Welcome to my world, seen through green-colored glasses…
Essentially, this blog site is a down to earth, everyday discussion on sustainability that will involve any number of topics, from government policy, companies, products and societal norms to everyday living. For the most part, all of this will be a mix of facts (cited) and perspective extrapolated from personal beliefs and from things that I have found along the way. This is NOT by any means a fully-fledged, scientifically backed or sponsored site. However, it is a passion of mine… so here I am!
A little about me…
I grew up in west-central Minnesota on a farm and in a farming community, left to join the US Navy in the Naval Nuclear Power Program. After the military, I started a career in the HVAC industry working in the building management systems and OEM controls, while getting an undergrad degree in Computer Information Systems. Over the years, my cumulative experience has been more focused in design engineering; the continually evolving industry I’ve worked in coupled with a number of personal experiences have opened my eyes, heart, and passion to the incorporation of sustainability into all my consciousness… so much so that I have just recently completed my MBA with a focus in Sustainability (you can see an outline of my CV on LinkedIn, if you’re interested).
As with many others, I didn’t wake up one day, decide, “Today I am sustainable, and all things in my life will reflect that…” and begin a purge of all things not sustainable or sustainably produced. For me, it was (and still is) a journey that started with a desire, and still today I am striving every day to be the most sustainable and in balance with the environment as I can be.
This has pervaded not just perceptions in the workplace; it’s been natural to have a continuously growing awareness via a number of my long-term hobbies, including practicing martial arts, travel, hiking, scuba diving, brewing beer, and various other balance- and Earth-connected activities.
For many, sustainable living starts or revolves around climate change. While this is a great reason to change personally and think about what we mean to the planet, that isn’t what got me started. My thoughts on sustainable living were more nature- or Darwin- oriented. For me, sustainable living is a balance in nature. According to naturalists, nature abhors an imbalance and seems to always cycle back to a balanced level of supply and demand. So, whether or not one cares to believe in climate change, basic living should be minimal waste and being a good steward to the planet to help keep a basic balance.
Out of sight NOT out of mind. Just because something is out of sight, it’s important not to forget about it and how it continues to effect other life and environment on the planet. Basically, humans, like all other animals, don’t like to live in their own filth. Just because our houses are clean as individuals, why have a dirty planet? It’s just as important to remember that the planet is still our home. So, why would we want to live in our own filth from a global perspective? You clean your home when it is dirty, so why not the planet?
Let’s explore this together. My intention with this blog is to bring together my unique combination of experience and education to consider the much bigger picture, and how we can do this – ALL of this – better.