury SUV and flies around for fun. She compares herself to people who pollute and deplete more and says, “I’m not as bad as them” and concludes that she’s one of the good ones—which doesn’t follow, logically. In the course of conversation, she said about her unsustainable practices, “. .[…] Keep reading →
Quadrillions of pieces of plastic apparently aren’t enough. We keep making more. I’ve written about how every single item in every cart I saw in a trip to a supermarket was packaged, mostly in plastic. I wrote: For an informal survey, I went to a supermarket to observe the items in at least 100 shoppers’ carts. I didn’t make it all in one trip and lost count, but have passed[…] Keep reading →
Americans waste about 40 percent of our food. I’ve written how I eat healthy parts of plants like citrus peels, mango peel, and banana peel. When I tell people I do, the same people who decry food waste ask why I eat them. They’re healthy food! The challenge is to combine them to taste good, or to acquire the taste. I recommend eating all the edible, healthy parts of a[…] Keep reading →
Dave Gardner and I have appeared on each other’s podcasts and have become friends. He is one of the few people who understands our environmental problems and works on it. I learned about him from his documentary Growthbusters (my comment is the first on its YouTube release), which showed him running for office in Colorado on a platform to shrink the local population and economy. He didn’t win the election,[…] Keep reading →
Can we top Jethro Jones? Almost five years ago, on his appearance on the podcast, he committed to riding his bike to work every day for a season. What’s so remarkable about that? He teaches in Fairbanks, Alaska and riding in the winter meant minus 40 degrees (where F equals C). If you haven’t listened to his episode, check it out. Evelyn biking in the snow The other day, Evelyn,[…] Keep reading →
I recently watched Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi movie. I often pass the Gandhi statue around the corner from my home in Union Square. The other day I saw that someone honored Gandhi’s legacy with an empty beer can at his feet. I’m sure Gandhi would have loved the tribute. Or maybe our culture could use reminding of its lost values of stewardship and personal responsibility that might restore meaning and purpose[…] Keep reading →