This realization hit me this morning. It will seem counterintuitive, especially to people living in overdeveloped countries. The majority of people in them see people suffering from environmental destruction and want to focus on helping them. We should help them, but we should realize they aren’t causing the problems. The more resources, especially time and money, someone has, the harder it is for them to stop polluting and depleting. Almost[…] Keep reading →

Evelyn took my Spodek Method workshop in the spring, then was the TA for the two summer sessions and will lead the fall workshop. Everything else you need to know about her background is in the video below. She’s transforming herself and diving into sustainability, loving the challenges and changes. We approach it similarly but differently. Most of all, we enjoy each other’s company and riffing off each other. We[…] Keep reading →

The main places we learn about our environmental problems: scientists, educators, journalists, politicians, and activists. As a result, we look to them for solutions, along with engineers and entrepreneurs. I may be missing a field or two, but hope I got all. All play important roles, but none of those fields develop skills and experience to change behavior and culture. Culture is key because if we could magically transform all[…] Keep reading →

Ali Horriyat founded a group called Compassiviste. In its words: Compassiviste is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a more compassionate society. We actively promote empathy, social impact, and environmental conservation through various initiatives. Our mission is carried out by encouraging mindful consumer activism, leading influential charitable drives, and leveraging impactful innovative technology to make a tangible difference. Join us in our endeavor to create a more caring, sustainable world[…] Keep reading →

Regular readers know I volunteer to deliver overstocked perfectly good food from stores that would throw it away to a community fridge and pantry for anyone to take for free (there’s a fair amount of doof in it). I do it mainly to reduce waste to landfills, with feeding people as a bonus. It replaces watching TV, browsing the web, or feeding a social media addiction. I don’t understand how[…] Keep reading →

Everyone talks about how individual action doesn’t matter when they have to do something. What could seem less relevant to protecting national security then an individual making his or her bed? There are nuclear weapons in the world. Terrorists fly planes into buildings. What do the top military officers suggest about meeting these threats? Admiral and SEAL William H. McRaven says to make your bed in his If You Want[…] Keep reading →

When I mention shopping at a food coop—a grocery store where the shoppers are the owners and workers—people kept saying not everyone had access to coops. I wondered why they suggested they were a privilege. I know there aren’t as many food coops as supermarkets and bodegas, but I didn’t understand why they acted like people without access were helpless. At last I realized people saying such things didn’t know[…] Keep reading →