A bit tricky, that.

Not. Very. Linear.
Some highlights:
Born Oregon. Raised Georgia. Then Utah. Went to school for English, then Politics.
Lived in a shanty at my college for a year. Got firebombed, sued to stay, and won.

Worked on Capitol Hill for eight years for various conservation groups, helped spark a revival of the national wilderness conservation movement, did more of the same back home in SLC working for SUWA.


Was elected Chairman of the Environmental Advisory Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, then later advised the Bejing 2008 Olympic Committee on how to be green.
Then a freelance journalist for a while. First US journo to report from the island nation of Tuvalu on their loosing fight with climate change. Broke the story on how Natureworks PLA is made from GE corn. Stepped into the Cathedral in The Desert on first day it was open in 40 years, for my first story in the NY Times.
Most recently, got banned by Botswana’s government for my reporting on the Bushmen tribe’s fight with the diamond industry. Won a fellowship to the Mesa Refuge for that last bit.
Things took an unexpected turn when I spent eight months in Gulf Coast helping start Burners Without Borders, while helping out after Hurricane Katrina. Helped save fires on Ocean Beach.

And spent the better part of a year as the Environmental Manager for Burning Man.

Things since then can be summed up in a story my friend Steve Jones wrote recently for the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Most recently, People Magazine named me an “Environmental Hero” for work with Black Rock Solar, which left me a little humbled and curious about their selection criteria.
I live in San Franfreakshow with my partner Andie Grace, and daughter Juniper, on top of Potrero Hill with a clear view to the west, blog infrequently, and have no complaints.