What do you do for a living?
I’m the Vice President of Climate for Ecology Action, where I support a statewide energy efficiency program called Energy Upgrade California, www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org. With Energy Upgrade California, we are playing a key role in providing community outreach for homeowners and contractor support, in order to improve energy efficiency and create jobs in California.
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing that?
Traveling the world, slowly, learning about traditional life-ways, writing and taking pictures. Or, I’d be starting a business.
What do you do in your free time?
I enjoy my family and friends, read, garden, cook, hike in any of our wonderful local state parks and travel when I can.
What’s your favorite street?
In Santa Cruz, it’s Squid Row. My favorite street anywhere ever might be Domu Laukums (Dome Cathedral Plaza) in Old Riga, Latvia. I saw it before the fall of the Soviet Union and then again after. The transformation was stunning. It is now such a lively, colorful, joyful place.
Name something you’re excited about.
I am excited about making a difference in the world through what I get to do every day.
Name a pet peeve.
Weak coffee.
What are you reading?
I am reading Bringing It to The Table, which is a collection of essays on sustainable agriculture and our relationship to the land, farming and food by Wendell Berry.
What scientific breakthrough would you most like to see in your lifetime?
The ability to efficiently and cost-effectively produce high quality fuels from entirely renewable, bio-based, carbon-neutral sources that are endemic to any bio-region on the planet.
Favorite gadget?
A desk-mounted trebuchet.
Secret star crush?
Antares.
