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

The last Christmas Pagan Trees of the season?

on March 6, 2026 in PollutionAndDepletion, Visualization

It’s March and people pay to chop down so many trees, I’ve seen them thrown out this month. I think I’ve seen the last for the season so I’ll post the last images of them. I’ll copy text from previous posts so people see I’m defending, not attacking, tradition. It’s sad how garbage-y they look. This long after Christmas, I think people have lost interest in connecting the trees with[…] Keep reading →

More wealth or stuff doesn’t mean freedom: Distinguishing freedom from abundance and prosperity

on March 5, 2026 in Awareness, Freedom

You’ve probably heard people say, “Even poor people today can do things beyond what kings and emperors of the past could dream,” talking about cell phones, airplanes, and so on. Yes, but technological power doesn’t necessarily lead to people valuing life more. Most people value freedom. Money and technology can enable us to do what we couldn’t otherwise, but what if it comes with a loss of freedom? If you[…] Keep reading →

“All it is is pain”: Skier Jessie Diggins on discovering her potential

on March 4, 2026 in Awareness, Fitness, Habits, SIDCHAs

I don’t pretend to be operating at the level of a top Olympic athlete in one of the most grueling sports (though my resting heart rate of 38 bpm probably indicates something) but the words of Jessie Diggins quoted below have resonated with me. Who is she? According to Wikipedia: She is the most accomplished cross-country skier from the United States in the sport’s history having won three World Cup[…] Keep reading →

Heritage Foundation promoting socialism, as usual. Charlie Kirk did too.

on March 3, 2026 in Freedom

The Heritage Foundation states: “Heritage’s mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.” Those words may sound nice, but talk is cheap. What happens when it comes time to act? From Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation: After years of rigorous research, I am proud to announce the release of[…] Keep reading →

The importance of doing and talking about unimportant things

on March 2, 2026 in Relationships

I wrote something last week in Another Spodek Method commitment: a walk in the park with family that prompted reflection: Talking while walking in a park is different than in the city or indoors when multiple family members are figuring out who sits where and what to do for dinner and all that nicknack stuff that goes into events. It’s peaceful, meandering, and unimportant in a way that makes it[…] Keep reading →

This week’s selected media, March 1, 2026: Citizen Kane

on March 1, 2026 in Blog

This week I finished: Citizen Kane, starring Orson Welles: Regular readers of my Sunday posts know that since a few movies led me to find art and expression in the medium that I had missed before. Mainly I enjoyed the subtlety, nuance, and complexity that got me thinking about life, society, myself, and art in general. Besides Yi Yi and A Brighter Summer Day, I found movies I considered masterpieces,[…] Keep reading →

We celebrate in garbage: Chinese New Year version

on February 28, 2026 in PollutionAndDepletion

I was in Chinatown for the Chinese New Year celebrations scheduled today. Some traditions may go back hundreds or even thousands of years, but plastic pollution doesn’t. Vendors sold these factory-produced tubes that launched plastic confetti into the air. That is, that polluted. The confetti lingered in the air for a few seconds. The plastic will pollute the environment for millennia. Parents buy these polluting tubes for kids, who learn[…] Keep reading →

847: Tzeporah Berman: Ending Fossil Fuels by Treaty

on February 27, 2026 in Podcast

I met Tzeporah at an event called Climate Week NYC last fall. She was nearly the only person there who spoke about decreasing and stopping extracting fossil fuels. I had to bring her here. Our conversation grew more compelling and interesting as we spoke. The early parts about energy sources besides fossil fuels you may have heard before, but give context. After she shares the realizations that prompted her to[…] Keep reading →

Podcasts and blogs I follow

on February 26, 2026 in Audio, Habits, Podcast

I’ve written lately about podcasts I follow. It seems like I should share what I follow. I may be biased, but I recommend mine most: This Sustainable Life: Podcasts and blogs I subscribe to: This Sustainable Life: Solve for Nature, by Eugene Bible: Eugene contacted me about my podcast and work. We got to know each other. He started a sibling podcast to mine, practicing the Spodek Method with his[…] Keep reading →

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