Episodes
Sept. 4, 2019
215: Jeremy Ryan Slate, part 2: How long have you gone without a phone?
When was the last time you went without a cell phone for more than a few hours? Jeremy went longer than he expected, but as chance favors the prepared mind, he was ready to take advantage of an opportunity. It sounds to me l…
Sept. 2, 2019
214: Are we smarter than bugs?
Bugs will infest a plant until they kill it, then when it dies, they die. It's happening to the fig tree and cherry tomato plants in my windowsill garden. If they could keep their population low enough to avoid killing the p…
Sept. 2, 2019
213: Joy from disgust
I don't like my world being full of junk "food," litter, and pollution, but if it is, I'd rather see it for what it is and feel a disgust that motivates me to change it than to keep myself in denial and passively, complacent…
Sept. 1, 2019
212: The Amazon Burning and Us
What's the difference between burning rain forests for someone's livelihood and family in the Amazon and paying for people to drill oil that we squander in the rest of the world? I'm not asking to accuse. I see some differen…
Aug. 28, 2019
211: Michael Werner, part 1: Dream job results from environmental leadership
Not everyone gets his or her dream job. Michael Werner did, on sustainable product design at Google and Apple. Since our conversation he's become Google's lead on circular economy. Whatever your thoughts on these companies, …
Aug. 23, 2019
210: How many children should I have?
How many kids should you have? I've heard people justify how many kids they should have for various reasons. I think of how decisions happen. We tend to decide first, based on emotions---the wiring we were born with that hel…
Aug. 19, 2019
209: Laura Coe, part 2: Practice changing habits
Laura and I explore the feelings and emotions around our environmental behavior, specifically that we don't like, like throwing away food. I predict you'll find her descriptions of how people feel familiar. In other episodes…
Aug. 16, 2019
208: Caspar Craven, part 1.5: Back on Track
Remember how enthusiastic Caspar sounded at the end of the first episode? He made doing his commitment sound so easy. Well, sometimes it is, but not always. He emailed me to postpone, saying he hadn't done as much as he expe…
Aug. 14, 2019
207: My Sad Fig Tragedy
People tell me they prefer personal stories and stories of humility, not just success. Well, this morning I messed up my fig tree. I'm still learning about gardening. I felt like a brute. Plus you can hear about my morning h…
Aug. 7, 2019
206: Jeremy Ryan Slate, part 1: Leadership: Doing What Others Don't, But Want To
This episode is about doing what others don't, but want to. We recorded it nearly 2 years ago when I was still getting into my groove. We start talking what sounds like about oranges but we're talking about leadership -- doi…
Aug. 5, 2019
205: Notes to a Future President
The U.S. is ramping up its Presidential campaigns. The environment is an issue for many reasons. At first you'd think because of global warming, plastic, mercury in fish, extinctions, bees are mysteriously dying, and so on. …
Aug. 3, 2019
204: Michelle Tillis Lederman, part 1: The Connector's Advantage
I've known Michelle longer than almost any guest. I met her in business school, which would mean 2005 or 6. She may be the friendliest guest of the show, partly from our being friends. But I've seen her in a room of unknown …
Aug. 2, 2019
203: Hunter Lovins, part 1: A Finer Future
A friend introduced me to Hunter and I met her in person a day she was teaching in Bard's MBA program. We start with Limits to Growth, the 30-year update (the book , a synopsis ), preparing to talk about her new book, A Fine…
July 30, 2019
202: How We Choose
I hear a lot of people's reasons for not flying, for using single-use plastic, for leaving the air conditioner on when they're not home. I know them not just because people told them to me. I know them because I'm human and …
July 19, 2019
201: James Altucher, part 1: More Curious and Adventurous Than Almost Anyone
James is fascinating and, I believe, fascinated. He interviewed me as much as I did him. The recording starts mid-conversation since we were just talking but his engineer started the recording. You'll hear a few minutes in w…
July 12, 2019
200: Caspar Craven, part 1: Sailing to the head of the corporation
Caspar leads a fulfilling life and helps people do the same. What's his expertise? How has he found purpose more than others? Why do corporations book him to help them with morale? He sailed around the world with his family.…
July 10, 2019
199: Be Fruitful and Multiply: What Does It Mean? What Can It Mean?
I've learned in leading that you can lead people best when you meet them where they are. That means speaking their language and understanding their perspective. Many people I talk to take their cues from the Bible, including…
July 9, 2019
198: Brandon Voss, part 1: Negotiate Like Your Life Depends On It
Brandon loves negotiation and teaching it. He learned from the top in the field and practices it apparently 24/7. We start our conversation by covering negotiation as developed by an FBI hostage negotiator---Chris, his fathe…
July 7, 2019
197: Polarization, communication, and education
Everybody talks about political polarization, the communication messes this nation and world are in, and how people who disagree can't talk to each other any more, so we can't resolve conflict. I do it too---that is, get int…
July 7, 2019
196: Seth Shelden, part 1: Nuclear Weapons, the Environment, and the Nobel Prize
When I studied physics and spent time in universities, I met a lot of Nobel laureates. Physics is Nobel heavy so Columbia physics connected me to 3. Other science departments led me to another 1 or 2. The business school led…
July 5, 2019
195: How it feels to live more sustainably than mainstream
People ask me if I worry or lose sleep from my environmental habits in a world where most people pollute profligately and unnecessarily. In this post I try to illustrate by analogy how it feels. How would you feel if you wer…
July 2, 2019
194: Tom Murphy, part 2: Author of one of the best sites on the internet
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Tom's Do The Math blog is one of the best site on internet. If you measure a site by how much it can improve a reader's life and human society, I challenge you to find one with grea…
July 1, 2019
193: Tim Smit, part 2: Spirituality and Passion from the Earth
From our first conversation you know Tim's history as a musician and founder of the Eden Project. This time you'll hear the passion of a man who loves restoring the Earth's ability to sustain life and human society. He talks…
June 27, 2019
192: Laura Coe, part 1: Emotional Obesity and Environmental Obesity
Laura and I go back a few years, from being on her podcast. We talk about her concept of emotional obesity : a parallel between physical health and emotional health. I find it a rich analogy on many levels. Characteristics o…