Best and Brightest … Genius — Esquire

A once-in-a-lifetime game-changing advance
in our field everyone else will follow
— Marshall Goldsmith

Astrophysicist turned new media whiz — NBC

Passionate … confident … — Forbes

You don't just learn theory from
him, you improve your life.
— Inc.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard University, Standford University, Princeton University, MTV, IBM, US Army

My Mission

My mission is to help change American (and global) culture on sustainability and stewardship from expecting deprivation, sacrifice, burden, and chore to expecting rewarding emotions and lifestyles, as I see happen with everyone I lead to act for their intrinsic motivations.

In my case the emotions have been joy, fun, freedom, connection, meaning, and purpose.



Systemic change begins with personal change.

Some of my values. What are yours?
Months living off the grid in Manhattan: 45 (and counting)
Loads of garbage I filled in 2025 so far: 0
Loads filled in 2024: 0
Loads filled in 2023: 0
Loads filled in 2022: 0
Loads filled in 2021: 0
Loads filled in 2020: 0
Loads filled in 2019: 1
Loads filled in 2018: 1
Loads filled in 2017: 1
Days picking up litter: 3,236 and counting
Years not flying: 10 (119 months) and counting
2024-25 grid electric grid use at home: 0 kilowatt-hours
Annual carbon emissions: about 1 ton
Daily burpees: 264,431 and counting
Resting pulse: 38 bpm

LATEST BLOG POSTS

I apologized after over twenty years and it turns out he didn’t notice what I did.

on September 30, 2025 in Stories

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a friend invited himself into a social group of mine. He was a good friend, as were the people in the other group, but at the time I wanted to keep them separate. As it turned out, my initial impulse to keep them separate was baseless. He fit in the group and everyone got along. Except for one thing. At some of the[…] Keep reading →

If you build a home where it’s unlivable, on what grounds to you complain when you can’t live there?

on September 29, 2025 in HandsOnPracticalExperience, Nature

First and foremost: any preventable death is tragic. The goal of this post is to prevent deaths while making people’s lives more safe, secure, and healthy. Any reading to the contrary misunderstands me. You’ve seen tragic headlines of people not surviving difficult environmental conditions. A couple recent ones from Phoenix include ‘This should be a necessity’: Hundreds in Phoenix area die at home without air conditioning and Lack of air[…] Keep reading →

This week’s selected media, September 28, 2025: The Devil’s Climb

on September 28, 2025 in Tips

This week I finished: The Devil’s Climb, starring Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell: I got tickets to watch this movie followed by a talk including Honnold and Caldwell. My nephew is a rock climber, so I invited him, who invited a climbing partner friend, plus a coaching client is a climber, so the four of us attended. The movie was engaging, heartwarming, and thrilling. It touches on climate but not[…] Keep reading →

838: Zach Rabinor, part 2: What if your business and values clash?

on September 27, 2025 in Podcast

Zach and I got so into our first conversation that we had to take a second one to get to the Spodek Method. Listen for yourself, but I hear Zach working with three motivations: His surfer, outdoors self wants to conserve, protect, and enjoy nature and enable others to do the same by experiencing it. His CEO self wants to deliver what his customers want, despite what they want including[…] Keep reading →

Two more times I cried, from laughing

on September 26, 2025 in Stories

The other day I wrote about the Times I Cried. Those times were occasions of loss or sadness. I had also thought of I time I laughed so hard I cried. I went back and forth about including it but decided against it. I could have included it since it fit the category and the contrast might illuminate. I decided against it because I didn’t think I could convey the[…] Keep reading →

837: Zach Rabinor, part 1: Getting serious about sustainable travel?

on September 25, 2025 in Podcast

I met Zach at an event I spoke at sponsored by the Young Presidents Organization, whose members tend to be successful in business. The criteria to join require it. I knew the people would be friendly, but suspected they would pollute and deplete more than most without realizing it. Zach plays a leadership role in the local chapter and was one of the organizers for this event so we interacted[…] Keep reading →

My top thought about Climate Week

on September 24, 2025 in HandsOnPracticalExperience, Leadership

With a podcast and book on sustainability leadership, I’ve been invited to many events at so-called Climate Week. It’s when people fly from all over the world to talk about what other people should do. I wrote the following as constructive criticism. It’s what I would expect people who take personal responsibility for how their actions affect others would want to know. My top thought is surprise, even as jaded[…] Keep reading →

836 Dr. Robert Fullilove, part 5: Unsustainability is upstream of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, and racism

on September 23, 2025 in Podcast

Since our fourth recording, Dr. Bob and I spoke at length about what’s driving me and keeping me going beyond where nearly anyone else does on sustainability leadership. We cover in this recording most of that conversation, plus we go in other directions. He shares the commonalities of what he sees in me and my work with the people he’s known and worked with who are also working or worked[…] Keep reading →

Times I cried

on September 22, 2025 in Stories

I had the idea for this post at least a year ago. I have a list of post ideas for days when I can’t think of any. This post idea has been on it as long as I can remember. When I think to write it, it makes me feel vulnerable. Does writing about me crying related to what I usually post about? Will I be sharing weaknesses? Will people[…] Keep reading →

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