One of my graduate school professors told us the following way to remember the natural logarithm/exponential number e to 20 decimal places, which I’ll share with you what some scientists consider fun. I forget which professor told us, but I think I was at Penn, which means 1993-94. He only told us once. It stuck effortlessly, so I consider it effective. And fun. How to remember e to 20 decimal[…] Keep reading →

Regular readers know I first called my podcast Leadership and the Environment because I saw our response to the environment lacking leadership. As a leadership coach, I’m in touch with many leadership coaches, including some of the most renowned who have been guests on the podcast. Leaders and leadership coaches could play the most important role addressing our environmental problems. Instead, nearly none act. Those who act to so ineffectively,[…] Keep reading →

Can anyone imagine a sports or business team suggesting the way to success is to ignore teamwork and only focus on individual action? Here is what winning as a team looks like. You can imagine how it feels. When I hear someone say, “one person’s actions don’t matter”, “only governments and corporations can make a difference,” and the like, I want to let them in on how a come-from-behind victory[…] Keep reading →

A sixth branch of the This Sustainable Life family tree has started. Michèle Watson started This Sustainable Life: Biodiversity & Conservation. Congratulations and welcome aboard, Michèle! She posted the first two episodes. As usual, the first episode featured me, as first episodes emerge from the podcast host training I provide. The second episode features an impressive Tony Frost. Among more conservation work, he served as a member of the Minister[…] Keep reading →

I can’t understand why I never see anyone picking up litter except people joining me. Do I sound like I focus too much on this issue? Look at this picture: Almost within living memory, plastic didn’t exist. That scene may be in the third world, but we in the overdeveloped world are catching up. The issue isn’t waste management, as the producers say, lying through their teeth. It’s overproduction. As[…] Keep reading →

Every time I look at my floor sponge I think, “it’s beyond the end of its life. Time to get rid of it.” Below are pictures of the front and back. It’s in tatters. But look at the third picture. It still cleans the floor. Why get rid of something that works? I’ve cleaned my floor every fifth day without fail for about five years, maybe more. I do it[…] Keep reading →

If you’re considering changing practices to live more sustainably, how can you tell among different practices suggested by different groups, often self-serving, which are more effective or even effective at all? Does recycling work for paper, metal, glass or plastic? Does changing your diet help? How about carbon offsets for flying? One measure matters more than almost any other, I contend: How much fossil fuel does the change keep underground?[…] Keep reading →