Jason asks:

Justin,
I’ve seen you become more and more interested in the environment and sustainability over the past couple years. Was there one thing that impacted you greatly? Or was it a slow realization?

Thanks for asking. It was definitely gradual, one issue at a time. One factor was the energy pyramid that shows the relative impact of eating meat vs. eating vegetables. I’m not a vegetarian, but it helped me realize why it’s not sustainable for everyone to live as Americans do.

I was initially skeptical about global warming, though less so over time. My late grandfather was an oil executive - petroleum put me through college. I majored in science, though, and while I never studied global warming as part of a class, I did learn a respect for science that helped me see past the “everything is fine” pseudoscience that denied global warming. I was convinced by the time An Inconvenient Truth came out, but that film turned knowledge into mission. I’m still irritated that every hot day is attributed to global warming, since I think it decreases people’s respect for a thorough understanding of science, but at least people are more aware now.

I’ve also been thinking about recycling and resource sustainability for a long time, probably since I wrote a paper on reusable food packaging in college (which was the basis for my recent “Close the Loop” post).

At the same time, these issues have gained more and more traction in our culture, so I can’t claim to be at all radical in these interests. Right now, I’m trying to focus people’s attention on those issues that hold the most promise for making a difference - that is, identifying and pushing at points of leverage for change. My two main areas of concentration are:
1. Stopping climate change, e.g. through carbon offsets, reduced fossil fuel use, and increased efficiency
2. Overall sustainability - renewable energy, recycling, composting, waste reduction, and reducing our ecological footprints

That’s my story. What about you, fellow envirogeeks?