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: 40 (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: 3,121 and counting
Years not flying: 9 (115 months) and counting
2024-25 grid electric grid use at home: 0 kilowatt-hours
Annual carbon emissions: about 1 ton
Daily burpees: 258,298 and counting
Resting pulse: 46 bpm

LATEST BLOG POSTS

I love when a team hits on all cylinders: when everyone acts with their specialty and we collectively achieve more

on June 28, 2025 in HandsOnPracticalExperience, NorthKorea, Stories

I should have written about this fun interaction with the core team working on the alumni community site this spring. Four of us were on a call. We were struggling to figure out a technical challenge. We wanted to do something that the host software didn’t seem capable of doing. We felt close to giving up. Would we have to pay for the higher tier? Pay for a service call[…] Keep reading →

More love for the recent heat wave now that it’s passed

on June 27, 2025 in Fitness, HandsOnPracticalExperience, Visualization

I wrote the other day in Why I love the heat, even when it’s 95F (35C) on the way to 102F (39C) about how the heat, while uncomfortable, gave me reason to grow, learn, and connect. Among other things, it connected me to the countless people around the world and back in time who live and lived in such conditions. I can learn from our grandparents and people in other[…] Keep reading →

Can you love your neighbor as yourself in challenging times?

on June 26, 2025 in HandsOnPracticalExperience

I didn’t realize the media had covered the heat spell so much. I only knew people kept asking me about sleeping without air conditioning the past few days. Now that I looked up the news from a couple days ago, I see they were going nuts about a heat dome. All I know is that for the past three nights, I woke up sweating and had trouble falling asleep, even[…] Keep reading →

Why I love volunteering

on June 25, 2025 in Habits, SIDCHAs

A few people commented on my delivering food yesterday at the hottest part of the day. The temperature hit 101F (38.3C) while I was pulling around 80 pounds of food in a cart, according to my phone’s app . People often also flap their gums about not having time to volunteer. I never hear them say they don’t have time for social media or other screen time, yet Americans average[…] Keep reading →

Why I love the heat, even when it’s 95F (35C) on the way to 102F (39C).

on June 24, 2025 in Freedom, HandsOnPracticalExperience, Nature

New York City is supposed to hit 102 F (39 C) today. So far it’s 95 F (35 C) and since my battery was drained and the rest of the week is forecast to be cloudy, I’m out in the park charging. The park is mostly empty. Here’s my view right now, showing a fraction the number you’d see when the temperature was lower. You can also tell I’m sitting[…] Keep reading →

Today, 1988: Global Warming on front page of NY Times. Today, 2025: Americans pollute and deplete more than ever. Where’s the love?

on June 24, 2025 in Nature

Today in 1988, the New York Times front page headline said “Global Warming Has Begun.” Today today, Americans blame, rationalize, and justify, but pollute more than ever. They blame CEOs, companies, and politicians, denying and suppressing that they pay them to do what they do. We can stop if we choose to. It would mean valuing other people’s suffering over our convenience.

I love how much leading in sustainably leads to learning the history of liberty and freedom

on June 23, 2025 in Freedom, HandsOnPracticalExperience

Pollution destroys life, liberty, and property. Depletion violates the principle of leaving enough as good in common for others. Basic principles of how people can live together include protecting life, liberty, and property and leaving enough as good in common for others are among the most basic and necessary. The language looks like it comes from Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and their Enlightenment peers. I would say their Enlightendigenous peers[…] Keep reading →

Not hurting innocent people a “purity test”? I think your ignorance or internal conflict is showing.

on June 22, 2025 in Freedom, Leadership, Nonjudgment

Thomas Jefferson owning slaves, including his own children, wasn’t an abstract immoral act. He hurt people. He took away their freedom and hurt them. It isn’t a “purity test” to say that by owning slaves he hurt people. When people act like living more sustainably is a “purity test” I see two possible causes. The generous one, which I find implausible in today’s world, is that people don’t know polluting[…] Keep reading →

More junkies shooting up in broad daylight in the park

on June 21, 2025 in Addiction, Doof, Nonjudgment

The title says it all. Here are pictures of more junkies shooting up in broad daylight in the park. Sorry the exposure isn’t brighter for the people but I was trying not to draw attention to myself. I was in the park charging and trying to work. There were half a dozen people in the group shortly before I took these pictures. If you magnify the second image you can[…] Keep reading →

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