I got a taste of what I believe leads people to tell me they can't avoid packaging or buying fresh, local produce. Living in a semi-rural area led me to shop in a large supermarket for the first time in a year or two. They carried only doof and stuff shipped from across the country and world. I share the story and the uplifting results. Here are the notes I read from: When I talk about taking over a year to fill a load of trash, people often say "You can but I can't."I'm staying outside the city and shopped with my stepfather in a supermarket for the first time in at least a yearOnionsEverything packaged, almost nothing looseProduce out of season, can't tell from…

Enjoy Coca-cola! Food is fundamental to our environmental problems. Most of what American restaurants and supermarkets sell looks like food but isn't by my definition. It makes us obese, diseased, fatigued, poor, dependent, and such, whereas food, like fruits and vegetables, bring us together. Many of us are addicted to salt, sugar, fat, and convenience. Yet people addicted to salt, sugar, fat, and convenience can point to addicts to other things, like alcohol or cocaine, and say, "they don't need their thing but we need to eat." But no one confuses Doritos with broccoli. But the terms "junk food," "fast food," and even "frankenfood" have the term food in them, leading people to confuse them with food. I introduced the term doof---food backward---to distinguish between…

I don't normally post other people's material, but 1) I found this video the most valuable I've seen on pandemics and 2) a previous guest, Dr. Michael Greger, created it. It's an hour, so I summarize its highlights in this episode, but watch the whole video for the comprehensive view with full data and references. My summary covers: What current media coverage includes---the urgent, importantWhat it misses---the non-urgent, importantLong-term pandemics trendsRecent pandemics trends and why we are causing them to increaseHow we can decrease them https://youtu.be/7_ppXSABYLY Dr. Michael Greger's Pandemics: History and Prevention EDIT: Also watch this later video by Dr. Greger, which follows on the first one: Can we stop a future pandemic? Dr. Michael Greger M.D explains what's next.

Attendees said my talks brought tears to their eyes. Technically I spoke at the UN last week and UNICEF this week, but virtually not physically there, and to Toastmaster groups organized by UN and UNICEF workers. Both talks were similar. I recorded the UNICEF talk. I spoke on A past New York City crisis---the 2003 blackoutLessons I learned from itHow we risk not learning from the COVID-19 crisisHow we can learn from itWhat I propose we learn from it Talks were limited to 5--7 minutes, so I could go to that depth.

Joel talked so passionately about everything I look to bring out in other guests, I hardly spoke about his commitment with bringing bags. No problem, I loved hearing his views, history, and approach. I went with it. He also approaches the environment from food, though from a medical background. I just kept learning from him. Sadly, we as a culture keep moving toward disease and pollution, however much we want to move toward health and cleanliness. You and I can lead. This is our chance. Joel has been for decades. He's gotten results with the public through his books and his clients personally. You and I can build on what he started. I can't say much more than Joel did, connecting food and the environment…

An article I read about research into diversity asked about levels where different groups felt occupations became "sufficiently diverse." It looked at positions at tech companies, for example. I support diversity. I came across the article from the newsletter from Heterodox Academy, started by previous guest Jonathan Haidt, which promotes diversity, particularly of viewpoints. I would promote diversity in many places, yet there are many places I don't see diversity promoted or researched. Living in Manhattan, I see many doormen, building superintendents, building porters, takeout food deliverymen, construction workers, and so on. I know there are many people who work mines, deep sea fishing, and so on. I understand mostly men work these fields. I never see whites or women delivering food in New York…

If you love hearing people at the peak of the human condition behind the scenes, you'll love this episode with Major League Baseball pitcher Brent Suter. I think you'll also hear the subtext of food connecting his family already and his teammates soon. Sports and food I love sports, competition, and athletics. I love food, meaning fresh vegetables and fruit. This conversation with Brent, I felt like a kid in a candy store. This is one of the shortest times between episodes. As I mentioned at the end of last episode, Brent decided to commit to shopping at a farmers market after we stopped recording. He knew of places near him that he had meant to visit. He did the next day, then again the…

I'm releasing Jeff's part 2 at the same time as 1.5 since they're both short episodes and still haven't led to achieving his goal. You'll hear we joke about it but, if I'm open, I'm frustrated at what I feel as my failure. I intend in these interactions, beyond helping guests share and act on an environmental value, to deepen their appreciation of that value so they feel they acted meaningfully and want to share something joyful. I believe everyone cares about something environmental enough to unearth that meaning. Jeff seemed to appreciate the project as something to manage, but I failed at unearthing and deepening the environmental aspect of it. I'm not saying that's bad, but incomplete. For someone who has made such a…

Jeff felt his challenge wasn't big but openly shared that, in his terms, he failed at it. We all fail. I haven't studied it scientifically, but I believe that the more successful the leader, the more openly they share their failures. Jeff shares his and I learned from his openness and comfort with vulnerability. If you'd like to learn to face failure better, I predict you can learn from Jeff. It's short so I'm calling it episode 1.5 and will post episode 2 at the same time. Learn about LitteratiDownload from Android or Apple

Since I don't use many apps and pick up litter already, I felt modest expectations of Jeff's Litterati, but I love it. It delivers the main things I look for: fun, community, connection, effectiveness, and free---the opposite of what many people connect with litter. As I'm writing, the app has recorded over 5 million pieces of litter picked up by over 150,000 people in over 165 countries. I think we can safely say the app led to a huge majority of those people connecting and picking up those pieces of litter. I hope those of you who haven't picked up litter are feeling the tug to try it out. My experience is that the more you pick up, the more acting on litter goes to…

This episode puts together the most important and fundamental considerations about the environment: What worksThe basic cause contributing to all environmental problemsEarth's carrying capacityAn attainable bright futureA means to reach it that has worked on a smaller scale It feels to me like a solid TED talk. On Alan Weisman: 250: Why talk about birthrate and population so much?248: Countdown, a book I recommend by Alan Weisman258: The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman251: Let's make overpopulation only a finance issueMy conversation with Alan On Mechai Viravaidya, the Thai man who transformed Thai's birth rate through fun, not coercion TED: How Mr. Condom Made Thailand a Better Place for Life and LoveMy episode 279: Role model and global leader Mechai Viravaidya294: Population: How Much Is…

Roberta and I met last September. Our scheduled time to record came just after the covid-19 situation hit the US. We reflected on the change. The conversation is less scripted but of the moment. I decided to post it in the moment, foregoing editing (I hope you don't mind the sound quality), gaining poignancy. I don't have to say it, but we're living in a historical time. Everything is changing, but we don't know how or how much. It looks like big things will happen soon in this country. They already have around the world. We don't know what. Many of us are talking like this. I wanted to share Roberta's voice now. Earth's CallAim2FlourishLorna Davis on this podcast

Previous guest and retired dating coach guru Brad P suggested inviting Marni as a guest, his longtime friend and colleague. She coaches men on attraction, dating, and so on. Curious? She pioneered women coaching men in this area, as you'll hear in our conversation, helping transition the field in ways you'll hear her describe. Her fourteen years of experience led her to expertise, understanding, skills, insight, and fun. I don't know of her peer. She shares her expertise and experience. I predict you'll find her story fascinating, engaging, and fun. On a personal note, I'm continuing the opening up about my practicing and coaching dating, attraction, seduction, etc. so you'll get to hear more of my evolution in something important to me where I felt…

People are criticizing politicians and others over handling Covid-19. I don't blame or criticize people for not knowing how to handle particulars of this situation, but we can respond more effectively. Some parts of the situation are unique to Covid-19. Some are endemic to crises. We can learn from how people handled past crises effectively and ineffectively. Today I talk about John Kennedy learning from the Bay of Pigs disaster to lead through the Cuban Missile Crisis. Important urgent tasks like sourcing ventilators are important, but if we miss learning the important non-urgent things to prepare for the next situation, which likely won't require ventilators, we'll find ourselves here again. Bay of Pigs invasion: Kennedy's Cuban catastropheJFK's Legacy and GroupthinkThirteen Days (film)

My notes I read from for this episode: I chose to stay at my mom's outside the city Why? Read stories, saw difference between places with SARS and MERS experience versus notNY and US woefully underprepared govt, corps. People didn't get itNot worried about my health, but systemAdvice is distance What could happen Closer to Italy than China or IranTalked to friend in medicineTalked to friend who had been following mostUS lacks central authority Why not? Mom is 76. Stepfather close. I could unknowingly bring diseaseSolution isn't possible for everyone. On the other hand, everyone who can slow spread should At first felt privileged But hard to find preciselyHaving mom?Having mom still alive?Her living outside the city? Many other situations doesn't help.That I can afford…

My notes that I read from for this episode: Greatest danger is not to learn from it. Starting story: Preparing to launch on 9/11. While nothing on scale of victims, first responders, and those who fought, but went from 8 digit to limbo. Within two years squeezed out. Gave up following Einstein and Newton to outdoor advertising that I didn't even like. Now no way forward, backward, or anything. Lost trust in people. Closer to mom and other entrepreneurs with similar disaster. We feel everything shutting down. Huge unknown. Will things restart? How many will suffer? How many will die? What will happen to health care system? Have I bought enough to eat? Will I become infected? If so, how badly? Will I accidentally infect…

I view ecotourism skeptically at best. While I imagine someone could create tourism that increased the world's ability to sustain life and human society, every case I've seen at least doubly does the opposite. For one thing I've only seen ecotourism involving flying, which destroys what they pretend to help, perhaps dreaming that carbon offsets lower greenhouse concentrations while they more likely raise them. For another, they turn places into tourist traps that depend on outside money. Today's episode presents an opportunity for people to get most of what they look for in travel---adventure, different culture, cuisine, etc---without lowering the environment's ability to sustain life and human society. Visit decaying parts of the US or wherever you live. In the US, you could visit Flint,…