Here’s a question for you: Do you worry about the way human beings are impacting the natural environment? If so, what is it that you think you should be doing in your own life to address that concern? I have spent most of my life worrying about these questions, and I’ve helped the U.S. Environmental … [Read more…]
If you are reading this, the chances are very good that you live in a Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) country. Even if you are not in a WEIRD country, it only takes a brief look at the past to realize that you are probably living in a wonderful world compared to the … [Read more…]
Some of my old friends like to tease me about being “rich” because I decided I was financially independent enough not to need a job after I turned 35. It’s all in good fun, but I’m not rich at all. In fact, many people my age would like to have a much larger net worth … [Read more…]
Don’t buy me a gift. I have very few things, and I like it that way. The things I have were intentionally chosen. Einstein said everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. Most of my worldly possessions are clothes that can be worn for many different occasions. And there is the … [Read more…]
We often fall into the trap of splitting the world into two groups of people when thinking about a problem. In the case of environmental protection, we’re tempted to think of people as either “pro-industry” or “tree huggers.” The truth is that every person is an environmentalist on some level, but that label means different … [Read more…]
Many environmentalists dream about an energy future that fully relies on solar and wind power, where batteries provide power during periods without sufficient sun or wind. However, battery storage radically increases the cost of providing electricity to end users, and battery manufacturing results in serious environmental impacts that must be considered. The availability of raw … [Read more…]
My wife spent most of her childhood in Germany, and I’ve always enjoyed comparing notes with her on the cultural differences that are apparent between Germans and Americans. Of course, these conversations are chocked full of generalizations that don’t apply to every person or place, but one can draw certain distinct conclusions about the way … [Read more…]
I lived in Washington, D.C. for the first two years after college, and I would often take weekend trips down to North Carolina with my girlfriend and one of my best pals in DC, who was originally from North Carolina. We always joked about Saturday being “Trash Burning Day” down there, because we saw people … [Read more…]