Katherine Roth interviewed me about unplugging my fridge and apartment from the electric grid and Bebeto Matthews photographed me cooking and putting my solar panels on my roof. Read the story and see the pictures at A fridge too far? Living sustainably in NYC by unplugging. I hope it helps achieve one of my main goals for this experiment: for a few people to say “You can do that!? I[…] Keep reading →

People think if they can’t fly, they won’t be able to see their family. They think, “if I’m here and my parents or children are flying distance away, if I don’t fly, I won’t be able to see them.” They also think, “if my business can’t compete there, I’ll lose revenue and go bankrupt.” Then they conclude, “I may not want to pollute, but family is more important and I’m[…] Keep reading →

Over and over people tell me they care about the environment but family comes first. Their parent is sick and they’ve chosen to live flying distance away, they married a spouse from another country and feel they have to fly there twice a year, and things like that. Okay, say family is important enough to disregard hurting other people. Imagine someone else wanted to see their parent, suddenly hospitalized, but[…] Keep reading →

Yesterday began month 9 with my apartment disconnect from the electric grid. Today begins year 13 posting daily to my blog. Which seems more challenging? Which has taught me more about myself, humanity, and nature? Tough call. They seem even. I’m continuing both so I’ll keep learning from both. The off-grid in Manhattan seems more rare, a bigger disconnect from my ambient culture. Earth also passed a month after the[…] Keep reading →

If you want to leave the world better than you found it, which will help you leave your legacy better: To inhale deeply on a cigarette and blow the smoke in a baby’s face or To fly somewhere on vacation? Blowing smoke in a baby’s face seems worse, doesn’t it? I bet none of you would do it. But flying hurts more babies more grievously. It pollutes billions times more.[…] Keep reading →

Regular listeners heard me on the Carbon Sessions podcast, by the community created by podcast guest Seth Godin that created the bestselling book The Carbon Almanac. You can tell that one host of the Carbon Sessions, Brian, had listened to This Sustainable Life. We kept in touch after recording. He was interested in the Spodek Method. We practiced it and recorded the three videos below of me teaching it, conceiving[…] Keep reading →

Have you read many of the responses to my Ars Technica article, I disconnected from the electric grid for 8 months—in Manhattan? Many push back about what I shared and I’m learning from them. Not that they differ from many online forums, but I noticed a few trends. Many of the responses object to things I didn’t say, even putting in quotation marks things I didn’t say. Many assign me[…] Keep reading →