LATEST BLOG POSTS

Several neighborhoods in New York City with commerce form local civic groups called “Business Improvement Districts” that provide extra services they find the government provides too little. Examples include safety and security by hiring people in uniforms walk a beat like cops used to, but not enforcing the law, just being present. The BIDs effectively charge a tax to provide what would normally be government services that remain unmet. I[…] Keep reading →

Roz could have stopped at rowing solo across oceans to world records, awards, and national honors. She didn’t. She had done those things for a purpose: helping make our world more livable, less polluted. They gave her greater skills to appreciate her purpose and implement it better. As with most people, the challenges looked insurmountable to her. But unlike most people, she had once made a list to row across[…] Keep reading →

For years, when I mention not shopping Amazon.com, people tell me (often lecture me) that it saves people money. They have no choice but to buy from there. I agree Amazon has displaced many alternatives, but I see tons of Amazon deliveries every day and when I see what’s delivered, it’s nearly always something that will be in a landfill within weeks, maybe months. In my building, I see how[…] Keep reading →

I’d get bored of posting about it, but I keep learning more every month. No wonder no one even in sustainability comes up with workable plans. It would be like expecting an orchestra to play well together when not one of the musicians practices their instrument. It turns out practicing sustainability is deeply rewarding. Love for your fellow human. What do you want more of? If you want more human[…] Keep reading →

One of the most famous supermodels, Paulina needs no introduction. She’s here because mutual friends introduced us and her recent book, No Filter, that tells a different story than you’d expect of the once-most-highly-paid model. As she describes in our conversation, she spent formative years behind the iron curtain, ingraining in her how to thrive with less, not more, which she caries with her until today. She also wasn’t always[…] Keep reading →

I don’t know if any organizations speak for most libertarians, but I’ve been reading the pages What is a libertarian? from Libertarianism.org and the Platform of the Libertarian Party. The former begins Libertarians believe that, in politics, liberty is the most important value. Almost everyone wants freedom for themselves, but a libertarian also seeks to protect and expand the freedom of others. When people are free, we can create a more just,[…] Keep reading →

Check out this video, “Josh Spodek’s apartment disconnected from the electric grid in Manhattan on German TV”: (click the cc in the bottom right for English subtitles) (Note: I told the director over and over how the important story was the mission and strategy underneath, but journalists only cover what they can see and show so what you see is the superficial surface of my work. Journalists on the environment:[…] Keep reading →