My lifeline is woven of several strands. As a scientist, I’ve studied the global system, the quantum electron, and much in between. As an author, I’ve written about our social-ecological predicament and alternative futures. As an activist, I’ve brought people together in an effort to facilitate a global movement for system change. As an institution builder, I’ve founded and led prominent research and policy organizations. As a guitarist and songwriter, I’ve played with some of the greats.

Born in Chicago in 1942, I grew up in Los Angeles in a loving family of radicals, received a B.A. from UC-Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Columbia University. I chaired an interdisciplinary faculty then left the university to found Tellus Institute, and later the Global Scenario Group and Great Transition Initiative. I served as a lead author on international assessments and published widely on the contemporary condition and future pathways. This work catalyzed an international dialog on visions and strategies for navigating through these decades of deepening crisis to a decent planetary civilization.