Episodes
Feb. 11, 2020
289: Rob J. Harper, part 1: The Conservative Black Cowboy I met at Google
Most people will find my conversation with Rob unexpected, but talking with someone with his experience and views has long been one of my goals. People keep associating the environment with the political left, but everyone wa...
Feb. 10, 2020
288: Vince Lombardi: What It Takes
Nearly everyone treats acting on the environment as a burden or chore---especially would-be leaders who don't do what they say others should. They lead people to inaction. Effective leaders don't discourage. I find role model...
Feb. 6, 2020
287: David Katz, part 1: Stopping ocean plastic
David's TED talk has over 2 million views. I recommend watching it to learn about his project, Plastic Bank, though he describes it in our conversation. Regular listeners know my views on importance of reduction first. I want...
Feb. 5, 2020
286: Paul Smith, part 2: At the edge of my seat
We'll hear about Paul's experiences with eating out, eating at movie theaters, using prepared food, and his changing views on waste that came from experience. Involving his wife too. You'll also hear me several times feel at ...
Feb. 4, 2020
285: How to take initiative
Click here for the video of this episode If you're like most people, you want to act on the environment. You want to make sure you make a difference and fear wasting your time or doing pointless work. I felt that way before I...
Feb. 3, 2020
284: Why not escape to nature?
People often ask me why I don't live in the country. Here are the notes I read from for this post: They say you could live in nature This is a fundamental misunderstanding about my goals and read of situation About people, no...
Feb. 1, 2020
283: Nadya Zhexembayeva, part 2: The Reinvention Guru
Nadya indulged me in taking this podcast in new directions after listeners said they'd like to hear more unscripted conversation for a more human conversation. Before starting recording, we talked about the difference between...
Jan. 31, 2020
282: Vanessa Hering, part 2: Food, fitness, fun, and winning
Who doesn't love food? Vanessa also loves whole, fresh vegetables and fruit. If you haven't seen the movie The Game Changers , about athletes who love vegan food and still compete at the highest levels, well you don't need to...
Jan. 30, 2020
281: People don't want to do small things. They want to do meaningful things.
The notes I read from for this episode: People don't want to do small things. They want to do things that matter. Stop telling people small things they can do except as part of everything. Find things that you care about, tha...
Jan. 29, 2020
280: Paul Smith, part 1: How to tell stories to lead
You probably know the value of stories---though it's probably bigger than you think. You probably could improve your storytelling. Even if you're improving, I bet you're focusing on less-important parts of the craft. Paul Smi...
Jan. 25, 2020
279: Role model and global leader Mechai Viravaidya
Here are the notes I read from for this episode I've said we don't have many role models. Well I found one. I was wrong. I'm going to tell you about a man I briefly mentioned in one of my episodes on Alan Weisman's book Count...
Jan. 21, 2020
278: I have an environmental dream
Here are the notes I read from for this episode, along with the text of the speech: You might know I gave a series of talks at NYU that preceded this podcast One of their themes was parallels between the US civil rights movem...
Jan. 19, 2020
277: The joys and challenges if leaving addiction
Here are the notes I read from for this episode: I recently recorded conversations with Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live Rewatched The End of Dieting and a part captured me About stopping a habit, the stages one goes through Tho...
Jan. 18, 2020
276: Service. stewardship, and the huge rewards they create
The notes I read from for this episode: Service and giving back using Jason McCarthy GoRuck guy on Jocko. Friend, Dan Zehner, knows Jason Told me about his episode on Jocko Willink's podcast One section resonated with me beca...
Jan. 15, 2020
275: Go Big
If you are thinking of doing something to act on the environment, go big. Instead of thinking the littlest thing you can do, think of the future and go big. What's the biggest thing you can do? Not for others. For what you th...
Jan. 11, 2020
274: Applying Leadership and the Environment in corporations
This episode describes how I train corporate and institutional leaders in environmental leadership. Here are the notes I read from: Talking with more and more corporations lately, describing how I work with them Putting it he...
Jan. 10, 2020
273: We few, we happy few, we band of brothers
I understand why historical reasons lead us to look to scientists, journalists, educators, and legislators for leadership, but they don't know how to lead. They may excel at their crafts, but sharing research however accurate...
Jan. 6, 2020
272: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, pumping iron, and the environment
Ruth Bader Ginsburg knows about lifting weights and exercising because she does it. No amount of reading, watching TED videos, debating, or analysis can match experience. People who only read, research, and academically learn...
Jan. 6, 2020
271: Vanessa Hering, part 1: Champion body builder, vegan, Ivy MBA
Vanessa's original post said she Wanted to be a better advocate for veganism: so I trained 1.5 years and won the UPENN body building competition. When asked why, she wrote For the animals, for health, for the environment. Nev...
Jan. 2, 2020
270: Extinctions: Agriculture isn't so peaceful
I've read and thought about animals going extinct. My friend and guest Lorna Davis in her TED talk talks about her love for rhinos and passion to save them. I reviewed Poached by Rachel Nuwer and I've spoken to her about poac...
Dec. 31, 2019
269: 7 more things that everyone gets wrong about the environment
1 : The villain. People think nature, government, or corporations. It's beliefs 2 : The solution. People think technology, market, innovation. It's changing beliefs. 3 : Reduce, reuse, recycle. People act as if recycling help...
Dec. 31, 2019
268: Hunter Lovins, part 2: Sustainability will work. It will take work.
I recorded our second conversation the day after the September 20, 2019 climate marches. Hunter is more than well-connected. I wanted to hear and bring you the perspective of someone who has been at this longer and knew more ...
Dec. 27, 2019
267: Seth Sheldon, part 2: Inside the United Nations
Before we spoke, Seth implied he didn't do as much on his challenge as I expected so I expected a short conversation. I think it's important for listeners to hear that even people who win Nobel Prizes taking on global thermon...
Dec. 24, 2019
266: Thoughts on my MAGA interview
My notes I read from for this post: Yesterday I posted my interview on a site that strongly supports Donald Trump. I do not. Yet I described it as one of my favorite interviews. What gives? The conversation prompted thoughts ...