Frederick was a great sport in allowing me to explore working on a patterns that happens sometimes but that I had let slide before. We started talking about nature, then his commitment. About halfway through I noticed that his motivation to the…
Longtime readers of my blog know how much James Suzman’s first book influenced my thinking and views of possessions, community, ownership, modernity, and a range of similar topics. A top question I’ve asked anyone who might know is how populations that didn’t…
Andrew co-hosted me on MAGAMedia with past guest Rob Harper, so we’ve spoken there several times, but this conversation is our first one-on-one. We start by talking about our meeting and how talking to each other means talking about issues we normally…
Isn’t a refrigerator essential? Isn’t life with them better? I thought so. I’ll quote my mom from my podcast to illustrate where I came from: I grew up where it was easily ninety degrees every single day. In fact, where I worked,…
The average American watches 5 hours of TV per day. Many fly or drive around for fun. If we want to pollute less, will we lose the ability to enjoy ourselves? I’ve written before how Vincent Stanley‘s commitment to turn off his…
I didn’t think of how small my building’s elevators were when I bought a sofa after moving into my current apartment. It didn’t fit. The deliverymen tried to bring it up the stairs too. They made the first landing, but couldn’t make…
Alexandra’s commitment illustrates a result I keep finding. People who have acted to live sustainably the most already find new ways to act more than people who haven’t. People who haven’t done much, or acted for extrinsic reasons like an article suggested…
A topic making among the most headlines these days are digital mobs and their justice reacting to what people say. I’ve touched on it somewhat in this podcast and on my blog and I feel the risk teaching at NYU, which has…
Shaun Donovan is running for Mayor of New York City. Technically not a national or global position, but in practice it is. Many call it the second hardest job in America. Most New York City mayors affect the nation and world. With…
My friend bought a sailboat, I mentioned to him my goal of sailing off North America, he told me about this guy posting weekly videos of circumnavigating the planet without using motors. I watched a bunch of videos. I had to learn…
Here are the notes I read from for this episode: 6 months with fridge unplugged Mom’s advice, her fridge 2 articles: Vietnam and power grid safety Extreme? Extreme fun 200,000 years “Heirloom tomatoes” used to be “tomatoes” Connect with people Off grid…
Brad isn’t just a longtime elected legislator, he’s also a neighbor who represents me. Most campaigning politicians speak in talking points. Maybe for being neighbors, maybe just out of his personality, I heard him opening up and sharing about the man behind…
Heartwarming is the best word to describe Bill’s experience that I can think of. In today’s episode, Bill and I start by talking about the incomparably larger impact of having fewer kids, especially in a country that pollutes as heavily as the…
My notes I read from: What I did Kathryn Garcia in Washington Square Park Farmers market (compost, oregano) Ride to Brooklyn Grain de Sail sail boat Visit with friend Calisthenics by candlelight Wake up, no clock Think, reflect, calm Meet to pick…
Here are the notes I read from for this post: I posted the other day an exercise to think about going twenty-four hours without using electrical power. To clarify, that exercise was to think about it. I don’t think many people would…
Jonathan and I have a good rapport. We joke around. I love his expressiveness as an artist. I think he values stewardship more than he’s behaved so far in life, so I hear him enjoying aligning his behavior with his values. In…
I’ve taught a half-dozen people the technique I use in this podcast—the hosts of the other branches of the This Sustainable Life podcast. They started calling it The Spodek Method, so now I do too. It’s enabled me to reach amazing people,…
Jon is famous for bringing people together and creating community, see the New York Times article on him below. He invited me to a few of his events before the pandemic and they lived up to the reputation. His latest book, You’re…
This episode is really two. Remember that he started art late in life, so the first two-thirds talks about art. Also his experience with his kids and family picking up trash. You’ll enjoy hearing his and his family’s joy doing it. I…
Our world values cheap and disposable—in food and doof packaging, furniture, cars, and near the top of the list, clothes, especially fast fashion. The world is paying for it in the sense of overfilled landfills, plastic disrupting endocrine systems of animals including…