Hayes in Washington, D.C., organizing environmental teach-ins for the first Earth Day (left). Assembled later that day on the Mall at Washingon Monument (center). With host Leonardo DiCaprio at Earth Day 2000 (right).

“My hope is based on realizing that the obstacles before us are political and social. They’re not technical.”

population growth is no longer adequate. But that is a deeply personal decision. On a more practical level, we subscribe to a produce service that delivers organic food from local farms. We replaced 30 lamps in our house with energy-efficient light bulbs. Our only incandescent lights are the two reading lamps in the living room. We have a furnace that is 94% energy efficient and we’ve replaced our windows with double-paned glass.

One thing I regret is that I fly too much. There is no alternative clean fuel yet for jet engines. That said, I wish our country had high-speed electrified rail. We are the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t have bullet trains!

should not be dependent upon the kindness of strangers. Such emissions should be banned by law. And if someone thinks they can drive an SUV and fly a jet plane and make everything okay by purchasing a carbon offset—that’s just phony!

What’s your view on buying carbon offsets? To the extent that you are making a donation to a project that otherwise would not have gone forward, offsets can be helpful. But the costs of containing really powerful greenhouse gases

given the serious issues we face, are you hopeful for the future?

My hope is based on realizing that the obstacles before us are political and social. They are not technical. We have made progress where there’s been the political will. Since 1969, we’ve reduced the amount of the more common air pollutants from cars per vehicle mile by 95%. That’s a heroic difference. In 1969, the Great Lakes were dying and the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland caught fire. Today, they are in much better shape.

On the other hand, if we are really going to put the era of fossil fuels behind us, we need to fund growth and innovation in solar technology. During the Carter administration 30 years ago, all of the major manufacturers of photovoltaic cells—the small pieces of technology that capture light from the sun and convert it into electricity—were American. Then Reagan cut this funding in the 1980s. Today, none of the 10 largest solar companies are based in the U.S. They are in Germany, Japan, and China. This is a direct consequence of stupid public policy. 0