My journey to this business started in the ‘70s, when I pored over the Whole Earth Catalog and its various tributaries, fascinated with the possibility of moving beyond oil. I applauded Jimmy Carter’s interest in alternative energy, but Reagan came to office and tore the solar panels from the White House roof.
In the years since then, I’ve stayed abreast of the international scientific work on global warming, strongly believing that the world is squandering crucial time for the transition to a post-oil economy.
In 2002, I started working in the communications department at Swiss Re, the global reinsurance firm. Swiss Re’s commitment to sustainability and to using science responsibly in a business setting suited my values.
The firm supported a study by the Harvard Medical School about the health impact of climate change, and I was asked to manage the company’s participation. I immersed myself in the scientific and financial issues involved in climate instability. The project’s work involved becoming an expert on climate sciences, the nascent carbon-trading business, and the complexities of climate policy.
I left Swiss Re in 2006 and became a sustainability consultant with a focus on communications. I’ve developed various green-themed projects for clients including the city of New York, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Merrill Lynch Global Markets and Investment Banking, Cofra Holding, Good Energies, Swiss Re, Zurich Financial, Risk Management Solutions, Edelman, the City of Chicago, the Nature Conservancy, and others.
