Political leadership can both lead on climate change and garner support by leveling with Americans about the hardships we will face in the coming years and decades. Our country has to move on from talking about the climate challenge in aspirational terms and level with Americans that we face hardships that can be managed but not conquered. We have to retire our aspirational "Moon Shot" Invocations in favor of more accurate "Chernobyl" comparisons.

I used Jon Stewart's example of selfless service to those bravest among us and this week's third anniversary of the Pulse Night Club shooting to explain how we as a community leave severe costs to those among us who sacrificed on our behalf. Its a great example of how sustainability principles can be applied to a very personal setting.

I discuss how I discovered sustainability via a 2009 deployment to Afghanistan and how higher education is preparing today's leaders and professionals for our rapidly changing climate. Lastly, I talk about the direction higher education needs to go in order to meet future students' demand for greater climate change related education and sustainability's application across a wide cross section of relevant disciplines.

Episode 4 explains and gives colorful examples of what externalities are and how identifying and addressing these uncaptured costs create competitive advantages. I talk about how landscape companies leverage electric powered lawn care equipment to addresses the uncaptured costs/ externalities of unhealthy and noisy gas powered equipment to improve their clients' work environment and establish a competitive advantage.

Sustainability as a business advantage rather than as a passionate undertaking. I make the case why it is important that we all start thinking about sustainability from a competitive advantage stand point rather than as simply the right thing to do. I talk about my own experience growing up in a small rural community that depended almost entirely on the natural world for its prosperity and welfare and how the loss of that impacted my life's path. I use @jofferyscoffee @disneyworld @epcot paper straw example to illustrate how sustainable initiatives often come with important market opportunities and protect against changing consumer demands. @TheWSEnterprise @oceanplastic @plasticoceansUS

Premier podcast episode that talks about the business case for businesses, governments, non-profits and individuals to view the world through the lens of sustainability. I give an example of how schools could establish a new competitive advantage by setting themselves apart from their competition by establishing high personal health standards for students and employees.

Podcast soundtrack Go Fish'n by Jam Studio