Did you vote in the last election? Why would you? Your impact is too small to make a difference. There are so many people voting yours barely matters. Maybe you’re in a state that doesn’t even have that many electoral votes, so now your vote matters even less. The chances of one person’s vote tipping the scales are infinitesimally small. […]
We are not apart from nature.We are a part of nature.We are nature.And nature is us. Harm we do to nature is harm we do ourselves.Good we do to nature is good we do ourselves.We are nature.And nature is us. This is a set of sentences (Dare I call them a poem?) that I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. […]
We need more energy!…Or do we? Energy is undeniably a driving force behind our modern standard of living. From refrigerators that keep our food fresh to cars that transport us quickly, and air conditioning that regulates our comfort, our reliance on energy continues to grow. However, the notion that more energy automatically equates to a better life is flawed, and […]
When hosting the This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature podcast, I’m frequently helping others try to find personal challenges in sustainability. The goal is always to find a challenge that aligns with my guest’s values. This means focusing on my guest’s experiences in nature and what they love to feel in those environments, and then help guide them towards a […]
You’ve probably heard a lot of hype about how electric cars are gonna save the planet, right? Our “climate savior” Elon Musk would certainly have us believe so. While they’re definitely a step in the right direction, but I would be careful not too get too carried away here – they’re not perfect. Electric Vehicles Pollute… One issue with electric […]
There’s this nice thing that comes from doing sustainable things: it almost always has positive effects in other, related areas as well. Some examples: But there are certain things that I do that have a positive impact on the planet…But only a tiny insignificant amount, and yet I continue to do not because it’s good for the planet, but purely […]
Learning To Dad-mode My newborn baby son, Jin, just turned one-month old. He’s doing great: he’s eating a ton, he’s super healthy, he sleeps a lot, and he’s learning so much about the world. We love him more than anything! Me, on the other hand, well…I’m…surviving: I never sleep more than 2 hours at a time, I half-zombie walk through […]
I’m now getting prepared for one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced: becoming father to a newborn baby boy…And trying to be as sustainable as possible. Raising a baby is hard enough, but trying to do it in a way that is sustainable in a world where everything you need for babies is made to be “convenient” (i.e. “disposable”), […]
Javad Mohammadi is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include multi-agent optimization and machine learning in networked cyber-physical systems, including smart grid-interactive buildings, power grid, and electrified transportation systems. In short, he’s solving problems and figuring out how to make our electric grids smarter […]
Throwing away trash…It’s so addictively easy. Can’t figure out what to do with all that plastic packaging? How about all these food scraps? Old ripped clothes or a broken TV? Just toss it all in the trash and you never have to worry about it again. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you DIDN’T have that […]