My perspective on personal action continues to evolve. In conversation with someone at an event this evening, I started realizing the meaning in asking what each of us can do and the meaninglessness of asking hypothetical questions, which make up a lot…
I started this podcast with the goal of creating a Mandela of the environment—a role I considered essential but saw no one remotely approaching it. Lately I’ve seen the opening for an easier but more effective role—a Muhammad Ali of the environment.
After resetting during conversation 1.5, Caspar returns with his son and wife—Columbus and Nicola—for a touching proper second episode. The three of them approached the challenge as a family, though you’ll hear how Columbus led his parents in many ways. It sounds…
After recording three episodes (248, 250, and 251) on Alan Weisman’s Countdown, I read his earlier book, The World Without Us, which I found equally tremendous. In it, he considers what would happen to the Earth if humans suddenly disappeared. How isn’t…
Do you want to reach your potential? Do you want to get past seeing your properties as limitations? Larry shares going from being what he is and we all are — regular people — to living his dream. An elite dream. My…
Why bother not flying if you’re one person out of billions? Aren’t you just missing out and suffering without meaningfully changing anything? These questions flummoxed me for a while. The longer I act, the more I realize the answer. Most people answer…
I’ve recorded a few posts about how what many people call minimalism is really more maximal. From the outside it looks like minimizing stuff.d People who practice it, as I see it, don’t focus on stuff. Getting rid of it is a…
Following up episode 253, I address race, sex, sexual preference and other difference people use as excuses to stop listening or understanding over. Here are my notes I worked from: Podcast: Race, sex, sexual preference. I mentioned the race of the people…
Here are my notes that I read from for this post: My greatest triumphs, my greatest shames. When I share personal stuff people always write how they like it. I think it’s less important than learning the joys of stewardship and recognizing…
Tia has been active on the environment for a long time, working with government, non profits, as an individual, and since birth deeply connected with federal and state government. And of course Earth Day from the start. We covered topics including planned…
Here are my notes that I read from for this episode. New comment from reading Countdown by Alan Weisman Overpopulation is major issue. Challenges are culture, religion, lack of education, lack of birth control He presented research results of demand for birth…
Readers and listeners have commented on my writing and posting lately about population and birth rates. Why do I talk about them? Isn’t America below replacement level? I recently finished reading Countdown by Alan Weisman, which I recommend. I read passages and…
Since our first episode, I’ve been talking about these mayors choosing to pick up garbage. I believe that a man never stands so tall as when he bends down to pick up another person’s garbage. How many U.S. politicians can you name…
I just finished an eye-opening book, Countdown, by Alan Weisman. It covers population. Weisman traveled to and reported on about a dozen places’ views and practices on population and family planning. In this episode, I read a few passages that I found…
People resist environmental projects to protect jobs, even to keep producing products that pollute. My absurd proposal to balance jobs with junk: put factories next to landfills. Despite it being absurd, the proposal would create a cleaner world. Instead of making junk…
What emotions do you associate with environmental action? I find people associate shame and guilt with it. I find these emotions lead people to suppress the emotions and hide the behavior leading to it. I propose reacting to pollution and polluting behavior…
One of my main goals for this podcast is to bring people who love acting on one’s environmental values, seeing stewardship not as an obligation but as being a part of something greater than yourself, than any of us, benefiting everyone, and…
Learning that humans only recently developed the concept of extinction. Much of the West, for example, believed in a Great Chain of Being, spontaneous generation, and a biblical flood. That perspective suggests that many past behaviors we consider unconscionable may have seemed…
Tired of people saying what you do doesn’t matter? Or personal action in general? They’re confusing different types of action. In this recording I distinguish three of them so you can feel comfortable acting by your values without the naysayers and navel-gazers…
I talk a lot about the lack of leadership in the area of the environment. Many people talk about change but don’t lead it. Many others judge but don’t support, which leads people to hold back on trying. Well, the mayors of…