Regular listeners and readers of my podcast and blog know I grew up with parents who helped form a grocery buying group which folded into a food co-op. Different co-ops work differently, but the general idea is that shoppers co-own the business. There’s less motivation to stock doof and more to source local, fresh produce and keep money in the community. While we still shopped at supermarkets, we favored the[…] Keep reading →

Many people think sustainability requires fixing everything or else we’ll collapse. The Spodek Method creates a mindset shift followed by continual improvement, not, as they might hope, a mindset shift followed by perfection. Alden has had her electronic bike in Vermont for some time but hasn’t ridden it. She’s used doing the Spodek Method as her excuse to ride it, but it’s taken time. This time she used it and[…] Keep reading →

We start by talking about the internal challenges Jack felt about acting to do something he wouldn’t have otherwise. He cares about the environment and lives accordingly. Still, he wouldn’t have done what he committed to when we spoke. Does that mean what we would do is inauthentic? Then we talk about nuclear and other policy issues. Heritage’s Project 2025 came up so he shared some back story the news[…] Keep reading →

Lorraine is one of the few people I know who saw mainstream sustainability efforts for what they are: ineffective and often counterproductive but self-congratulatory. I call most of them “stepping on the gas, thinking it’s the brake, wanting congratulations.” Unlike most others, once she saw their counterproductivity, if not outright lies, she left. She works to promote an “economy in service of life.” I think it’s easy to see that[…] Keep reading →

Lorna first appeared on this podcast in 2021. We became friends and remained so, though we challenge each other, as you’ll hear in this conversation. We don’t try to. Just things about the other annoy us. But how much we respect and learn from each other outshines that annoyance. Lorna knew about the Spodek Method and workshops for years. I don’t know why she didn’t join one until now, but[…] Keep reading →

People I talk to on the political left who care about the environment see people on the political right as opponents to defeat. When I share that I talk to people from Heritage Foundation, where Nick worked, they sound skeptical at best, more commonly incredulous and fearful. In this episode, you’ll hear heartwarming stories of Nick’s childhood with his father, then Nick today finding a way to manifest what he[…] Keep reading →

We recorded this conversation just after the election. We talked about it, especially Travis’s and the Cato Institute’s views. One of his main views is that the US puts too much executive authority in the president. I’m also We shared our concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act coming from different standpoints, but agreeing with each other. Our main conversation was about approaching sustainability from a view of freedom, not coercion[…] Keep reading →

I’m following up my recent solo post, 790: Talking to a guy injecting on the sidewalk, with another extemporaneous one. This one is also with a former podcast guest and fellow teacher of our sustainability leadership workshop, Evelyn Wallace. This episode gives an inside view of how I develop ideas in our entrepreneurial team. In particular, I share a few insights into what I offer in the workshops. I’ve long[…] Keep reading →

On a beautiful sunny Saturday, 9:50am, I was walking to Washington Square Park to charge my battery and talk at 10am to my friend Dan McPherson (he’s been on the podcast, where he shared about his heart attack at age 46 the week before we recorded). I saw the guy in the picture injecting. I asked if I could take his picture and a brief conversation ensued. Instead of my[…] Keep reading →