Don’t turn around

How do you turn you back on the destruction of the planet?

You make a lot of money and play with your toys.

Valencia Creek consumed, polluted, and neglected

This is essentially what happened to me. I’m sorry.

Not that I would’ve made more than a tiny dent against planetary destruction had I faced it head on, but as my back was turned over the past 15 years it has become quite clear that most of the people with the power to turn this thing around are simply making their money and playing with their toys.

Ok, let me explain what I mean and what happened to me.

Around 15 years ago I saw a movie made by a guy who used to be VP and not long prior had almost become Prez. I was 15 years old at the time of the 2000 election, and I was a lot dumber than I am now. I apparently thought the split-hair election drama was “kind of cool” and that, “It's good to be involved in politics. You've got to know what's going on." Of course, as a 15 year old kid I was unable to vote, was not involved in politics, had no idea what was going on, and had no clue that the situation ahead of us was definitely not cool.

In fact, as an avid hater of Winter (I delivered the local newspaper by bicycle, so hopefully I can be forgiven for this attitude) I really didn’t understand the big deal behind this “Global Warming” thing. Please remember that I was just a dumb kid when I watched An Inconvenient Truth with a bowl of popcorn and a mindset that a warmer planet might not be so bad.

A mere 15 years later, it is no longer an academic discussion. Our planet is being destroyed. The Titanic, the Capitalistic global society that blankets the globe and unites two of the most powerful nations on the planet (one Democratic and the other Communist)… the Titanic is heading towards the iceberg. While our split-personality captain stands at the bridge blindfolded, a few of us are huddled at the bow screaming about the iceberg! Most of the crew & passengers, sadly, are still sound sleep in their quarters, confident that their high ticket price has provided them an indestructible vessel to cross the seas.

I’ll remind you the same thing those aboard the Titanic must’ve remembered at the last minute.

Nature is a bitch.

But she’s a beautiful bitch and she is much mightier than Us.

Wreckage from the traumatic CZU fires of Aug 2020

I have always been an extraordinarily passionate person. Throughout most of college I pursued parallel passions in engineering & environmentalism. At that time, the former was academic and the latter was personal. Today, the former is professional and the latter is just beginning to emerge from dormancy.

Foolish & naive, I told myself that I could pursue a hybrid of these passions with my back turned to Nature. I studied Class D amplifiers in Grad School, motivated by their revolutionary power efficiency. I’ve had the immense privilege of helping develop the world’s most advanced Class D amplifiers for use in the world’s most advanced headphones. I am insanely proud of the career I’ve led and the products I’ve helped develop, and I’ve been well paid. But make no mistake - my back has been turned on Nature.

I’m just now starting to look over my shoulder and I’ve gotta be honest - it’s terrifying.

A sign hung within the wreckage of the 2020 CZU fires, begging you to Resist.

I’m the first to admit that I didn’t form NRG as yet another feel-good County/State/National/Global charity. There are plenty of those to choose from. I formed NRG because I found myself, at a pivotal time in my life and history…

in a town that is not a town

in a community walking distance to both redwoods & beach

with a village that is both historic & newly redeveloping

with local roadways disgraceful for a First-World Country

with a forest once virgin now regrowing

with a landscape covered with as much beauty as invasive ivy

with a wonderful mix of residents both long-time & newly arrived

and with a local political environment torn apart by a rail corridor that ought to unite us

The path of our fallen giant, our Advocate.

If these words disturb you, maybe that’s the point. If these words anger you, maybe that’s the point. Whether you agree or disagree with these words, maybe you ought to engage. If these words stir & motivate you, maybe you ought to join us.

No one can move the needle alone.

What we need here in Aptos is a lot of NRG.