Leadership And The Environment

I posted a few Clips from my speaking at Google to my blog. They didn't video record the whole event, but I did get the audio, so today's episode is my talk there on how to start a podcast on the environment. For better or worse, it's over two hours and the audience wasn't miked so you can't hear everything, but attendees loved it.My first goal was for attendees: How to start a podcast---in particular, how to create your first episode. The difference between zero and one episodes is huge, so I designed my talk to minimize the barriers to that first step.Behind-the-scenes stories of Seth Godin, James Altucher, Nobel laureate Seth Sheldon, McKinsey’s Global Managing Director, and other guests intersperse. I share my podcast and overall environmental leadership strategy, explaining why I go for the guests I do.I share lots of anecdotes of podcast guest, including some early ones, for those of you who recently joined. I share my background on my life as it relates to environmental leadership.They booked me for ov

People talk about leadership causing ripple effects and hope that environmental action may lead to ripples.I see the potential for more. People like acting on their environmental values when they do. They just don't like being coerced or being made to feel shame or guilt. Few like going first.If most people like acting by their environmental values, someone going first may cause everyone else to crystallize into the new behavior. By crystallize, I mean that many people will change their behavior fast and across a wide scale.I can't guarantee society will change that way that fast, but I believe I see signs suggesting it will. I start today's episode with an example of podcast guest Navy SEAL officer Larry Yatch, his wife, and his sons without trying leading strangers to pick up other people's garbage from the beach. Since few people wake up and decide to pick up others' garbage, this behavior tells me people want to do it.I believe society only needs a few or even one well-known person to act to cause a major

My perspective on personal action continues to evolve.In conversation with someone at an event this evening, I started realizing the meaning in asking what each of us can do and the meaninglessness of asking hypothetical questions, which make up a lot environmental talk.It this episode I talk about meaningful questions to ask instead of theoretical ones about things you can't do anything about. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I started this podcast with the goal of creating a Mandela of the environment---a role I considered essential but saw no one remotely approaching it.Lately I've seen the opening for an easier but more effective role---a Muhammad Ali of the environment. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After resetting during conversation 1.5, Caspar returns with his son and wife---Columbus and Nicola---for a touching proper second episode.The three of them approached the challenge as a family, though you'll hear how Columbus led his parents in many ways. It sounds like he had tried for some time to guide his parents. Now that they committed to act, they heard him more. I see this trend a lot when people commit---that they realize they could have acted earlier and that acting brings them closer to relatives and others in their communities.Columbus steals the show, having studied, cared, and acted on the environment, patiently bringing his parents along. I hope all the parents who tell me that kids make acting environmentally harder. In the Craven family, the child is leading the adults.We talk about sailing, their having sailed around the world, gardening, school, and more. They sound to me like they're just getting started. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After recording three episodes (248, 250, and 251) on Alan Weisman's Countdown, I read his earlier book, The World Without Us, which I found equally tremendous. In it, he considers what would happen to the Earth if humans suddenly disappeared. How isn't the point, but what the difference between a world without us from that world with us tells us about ourselves.The book and author won many awards and became a New York Times bestseller about a decade ago when it came out. I remember when it came out but not why I took so long to read it.His writing I found a joy to read. He researched people, animals, plants, places, and so on beyond what you'd expect. You can tell he loves reporting what he's learned and making it useful.The book emerged from his Discovery Magazine article World Without People.There are many videos featuring him. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you want to reach your potential? Do you want to get past seeing your properties as limitations?Larry shares going from being what he is and we all are -- regular people -- to living his dream. An elite dream.My biggest takeaway from the conversation you're about to hear is accessibility and desire to help. That is, Larry Yatch wants us to get that what he did, we can all do. You may not want to become a SEAL, but to become your version -- that is, what you dream for yourself. And he wants to help enable you to do it.Whatever your doubts or insecurities, you have something you will love as much as he loved what he did and loves what he does. Clean air, land, and water might not be it for you as they have become for me, but I bet you'll get a lot more out of acting on them than you'd expect.Larry cuts to the core of leadership. He's precise. He wants you to understand and practice effectively, not to kind of sort of get it.I used to think military leadership was simple. There's a chain of command. Just tell

Why bother not flying if you're one person out of billions? Aren't you just missing out and suffering without meaningfully changing anything?These questions flummoxed me for a while. The longer I act, the more I realize the answer.Most people answer that little things add up or that it's like voting. I won't argue with those answers, but I think they're small effects. I've evolved since earlier episodes and my TEDx talk to find more important reasons.This episode shares my bigger reasons for personal action: you learn to act environmentally the way you learn any activity: practicing the basics. Don't act and you don't learn. If you want to influence others and you don't do what you lead them to, you lose credibility. They'll follow your inaction more than your words.Personal action doesn't guarantee they'll follow, but it gives you a chance. Without it, I don't see much chance at success. Would you take piano lessons from someone who can't play piano?Here are some notes I used for today's episode:Podcast: Do

I've recorded a few posts about how what many people call minimalism is really more maximal. From the outside it looks like minimizing stuff.d People who practice it, as I see it, don't focus on stuff. Getting rid of it is a means to an end. The end is more emotion, relationships, and connection---family, community, faith, and other things that bring meaning, which people prefer more of. They maximize those things.Joshua Becker stands out as one of the main figures in that world. Millions of people have read his blog and books and taken his courses to do just those things.In this episode we talk about how he started and perspectives that help. We talk about family, god, the bible, my first love, seminal moments in his life, and more.Why not get personal?Since this conversation, I read his book. People had already called me minimalist, but his book led me to find more material impediments to living by my values. I've gotten rid of more things, including the letters I talked to him about, which I wrote about he

Following up episode 253, I address race, sex, sexual preference and other difference people use as excuses to stop listening or understanding over.Here are my notes I worked from:Podcast: Race, sex, sexual preference. I mentioned the race of the people who mugged me and my friends and who punched me in the jaw. Mayhave sounded unnecessary, which I suppose would raise questions as to why I mentioned.Because people keep bringing race, sex, and such up with me.Talking about race is a minefield outside a few platitudes in this country, especially for whites. They keep losing their jobs. Maybe talking about it will bring me down before I reach being well-known. Well, if it brings me down, it brings me down, but as it stands, people use preconceived notions to stop hearing me, as I'll describe in a second, so what do I have to lose?Changing culture to change billions of people's environmental beliefs and behaviors means people collaborating across all divisions so we have to figure out how to overcome these precon

Here are my notes that I read from for this post:My greatest triumphs, my greatest shames.When I share personal stuff people always write how they like it. I think it's less important than learning the joys of stewardship and recognizing that flying any time you want or having blueberries 12 months a year doesn't improve your life, but it may help people understand where I'm coming from and maybe hold off a bit on saying, "yeah well you're privileged."TriumphsMaking the best ultimate team I played onPassing Columbia's qualifying examShamesBike stolen on Greene StreetBike stolen from Wissahickon Creek pathBike stolen from Art MuseumShoved on Walnut LaneSucker punched near CentralDon't remember: girls touching my skin, boys firecrackerMy stepbrother teasing me for my fatI'm not sure if people will consider these stories unimportant or learning important things about me. Maybe sharing such things are essential parts of leadership. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tia has been active on the environment for a long time, working with government, non profits, as an individual, and since birth deeply connected with federal and state government. And of course Earth Day from the start. We covered topics including planned obsolescence, politics, carbon taxes and accounting, Vince Lombardi, Brent Suter from the Milwaukee Brewers, Oprah Winfrey, and individual action.Many people, when considering acting on their environmental values, say how much they're already doing, implying isn't it enough already. They miss what I hope came across with Tia: Acting on your values improves your life. You gain from it.Describing acting environmentally that way may sound abstract. It's more delicious. It saves money. It connects you with your community.The switch to acting instead of reading, writing, analyzing, debating, etc can challenge, especially in a world designed for convenience, but past systems are decreasing the amount of life and human society earth can sustain. After switching, yo

Here are my notes that I read from for this episode.New comment from reading Countdown by Alan WeismanOverpopulation is major issue.Challenges are culture, religion, lack of education, lack of birth controlHe presented research results of demand for birth control by women -- about 250 million. Figure about a guy for each: 500 millionI figure low because many don't know it exists or are swayed by not seeing it so not realizing they could want itHe also showed results that unwanted children lead to poverty while smaller families where most people live today, ie cities, prosperCombination of huge unmet demand that when met leads to money tells me birth control isn't a moral issue, nor legal, religion, or charity issue but a finance issue. The money comes later if demand is metShould be profitable if someone can figure out financingMany people may default, may be hard to keep track, but look at how huge the demandWomen risk their lives and die for abortions. No products or services have that kind of demand. Maybe

Readers and listeners have commented on my writing and posting lately about population and birth rates. Why do I talk about them? Isn't America below replacement level?I recently finished reading Countdown by Alan Weisman, which I recommend. I read passages and commented on them in episode 248: Countdown, a book I recommend by Alan Weisman. It looked at population around the world, illustrating and describing research finding that we've overshot the carrying capacity, which will lead to population collapse.That book put the issue top of mind, as does listening to the Growthbusters podcast.This episode describes why I see value in discussion population. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Since our first episode, I've been talking about these mayors choosing to pick up garbage. I believe that a man never stands so tall as when he bends down to pick up another person's garbage.How many U.S. politicians can you name who bend down to pick up other people's garbage? Yet how many American streets, waterways, and beaches do you see covered with garbage? It wasn't always this way. We are letting it happen on our watch.I hope Jerry and Buddy start a new trend among politicians. Get your hands dirty to make our nation and cities clean. If people we know don't do it, such as elected officials, we won't in general.But if they do, we will---which will make them leaders, which they want.Politicians, get votes by cleaning up your neighborhoods.Yourself.Show that doing so doesn't make you dirty. It makes our world clean. It enables people.Your constituents want your leadership. They want clean neighborhoods. I believe you'll get votes by bringing cleanliness to them. You'll make yourself more approachable.In

I just finished an eye-opening book, Countdown, by Alan Weisman. It covers population.Weisman traveled to and reported on about a dozen places' views and practices on population and family planning.In this episode, I read a few passages that I found shocking. I barely scratch the book's surface, but I believe you'll find the sections equally noteworthy. I recommend reading the rest to understand this integral part of our world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

People resist environmental projects to protect jobs, even to keep producing products that pollute.My absurd proposal to balance jobs with junk: put factories next to landfills. Despite it being absurd, the proposal would create a cleaner world.Instead of making junk as a pretense for some counterproductive welfare, let's stop making it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What emotions do you associate with environmental action?I find people associate shame and guilt with it. I find these emotions lead people to suppress the emotions and hide the behavior leading to it.I propose reacting to pollution and polluting behavior with disgust. If someone hands me a plastic bottle of water, I feel disgust. I propose replacing the terms they've come up in Sweden for flight shame with flight disgust. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of my main goals for this podcast is to bring people who love acting on one's environmental values, seeing stewardship not as an obligation but as being a part of something greater than yourself, than any of us, benefiting everyone, and yourself.As you'll hear, Tia's roots precede the first Earth Day. Her father started it. Despite so many problems remaining -- basically all of them -- she's the opposite of jaded. She's enthusiastic. Her joy, even in the face of setbacks, and as a democratic politician in Wisconsin, she's faced big ones lately, tells me the joy anyone feels from nature -- walks on the beach, picking apples, whatever you love about experiencing nature -- is available to anyone.In other words, if you act more, you'll love it. As you'll hear, you'll very likely influence others, who will thank you.I love hearing the transformation from talking about potential to determined action. I love hearing the transformation from talking about individual action in the abstract to individual action.<

Learning that humans only recently developed the concept of extinction. Much of the West, for example, believed in a Great Chain of Being, spontaneous generation, and a biblical flood.That perspective suggests that many past behaviors we consider unconscionable may have seemed even humane then, like walking up to a rhinoceros and shooting it in the head. If you can't imagine it going extinct because new ones will form, how is shooting it point blank any different than slaughtering any other animal?Since we are in future generations' pasts, how might they see our polluting behavior? If they live in messes we created, won't they likely see us as we see people shooting rhinoceroses point blank---that is, with horror?Does understanding others with compassion lead us to act with compassion? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.