This Sustainable Life

My notes that I read from for this episode: Greatest danger is not to learn from it. Starting story: Preparing to launch on 9/11. While nothing on scale of victims, first responders, and those who fought, but went from 8 digit to limbo. Within two years squeezed out. Gave up following Einstein and Newton to outdoor advertising that I didn't even like. Now no way forward, backward, or anything. Los...

I view ecotourism skeptically at best. While I imagine someone could create tourism that increased the world's ability to sustain life and human society, every case I've seen at least doubly does the opposite. For one thing I've only seen ecotourism involving flying, which destroys what they pretend to help, perhaps dreaming that carbon offsets lower greenhouse concentrations while they more likel...

People ask, "Josh, do you really think you can make a difference?" or comment that what I or anyone does won't matter. In the first part of this episode I describe how I think our environmental future will unfold---the outcome I consider most likely. It's not pretty. I foresee a lot of gloom and doom about nature, but however much problems in nature, I think human reactions will be more important,...

I met Nir Eyal at a podcast recording of Will Bachman, who long ago hosted me on his podcast (see links below). Nir recently publish a book, Indistractable , about how to keep focused. A lot of people ask me how I do so much. I don't feel I do, but if so, maybe I qualify as someone who achieves. Indistractable gave me tools to focus and achieve more with less distraction. In fact, I'm writing now...

If you've listened to this podcast, you know my Building Block---my technique to lead one person to share and act on his or her environmental values. You may also know my strategy to scale from influencing one person at a time to many. Describing that scaling model has taken effort. A conversation with a friend this morning about how Tesla scaled suggested to me a way to describe how I planned to...

As a sneak preview to my third TEDx talk, I used this conversation wit Larry as an example. Sorry you'll have to wait a month for the organizers to edit the video. Waiting is as hard for me as for you. When last we heard, Larry committed to picking up trash from beach with his sons and wife. Sometimes involving others can increase the challenge. Other times involving others leads to leading them,...

Food is important part of environment, as you know. The book Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman changed a lot for me. I came across it after my experiments avoiding packaged food, fiber-removed foods, and meat. Eat to Live showed me that the delicious diet I found by reducing garbage and pollution turned out healthy. You'll hear me at the beginning stumble a bit. I had prepared, but everything change...

[EDIT: moments after posting this episode, I found my first example of someone else posting on this idea only two months ago, Environmental Pollution: An Invisible Kind of Child Abuse , which got a positive response. I'm sure there's more.] After my third TEDx talk a few days ago, spoke to a couple that told me how much they reduced waste but wouldn't consider anything more. People love considerin...

James Lipton, who started and hosted the show Inside the Actors Studio , died yesterday. Here are the notes I read from for this episode: I could talk about how much I enjoyed the episodes, his humor, and a few things I learned from his guests that only his interviewing could have elicited but I will go deeper, to share how fundamental his work has been to mine. Many times I've said that if my cou...

In this episode I describe how important I consider the accessibility of my personal behavior solutions -- a matter of integrity, not to be confused with behavior to influence others, which is a matter of leadership. Here are my notes I read from for this episode. Access and its importance to me. Food available in food desert. I spend nearly no money on fitness. Yes, I live in a nice neighborhood,...

I met Brent through guest Tia Nelson , both Wisconsin celebrities---she in politics, he in sport---who work with the Outrider Foundation . He is this podcast's first MLB pitcher in string of athletes from the Olympics, NFL, Americas Cup, beep baseball, and more. I bring athletes because they excel in the key leadership domain of personal growth and development. In a world based on polluting, envir...

What is Earth's carrying capacity? Why is it important? Many ask how we will feed 10 billion people. Mathematician way of asking is if we can feed so many and if so how. Maybe we can't. First, don't want to know. While it depends on many assumptions that aren't hard or measurable numbers, like standard of living, distribution of resources, and technology, we can say it's maximum misery per person....

Alan Weisman's book Countdown changed my strategy to the environment. It ranks among the top most influential works I've read, watched, or come across, up there with Limits to Growth . Why? Because when you look at environmental issues enough, and it shouldn't take too long these days, population always rises to the top as one of the top issues. Many people today hear about projections that the po...

Here are the notes I read from for this episode: Outward manifestation Been saying lately When you see pollution, dingy skies, sea levels rising Any one person listening may not have But if American, likely more than nearly anyone Less technological, more social and personal Results from our behavior, from our choices From our beliefs, stories, images, desires Opposite would be stewardship, caring...

Lorna's challenge is one of the longest and most personal at over a year. I also couldn't wait to bring her story to you most because within weeks she was reporting the joys overcoming the challenges. We've become friends through her challenge. Within months she started sending senior executives my way as her sharing her challenge with them led them to follow. In other words, Lorna didn't experien...

I ask people their reasons for polluting activities like flying, take-out, taking taxis or ride shares where public transit serves. They consistently tell me that they love these things. They love visiting family, seeing remote places, etc. If you feel similarly, you're about to face some tough love. These motivations came to mind while listening to Thomas Kolditz on a podcast I listen to and that...

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 wants clean air, land, and water. Regular listeners know Rob from my appearing in a video episode, A Different Look At Climate Change , at Magamedia.org---MAGA as in Trump's Mak...

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 models to inspire me. Vince Lombardi tops many people's lists of all-time top coaches. The NFL named the Superbowl trophy after him. His teams dominated the game. He shared the cor...

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 wanted to know if Plastic Bank's putting a value on plastic, increasing demand. His TED talk talks about turning off the valve if you're flooding, but maybe he's just moving the w...

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 the edge of my seat, which I attribute to his story-telling and story-telling-teaching. I asked him if he created that effect on purpose or by accident, and we'll get to hear...

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 started the path that led to this podcast. Taking initiative overcame it. I wrote my book, Initiative , on taking initiative based on the course I've taught at corporations a...

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, not CO2 or plastic New Zealand documentary home restorer Not about me getting away from problems Pattern: Mess -> get away -> others follow -> colony -> town -> c...

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 celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and the 50th anniversary of walking on the moon. You'll hear that we spoke and got along swimmingly for a while. Th...

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 because Vanessa is living it. Changing diet and changing environmental habits have a lot in common. Vanessa found the joy, community, and connections in food that I did, and...

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, that you notice. And stop measuring against a global problem. Ask yourself if you care. Do you care when you see litter in your neighborhood, then pick it up. If you care, you'll...