About this Episode
In this episode, Charlie talks with James Geppner about zero net energy and how we adjust our behaviors and adjust as a society.
James is the Executive Director for Erase 40 in New York and has lived there for the last 30 years.
Key Talking Points
- James’s journey in the film industry to sustainability and zero net energy.
- Working with behaviorists to develop programs to launch Zero Building Industry
- Contrast of consumer behavior
- How our point of view can be incredibly inaccurate of what our needs will be
- Why wasn’t the choice of passive homes commonplace
- What costs come with certain risks
Key Milestones of the Episodes
[0:41] James’s background
[1:48] James’s unusual career
[4:41] James’s entry into sustainability
[5:51] An enormous amount of authority at a young age
[8:14] Jame’s achievements
[10:56] Next trend
[15:50] Started studying why passive homes weren’t commonplace
[20:34] The Lucky Game Project
[31:27] Having conversations with people who have small firms
Key Quotes
“Early on in my film career I ran one of the offices in New York and was connected to a studio….”
“I was basically asking basic sort of very fundamental behavioral question, which is what motivates people.
“It’s having conviction around something so others will join you in your effort.”
“We tend to be very bad at predicting what our needs will be even a very short time out.”
Key Resources
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely, Simon Jones, et al.
Death and the Afterlife: Biblical Perspectives on Ultimate Questions (New Studies in Biblical Theology) Paperback – March 6, 2018 by Paul R. Williamson
Get in Contact with James
Don’t forget to catch more episodes and resources for all of your green building news at the Green Building Matters website.