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: 45 (and counting)
Loads of garbage I filled in 2025 so far: 0
Loads filled in 2024: 0
Loads filled in 2023: 0
Loads 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: 3,236 and counting
Years not flying: 10 (119 months) and counting
2024-25 grid electric grid use at home: 0 kilowatt-hours
Annual carbon emissions: about 1 ton
Daily burpees: 264,431 and counting
Resting pulse: 38 bpm

LATEST BLOG POSTS

Today’s blizzard, February 2026

on February 23, 2026 in SIDCHAs, Stories, Visualization

Everyone has a camera, so anyone can find wonderful pictures of anything online, but I couldn’t help take some pictures of today’s blizzard. It started yesterday and is forecast to run until this evening. Many places see more snow all the time, so I’m not saying we’re experiencing a lot of snow. It also isn’t that cold, slightly below freezing. I tried to take pictures that show the city before[…] Keep reading →

Another Spodek Method commitment: a walk in the park with family

on February 23, 2026 in HandsOnPracticalExperience, Nature, Stories

I’ve done a lot of Spodek Method commitments. I’ve loved them all, at least I don’t remember disliking any, but haven’t recorded many of them here, but liked posting My Spodek Method commitment to make water ice from snow: A photo essay last month. I did another one over the weekend and took a few pictures to share. The memories of nature stemmed from Wissahickon Creek and the park around[…] Keep reading →

This week’s selected media, February 22, 2026: The Gulag Archipelago volume 1

on February 22, 2026 in Tips

This week I finished: The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, volume 1, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: If I weren’t reading these books I wouldn’t believe they could exist. I understand why people consider them among the greatest and most important books of the twentieth century. First, about the book itself: Solzhenitsyn’s writing is simple, clear, and often funny from being sardonic and mocking. He survived the gulag’s so he[…] Keep reading →

If you wait to solve all the challenges of zero pollution and depletion before starting, we’ll never start. If we start, we’ll solve the problems.

on February 21, 2026 in HandsOnPracticalExperience, PollutionAndDepletion, Visualization

People dream that we’ll figure out how to keep our world as it is, just without pollution and depletion. We’ll just create new technology that does what existing technology does, but it will be “clean,” “green,” and “renewable.” Well, shoot, why didn’t people think of making technology that didn’t hurt people in the first place? What jerks, not making things “clean,” “green,” and “renewable.” Oh wait, maybe it’s not possible[…] Keep reading →

How cute and adorable the garbage from doof dealers

on February 20, 2026 in Addiction, Doof

I used to be unable to resist craving for sweets and savory treats. Now I’m free from the doof industry’s deliberate strategy to addict people, or at least mostly so. Walking along Seventh Avenue, I saw this revolting sight: a trash can overflowing with pink boxes designed to look adorable and appealing. They say the name of the store creating this garbage: “Crumbl”. I see the store around. They make[…] Keep reading →

Does every group think they’re the best?

on February 19, 2026 in Models, Nonjudgment

I’ve meant to start compiling this list for a while. People often equate racism with white supremacy. Even if they say they aren’t the same, many people consider all white people as privileged, whether they want to be or not, and all people of color as being oppressed, at least to some degree. They consider that white people may face challenges, but not because of their skin color, whereas people[…] Keep reading →

Silly bathroom question: Am I missing something here?

on February 18, 2026 in Awareness, Choosing/Decision-Making, Habits

I think I usually write about important topics, but I like to share silly things my mind ponders. I think it builds self-awareness. I don’t know how the following situation will seem to a reader, but I hope it reads as it feels to me playing with ideas: being curious. I brush my teeth after dinner, before going to bed. Sometimes after dinner I also need to poop. I figure[…] Keep reading →

846: Gail Eisnitz: The Inside Story of a Life Investigating Factory Farms

on February 17, 2026 in Podcast

Gail shares her investigations into meat industry practices, exploring how exorbitant slaughterhouse production line speeds in a consolidated slaughter industry affect animals as they are being handled and killed, and how the proliferation of massive factory farms impacts animals being raised in intensive confinement. She spent decades in the field documenting violations against farm animals and in the office preparing cases and writing about her investigations in articles and books.[…] Keep reading →

Why don’t the left and right look at themselves the way the other does? Or do they, but I can’t find it?

on February 16, 2026 in Awareness, Nonjudgment

We’ve all heard how since the left and right get their news from different sources and those sources present different facts, it’s as if two parts of the nation live in different realities. If so, how can they agree on points based on different facts? A related issue I don’t think I’ve seen treated stems from each group evaluating themselves and the others based on different criteria. The left judges[…] Keep reading →

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