LATEST BLOG POSTS

If you’re going to buy clothes, I recommend shopping at thrift stores, but I think most people use them for selfish, nefarious purposes. There’s a Goodwill between me and Washington Square Park and another on 14th Street I pass on the way to and from Union Square. I consistently see lines for people donating to them. Sometimes trucks deliver truck-fulls of stuff to sell. That is, people drop off tons[…] Keep reading →

Many people talk about responding to threats or people they disagree with with empathy, compassion, treating everyone with respect. In practice, I see people doing the opposite. They don’t feel, “I’m right, you’re wrong.” They feel “I understand reality, you don’t. I have to teach you.” or often they feel they have to force them. Likewise, on the environment, nearly all environments try to convince people who disagree with them[…] Keep reading →

What do you do if you use less power? No social media? No listening to music? No TV? Sound like a fate worse than death? Inspired by guests on my podcast who find amazing activities to live by their environmental values, I committed to turning off all my electronics to sing every day. I’ve almost never sung in my life beyond Happy Birthday and The Star Spangled Banner so I’m[…] Keep reading →

I learned more from the Cadets at West Point than they could possibly have learned from me, but retired General Lloyd Austin III invited me there to co-lead workshops on leadership My mentor Frances Hesselbein introduced us. As I type, the Senate is holding hearings on his nomination to Secretary of Defense. I wrote an Inc. story on the experience, “6 Lessons I Learned Teaching Leadership With a 4-Star General[…] Keep reading →

“What really has to happen is governments and corporations have to change.” People say it all the time. Do they think they’re helping? Duh! Of course. We knew that already. Everyone knows that. That’s the goal. When they change, we only have to implement—a big challenge, but swimming downstream, not upstream. It’s as pointless as to say What really has to happen is we have to score more points than[…] Keep reading →

In the midst of several episodes on religious approaches to sustainability I learned of today’s guest, Rabbi Yonatan Neril’s book The Eco Bible: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus. He founded and directs the international Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, including its Jewish Eco Seminars branch. He wrote the book to shine new light on how the Hebrew Bible and great religious thinkers have urged human care and stewardship[…] Keep reading →

“What about jobs?” people often ask to counter proposals to constrain some activity. Today’s episode answers. Here are the notes I read from: What about jobs? People out of work drain on society, not so happy Store near me that sells trinkets Of any value? I’d prefer a hug, shoulder rub, or make me dinner Many stages to make: plastic from oil, factory to make, transportation, store clerk Factory, put[…] Keep reading →