Mark Myles

Sustainability consultant

I live blue™ because…
The oceans sustain us and all the species on earth.

Why do you care about the environment?
It started in childhood: The old-growth forest where I explored and played is long gone; the lake where I spent every summer day is polluted.  I see a society that doesn’t value our earth nearly enough.  We need to change our thinking, our philosophy, and our values.

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I’m an engineer by training, and environmentalism had little to do with my education.  But I realize that technology can be used to benefit our earth, as can some ideas from the corporate world - like quality improvement.  I’ve used what I’ve learned from my corporate background and applied it to reducing our environmental impact and am now a sustainability professional.

What are some things you do in your life to protect the environment?
We’ve cut our carbon footprint by nearly  two-thirds in the past couple years.  After our kids left the house, we subdivided it to add a rentable living unit without increasing material or energy use.  We now heat with wood.  We travel much more by bike, train and foot, and almost never by air.  We’re preparing for solar and wind energy.

Learn more about Mark’s sustainability efforts here and here.
See Mark’s plot of ocean here.