Ep 8: Dan Ackerstein: Has My Work Been a Failure? episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 5, 2026 · 56 MIN

Ep 8: Dan Ackerstein: Has My Work Been a Failure?

from The Quill Nook Experience · host Tristan Roberts

"There is a degree to which the work I've been doing for 25 years has been a failure, and a degree to which we collectively as a generation of people working on the problem haven't moved the needle as much as we need to." – Dan Ackerstein, Ackerstein SustainabilityDan Ackerstein reviewed 35 of the first 45 LEED for Existing Buildings projects. He's worked with big companies doing big, creative sustainability work—public waste audits, imaginative projects that made building operations fun. Then those projects evaporated.In this conversation, Dan processes what it means when the momentum stops. He talks about "the massive con"—the idea that individual choices can solve systemic problems while letting corporations and governments off the hook.Ackerstein and host Tristan Roberts discuss climate grief, the fragility of corporate sustainability, acting locally, and the San Lorenzo River as a metaphor for irreversible decisions.Subscribe to The Quill Nook Experience:Apple | Spotify | RSSGet in touch: [email protected]: http://www.tristanroberts.orgMusic: Produced by Turner Andrasz, beat-boxing by Felix Roberts, guitar by Tristan Roberts, drums by Merrill Garbus

"There is a degree to which the work I've been doing for 25 years has been a failure, and a degree to which we collectively as a generation of people working on the problem haven't moved the needle as much as we need to." – Dan Ackerstein, Ackerstein SustainabilityDan Ackerstein reviewed 35 of the first 45 LEED for Existing Buildings projects. He's worked with big companies doing big, creative sustainability work—public waste audits, imaginative projects that made building operations fun. Then those projects evaporated.In this conversation, Dan processes what it means when the momentum stops. He talks about "the massive con"—the idea that individual choices can solve systemic problems while letting corporations and governments off the hook.Ackerstein and host Tristan Roberts discuss climate grief, the fragility of corporate sustainability, acting locally, and the San Lorenzo River as a metaphor for irreversible decisions.Subscribe to The Quill Nook Experience:Apple | Spotify | RSSGet in touch: [email protected]: http://www.tristanroberts.orgMusic: Produced by Turner Andrasz, beat-boxing by Felix Roberts, guitar by Tristan Roberts, drums by Merrill Garbus

NOW PLAYING

Ep 8: Dan Ackerstein: Has My Work Been a Failure?

0:00 56:24

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Quill Nook Experience?

This episode is 56 minutes long.

When was this The Quill Nook Experience episode published?

This episode was published on March 5, 2026.

What is this episode about?

"There is a degree to which the work I've been doing for 25 years has been a failure, and a degree to which we collectively as a generation of people working on the problem haven't moved the needle as much as we need to." – Dan Ackerstein,...

Can I download this The Quill Nook Experience episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!