Based on my experience driving cross-country on ethanol, I was contacted by Nature.com to have a conversation for their Climate Change Podcast about alternative energy. I played the role of the token “conscientious consumer.” Check out the podcast (mp3), and listen up to hear the dulcet tones of my voice around the 17:45 mark (feel free to fast forward). The expert who speaks immediately after me discounts the currently available biofuels but mentions a second generation, where we will hopefully see great advancements in efficiency. It’s scientifically possible, but the research and development has not been done yet; which, ultimately, is why it’s frustrating to hear people give up on biofuels at such an early stage.

Coincidentally, the Consumers Union was also recently checking out the web archive of the cross-country road trip and invited me up to their offices in Yonkers, NY to discuss my experiences. Their office space is really cool, with lots of old magazines, vintage colors, and sunshine coming in through the ceilings. The walls are adorned with display cases and photographs all over the place where they show off an assortment of old blenders, toasters, cameras, and other products they have tested throughout the years. It’s got a documentary aesthetic, but it also serves a dual purpose of Jeff Koons-esque modern art visualizing products as something that could inspire.

Finally, on a related note, I was recently selected to serve as the Technical Editor for the Environmental Law and Policy Review at William & Mary School of Law. I am looking forward to helping the journal increase its web presence and become a bit more digital. It seems like a legal journal about environmentalism would be the perfect place to explore how the paper medium can give way to the digital frontier.