This Sustainable Life

547: Michael Carlino, part 4: What does Christian scripture say about population?

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michael is becoming a regular. Would I have expected an extended conversation with a doctoral candidate at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary w...

546: Maxine Bédat, part 2: Systemic Change Begins With Personal Change

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Maxine shares her experience with her commitment across the country. She moved partly to enable living by her values. People often suggest it's easier...

545: Jesse Eisinger: Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative reporter for Propublica

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you become one of the premier investigative journalists at one of the premier publishers of investigative journalism? In general, how do you ex...

544: Michael Carlino, part 3: What would Jesus do with an iPhone?

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michael shares about avoiding using a smart phone, or at least using a minimally functional smart phone. Do you remember what life was like without yo...

543: Hilary Link, part 1: a college president leading her school to carbon neutrality

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Allegheny College was one of the first 10 institutions of higher education in the United States to be declared carbon neutral by an organization calle...

542: Chad Foster, part 3: Experiencing nature, people, and sex without sight

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Chad shares his experience motivating his family to try to bring them camping with him. You'll hear they didn't make it easy. I couldn't resist asking...

541: My "rant" on "People want to act, Josh, but it's hard"

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"People want to act, but it's hard," my business friend said to me, speaking on the environment. I said it to myself for most of my life before learni...

540: Blake Haxton, part 3: Exploring nature from a wheelchair with a shotgun

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Blake shares his results about acting on his commitments from last time. He couldn't work much with rowing with temperatures barely above freezing, bu...

539: Katharine Hayhoe: Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I've been following Katharine for years. If you don't know of her, after our conversation, watch her TED talk and read her book, Saving Us: A Climate ...

538: How much should I reduce my pollution? How many slaves should Thomas Jefferson have freed?

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here are the notes I read from for this episode:Will hit 70 next week.Dawning on people what has dawned on what we now call the global south, that the...

537: Nate Hochman, part 1: Toward a Conservative Environmentalism

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I met Nate on Citizens Climate Lobby panel on conservatives and climate, then read his National Review piece, Toward a Conservative Environmentalism, ...

536: David Pogue: How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two great reasons to listen to this episode. First, David is a tremendous science communicator. He's experienced, thoughtful, funny, and communicates ...

535: The best sledding hill in the world, Tommy's Hill in Philadelphia (from my third TEDx talk)

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NOTE: I recommend watching the video of this episode, not just listening to the audio.What does the environment mean to you?We are motivated by what's...

534: Mom, part 2: Opportunity and oppression: race and religion in my childhood

27 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I recorded my second conversation with my mom about my childhood and before during the pandemic, in the spring of 2020. Shortly after recording our fi...

533: Laura Coe, part 3: The Nature of Love

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Longtime listeners will remember Laura from episodes 192 and 209, over two years ago. Her book, Emotional Obesity, made a big effect on me, as did her...

532: Michael Lenox, part 3: How to Decarbonize the Global Economy by 2050

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At last, a conversation with a knowledgeable economist!Longtime listeners remember Michael here after his last book. He just published a new one, The ...

531: Scott White, part 1: The Founder/CEO of an Energy Company on Sustainability

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two of this podcast's top goals areTo bring leaders to share and act on their environmental values, from any area, but especially polluting fieldsTo h...

Cassiano Laureano, part 2: Burpees for the body, banzai tree for the heart and mind

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cassiano's first episode led to more listener comments than most. People loved his enthusiasm. I find guys who know martial arts tend to speak with a ...

529: Katie Redford, part 2: No distractions. Keeping oil in the ground.

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I see exactly two highest priorities for material goals to restore Earth's ability to sustain life. One is keeping fossil fuels in the ground. Down th...

528: Don't Bother With Stewardship. It Makes Your Life Worse. Especially If You're American.

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I've meant to record this episode for a while, as the idea of saying "fuck it," not trying, forgetting about the future and my effect on others, and e...

527: Mike Michalowicz, part 1: Entrepreneurship, stewardship, and engaging, compelling writing

07 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mike and I are in an online writing group together. For a while I knew him as the funny and diligent guy whose books have thousands of reviews online....

526: A recent talk on doof, heroin, crack, and sustainability

07 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This talk gets to the root of what I see destroying Earth's ability to sustain life and our health and happiness in the process.Here is the audio a re...

525: Katie Redford, part 1: She beat a multinational oil company in court just getting started

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Katie is the sort of role model I do this podcast to bring to the world. Her challenges are huge, but her passion and determination greater.I can find...

524: James Rebanks, part 1: Pastoral Song

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

James Rebanks' first massively bestselling book, The Shepherd's Life, and the images of that life he posts online, at first make you think he hails fr...

523: Dr. Warren Farrell, part 1: Actually listening to men, what they keep to themselves

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If I measure a book's quality by how much it changes my perspective and enables me to improve my life, Dr. Farrell's The Myth of Male Power (1993) is ...

522: Abdal Hakim Murad, part 1: Britain’s most influential Muslim thinker

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A reader followed up on my conversations with religious figures and authorities from branches of Christianity and Judaism. He wroteYou have presented ...

521: Blake Haxton, part 2: Teamwork is crucial. How to solve that we're divided

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I loved Blake and my conversation so much, I'm releasing our first two conversations back to back. Also, our first one didn't reach to The Spodek Meth...

520: Blake Haxton, part 1: Paralympic victory and maybe the most important message I've heard on sustainability

16 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I learned of Blake through the mailing list of the maker of my rowing machine, Concept2. Their piece on him described him as a Paralympic bound athlet...

519: Terik Weekes, Chief Engineer for Elroy Air: The future of electric flight

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Should you prepare for a future of clean air travel, curb your flying, or other?I saw Terik speak on a panel on electric flight. As Chief Engineer at ...

518: Killing cities, gardens, and parks, New York's cruel "Open Restaurants" overreach

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Don't outdoor restaurants sound nice? During the pandemic, New York City allowed restaurants that couldn't host people indoors to serve them outdoors....

517: Michael Carlino, part 2: Faith, God, the Bible, and Values

08 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly everyone I talk to who works on conservation or would call themselves an environmentalist or something like it treats American conservatives an...

516: Geoengineering: Prologue or Epilogue for Humanity?

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here are the notes I read from, responding to this op-ed piece and this review for a book I've talked to the author about but haven't read.Geoengineer...

515: Chad Foster, part 2: A blind man overcoming the trap of feeling you have to fix the world

03 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our conversation in this episode starts by covering his commitment from last time. After a few minutes, it becomes apparent he picked a commitment bas...

514: Jojo Mehta: Ecocide: why you want this law more than you've imagined

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

First, I'm so used to talking to people who don't act and try to convince themselves and others that individual actions don't matter, I loved talking ...

513: Jon Levy, part 2: Which influences more, shame and guilt or support and love?

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jon and I start by talking about his book, You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence. Some of the celebrities he's met and research...

512: Perhaps our greatest lesson, from of a Paralympic athlete who endured catastrophe

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Unearned suffering is redemptive," said Martin Luther King.In today's episode I share what I learned today recording with Blake Haxton, a guest whose...

511: Joe Collins, part 1.5: Can We Clean South Central Los Angeles?

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last time Joe committed to organizing and participating in a beach clean-up as part of his campaign. In today's episode he shares the state of the reg...

510: Jonathan Hardesty, part 6: "This method of doing things is making me become a better husband and parent"

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan and I continue practicing the Spodek Method. Since last recording, he practiced it with his wife. This time he shares how it went. I picked u...

509: Joe Romm: From science to working with James Cameron, leading through story

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Coming from a background in science but realizing that sharing numbers and data didn't influence, Joe had to unlearn a lifetime of mainstream science ...

508: Eric Orts, part 2: To the U.S. Senate, living the values he leads

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Since Eric's last time here, he formally declared he is running for office. Now he's reporting back months into his campaign.Did Trump not being in of...

507: Behind the Mic: Teamwork Versus Leadership

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode explores a subtle but potentially meaningful and large shift, considering focusing on sustainability teamwork more than sustainability...

506: I lost $10 million on September 11, 2001. Here is what I learned from those who sacrificed and served.

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sorry for the slow pace of this episode, but just before recording I looked at the firehouse across the street from my apartment, the small plaque nam...

505: Michael Carlino, part 1: From the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michael begins by describing himself as a Protestant evangelical conservative PhD candidate at one of the largest and oldest Baptist seminaries, what ...

504: Dar-Lon Chang, part 2: Activists on Exxon's Board (and fighting a real estate developer who lied about sustainability)

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Reading front-page headlines about activist investors gaining some control of Exxon's Board of Directors reminded me of past guest Dar-Lon Chang, who ...

503: Jonathan Hardesty, part 5: Facing and overcoming gluttony

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I hope you hear Jonathan and I sharing a great rapport---on art, stewardship, Christianity, and enjoying life.If you've reached this conversation, you...

502: Cassiano Laureano, part 1: The world record for most burpees in an hour

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When I read about Cassiano setting the world record for most burpees in an hour--951---I knew I had to meet him.Though I've maxed out at a mere 370 in...

501: Big City Andrew, part 2: Cleaning small towns and big cities

29 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sorry the audio doesn't show the big Trump flag behind Andrew, because in this episode, I hear a regular guy who sees America's small towns and big ci...

500: This Podcast's Next Milestone

28 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For the 500th episode, I share the outcome I expect to make happen from all this podcast experience as part of my mission to change culture to embrace...

499: What sets limits on pollution, part 2: some answers

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The notes I read from for this episode:I asked many questions on the last episode. The core ones were “why aren’t we switching to renewables and n...

498: What sets the limits on pollution? Why don't we pollute less or decrease faster?

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My notes I read from:Why do we still pollute, part 1: the questionsDoes the following sound familiar?We use a lot of energy, but we’ll electrify eve...

497: Don't let judgment and criticism kill action: Gernot Wagner's personal example.

21 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Gernot Wagner posted a story in New York Magazine about personally acting in a big way on his living situation.People criticized his sharing something...

496: Reverend Doctor Ambrose Carroll, Sr., part 1: Greening the Church

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I met Ambrose through recent guest Scott Hardin-Nieri. Regular listeners likely noticed how I've been hosting more guests leading religious communitie...

495: Alexis Stewart, part 1: Martha's daughter's passion for picking up litter

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For my first time in years of picking up litter, I saw a woman picking some up methodically, like she does it regularly. I told her I did too and we h...

494: How Is Addiction to Fossil Fuels Different From Addiction to Heroin and Crack?

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Below are the notes I introduced this episode with. If you want to see the park, I posted two videos here. Prepare to be disgusted, maybe even shocked...

493: Sarah Wilson: Living Joyfully Sustainably (more fun than excuses)

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Strolling, not scrolling!Sarah acts sustainably and loves it. She shares that love. I loved this conversation, a relief from everyone making stewardsh...

492: Did Steven Pinker's Better Angels of our Nature miss why we're less violent?

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here are the notes I read from:Comments on Better Angels of Our NatureI finally finished Steven Pinker’s Better Angels of Our Nature. I started it m...

491: Nevcan Gungor, part 1: Surviving Myanmar's military coup

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Myanmar's military coup beginning February 1, 2021 made front-page news around the globe and remains there six months later. In Yangon, As Chief Inves...

490: Karen Shragg, part 2: Reducing birth rate and raising tomatoes

31 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Don't you feel gypped that some of the most amazing potential parts of our lives were stripped away by people overindulging in polluting behavior? Or ...

489: Martin Puris, part 2: All big ideas begin in the mind of one person thinking creatively

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Martin and I continued our conversation about America, its problems, and what we can do about it. I misread him that he had a specific plan, but that ...

488: Maxine Bédat, part 1: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Fashion's Sustainability (or lack thereof)

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Maxine's book, Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment, traces how a pair of jeans comes into existence from it's raw beginnings and where it ends ...

487: Karen Shragg E.D.D., part 1: At last, simple, reasonably talk on (over)population

18 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We can dance around our environmental problems all we want. Understand them enough and we eventually reach overconsumption and overpopulation. These o...

486: General Kip Ward, part 2: Not flying by choice, and smiling about it

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A retired General doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to. What he does, he's going to do for his reasons, not for trends or as a dilettante.Ki...

485: Jonathan Hardesty, part 4: How to Lead Someone to Stewardship: The Spodek Method

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan and I continue practicing how to lead oneself and others to love acting in stewardship. Everyone thinks sustainability means deprivation and ...

484: John Sargent, part 2: Fun Transforming MacMillan, a Big 5 Publisher

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone treat changing corporate culture like a horror show, but John did it. How? Through making it fun.The way most people talk about it, only dict...

483: Jane O'Sullivan: Debunking the "Aging Problem" Scam

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when populations age?Can you envision a world with a sustainable population, well below Earth's capacity, therefore living resiliently in...

482: Florida's Condo Collapse, Doom Psychology, and Our Environment

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here is the article prompting this episode: Majority of Florida condo board quit in 2019 as squabbling residents dragged out plans for repairsHere are...

481: Joe Collins, part 1: From a gang to Congress?

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I met Joe when we spoke together on an online panel hosted by Magamedia.org. I knew he was running for office and anticipated conservative politics, b...

480: Scott Hardin-Nieri: part 1: Scripture to Mobilize Climate Action

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I contacted Scott after reading a profile of his work in The Guardian, ‘Within minutes I was weeping’: the US pastor using scripture to mobilize c...

479: Martin Puris, part 1: What's Wrong With America?

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Martin is a legend. How many people craft phrases that become part of everyday language like “The Ultimate Driving Machine," "The Antidote For Civil...

478: Forrest Galante, part 1: Saving Zanzibar Leopards and Other Not Yet Extinct Species

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most of you probably know Forrest for his television shows. He combines the most intriguing parts of being a biologist, an adventurer, and a televisio...

477: Mechai Viravaidya: My #1 Top Role Model in the World

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I consider Mechai Viravaidya my top role model for sustainability leadership. As I described in a recent episode, We Can Dance Around Environmental Pr...

476: Tom Murphy, part 3: The Science Book of the Decade

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When I read Tom's book on sustainability, Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, I couldn't believe the book didn't exist already. I consider ...

475: We Can Dance Around Environmental Problems All We Want. We Eventually Reach Overpopulation and Overconsumption

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever tasted an heirloom tomato so delicious it was almost a religious experience? I used to think people who complained about supermarket tom...

474: Frederick Lane, part 2: Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Motivation

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Frederick was a great sport in allowing me to explore working on a patterns that happens sometimes but that I had let slide before.We started talking ...

473: James Suzman: What We Can Learn From 300,000 Years of Human History

13 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Longtime readers of my blog know how much James Suzman's first book influenced my thinking and views of possessions, community, ownership, modernity, ...

472: Big City Andrew, part 1: Traditional Conservative values and stewardship

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew co-hosted me on MAGAMedia with past guest Rob Harper, so we've spoken there several times, but this conversation is our first one-on-one.We sta...

471: 12 Sustainability Leadership Lessons Unplugging My Fridge for 6.5 Months Taught Me

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Isn’t a refrigerator essential? Isn’t life with them better?I thought so. I’ll quote my mom from my podcast to illustrate where I came from:I gr...

470: Sustainable Activities: I'm learning singing (my mortifying "before" recording)

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The average American watches 5 hours of TV per day. Many fly or drive around for fun. If we want to pollute less, will we lose the ability to enjoy ou...

469: The Science Book of the Decade: Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, by Tom Murphy

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I didn’t think of how small my building’s elevators were when I bought a sofa after moving into my current apartment. It didn’t fit. The deliver...

468: Alexandra Paul, part 2: How to Reduce Something (Wasteful) You Enjoy, to Improve Your Life

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alexandra's commitment illustrates a result I keep finding. People who have acted to live sustainably the most already find new ways to act more than ...

467: Frederick Lane, part 1: The Rise of the Digital Mob

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A topic making among the most headlines these days are digital mobs and their justice reacting to what people say. I've touched on it somewhat in this...

466: Shaun Donovan: New York City Mayoral Candidate

29 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shaun Donovan is running for Mayor of New York City. Technically not a national or global position, but in practice it is. Many call it the second har...

465: Markus Pukonen, part 1: Around the World With No Motors

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My friend bought a sailboat, I mentioned to him my goal of sailing off North America, he told me about this guy posting weekly videos of circumnavigat...

464: Resilience: Six months with the fridge unplugged

22 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here are the notes I read from for this episode:6 months with fridge unpluggedMom's advice, her fridge2 articles: Vietnam and power grid safetyExtreme...

463: Brad Hoylman, part 1: From New York Senator to Manhattan Borough President

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brad isn't just a longtime elected legislator, he's also a neighbor who represents me. Most campaigning politicians speak in talking points. Maybe for...

462: Bill Ryerson, part 3: The biggest impact you can make

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Heartwarming is the best word to describe Bill's experience that I can think of.In today's episode, Bill and I start by talking about the incomparably...

461: 24 Hours With No Electrical Power (After)

16 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My notes I read from:What I did:Kathryn Garcia in Washington Square ParkFarmers market (compost, oregano)Ride to BrooklynGrain de Sail sail boatVisit ...

460: 24 Hours With No Electrical Power (Before)

15 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here are the notes I read from for this post:---I posted the other day an exercise to think about going twenty-four hours without using electrical pow...

459: Jonathan Hardesty, part 3: How to Continue a Sustainability Podcast

15 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan and I have a good rapport. We joke around. I love his expressiveness as an artist. I think he values stewardship more than he's behaved so fa...

458: The Spodek Method: How to Lead Someone to Act Joyfully Sustainably

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve taught a half-dozen people the technique I use in this podcast---the hosts of the other branches of the This Sustainable Life podcast. They sta...

457: Jon Levy, part 1: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jon is famous for bringing people together and creating community, see the New York Times article on him below. He invited me to a few of his events b...

456: Jonathan Hardesty, part 2: How to Start a Sustainability Podcast

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is really two.Remember that he started art late in life, so the first two-thirds talks about art. Also his experience with his kids and f...

455: J. B. MacKinnon, part 2: What happens when you pay for quality?

01 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our world values cheap and disposable---in food and doof packaging, furniture, cars, and near the top of the list, clothes, especially fast fashion. T...

454: Richard Rothstein: Racial segregation in generations of U.S. law

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s guest, Richard Rothstein, is one of the experts on how the law has clearly and explicitly kept freedom, prosperity, longevity, opportunity, ...

453: Bill Ryerson, part 2: How can we talk about population? What can we do?

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's the Earth's carrying capacity? If we're above it and we choose to lower it, what happens to the economy?I've wondered these questions. I know t...

452: Book Update #1

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Started thinking of book when I worked on initiative but put in background, expecting podcast to improveThat's been the case.Started getting serious a...

451: Alexandra Paul, part 1: A Genuine Celebrity Role Model

17 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I saw a TEDx talk on population where the speaker spoke thoughtfully and persuasively on overpopulation. I consider the topic among the most important...

450: Brian Keating, Losing the Nobel Prize

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Though I haven't actively practiced physics since defending my thesis in 1999, it felt great to talk science with the author of a book named one of th...

449: Chad E. Foster: How Do You Handle Huge Challenges? Not Big. Huge.

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you face challenges? Not little ones like a pandemic lockdown for a year. Big ones.Regular listeners hear me talk about role models like Viktor...

448: Robert Bilott: The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare

20 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your blood contains PFOA, also known as forever chemicals. They cause cancer of several types, birth defects, and more.Dupont and other companies prod...