Episodes

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 wan…
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 …
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, n…
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 betwee…
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 t…
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, th…
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 Sm…
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 Coun…
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 move…
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 Th…
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 bec…
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 t…
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 h…
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 accurat…
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 lear…
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. Ne…
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 poa…
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 hel…
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 thermo…
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…
Dec. 22, 2019

265: I was wrong

Here are the notes I read from for this episode: Ways I was wrong I usually start my story about acting more sustainably with my personal challenge to buy no packaged food for a week. In my second TEDx talk I describe how th…
Dec. 18, 2019

264: Larry Yatch, part 2: Navy SEAL precision

This episode brings you a trainer who has reached top levels of leadership and teaching leadership break down how to learn. How to learn to learn. Let that sink in. To me this episode felt like a master class by a practition…