You won’t hear many finance people promoting more taxes, though it’s increasing. Bob talks beyond our conversation a few weeks before about a carbon tax, integrity, permanence, standards, measurement, and many different angles. He talks about responsibility and holding the companies creating the problems responsible. It just takes courage. Regular listeners know I find that when anyone focuses only on carbon, greenhouse emissions, and climate, they almost always miss our[…] Keep reading →

Matt shared last time about the redwoods I keep hearing about in California that I’ve never seen but find they transform people. His goal was to plant a tree. He ended up with a new tree, plus he planted other plants. Listen to hear the story. More than what he did, I recommend listening to his emotional experience. Did he have to do all the things he did? Could he[…] Keep reading →

I met Bob at a conference on climate at my old school, Columbia Business School. He knew another participant, Gernot Wagner, with whom I recorded an episode I’ll post soon, and was a peer with past guest Mark Tercek. I didn’t work in finance, but I understand Bob and Mark were like dieties there. Bob brings two huge new things to climate (he talks about climate almost exclusively among our[…] Keep reading →

Population modeling can be hard, as is figuring out a prediction’s accuracy, therefore how much confidence to give your conclusions. Many people can’t hear talk about population without hearing things like eugenics and racism even when they aren’t there. But population is one of the most important factors in sustainability. Everything becomes easier when population isn’t near or above what Earth can sustain and harder when it’s above. I came[…] Keep reading →

In what looks to me like one of the biggest overcommitments of guests on this podcast and participants in the Spodek Method, Dan shares that to free his mind for meditation, he ended up selling his motorcycle and Playstation. Then we spoke about coaching and leading people to reach their potentials, which he experienced on the receiving end in reaching the Olympics twice and does now with others, and he[…] Keep reading →

How do you feel when you mean to do something but don’t do it. Do you tell people about it? Do you hide it? Nearly no one is acting as much on sustainability as we need to to avoid disaster. Beyond not acting, we aren’t facing our inaction. How do you think a globally recognized productivity guy would feel and if he didn’t yet do what he said he would?[…] Keep reading →

If learning what it’s like to watch your team win an Olympic gold medal from the sidelines isn’t enough, and if learning what it’s like to grow up in a family beset with poverty and addiction before reaching Olympic level competition isn’t enough, and if learning what it’s like after four more years to win an Olympic medal isn’t enough, I’d say the best part of our conversation comes after[…] Keep reading →