Greg Wilcox's Home Page

Sports

Here are some good clubs for these activities:
 

Bike Clubs: Blue Ridge Bicycle Club Potomac Pedalers Touring Club Charles River Wheelmen

Inline Skating Clubs: Inline Club of Boston Washington Area Rollerskaters

I also like (but don't do as much as I used to) sailing, windsurfing, rowing, swimming, running, ice skating, frisbee, tennis, and climbing trees.

What doesn't make sense to me is why most people feel the need to haul themselves around inside expensive metal boxes that fart continuously. I'm certainly no triathlete, but I can usually get myself where I need to go under my own power.

Environment

Maybe it would help to join some of the brave groups who are tackling these issues: Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters, Fund for Wild Nature, the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, Rainforest Action Network, and the World Wildlife Fund. (I belong to and endorse all of them.) Whether you're an activist member or just an armchair contributor, they can really use your help.

While these folks are doing good and important work, it often seems like they're just chipping away at the edges of the problem. They're paddling upstream against a raging tide of environmental destruction.

So what to do? Maybe if we knew what was causing the problem in the first place, we could attack it at the root.

And what is the root cause? As Walt Kelly paraphrased Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry: "We have met the enemy, and he is us." We, the humans on this planet, are the source of all pollution! All of the other plants and animals live in complete harmony with nature, consuming only what they need to survive and generating no toxic byproducts. It is only us, in our arrogance and greed, who screw up the natural order of things.

That wouldn't be so bad, except that there are an incredibly large number of us. The world's population is rapidly approaching 6 billion, and is projected to double in the next 40 years. That's clearly more than the earth's carrying capacity. As a result, we are overwhelming and destroying the support systems which we (and all other biota) require to live.

Inevitably, the best and brightest hope for a sustainable future is to curb human population growth. Who is working on this problem? There are many organizations which focus on population, including Negative Population Growth and Population Communications International. But the largest (and, I believe, most effective) is Zero Population Growth. If they don't have a chapter near you, consider starting one! (I'm the Internet correspondent for ZPG's Greater Boston chapter.)

Arts

I'm writing a book (no, not that book, the other book). It has no title (other than an ersatz working one), no coherent theme, and no organization. Still, I think there's something there. So far, it's mostly in my head. I keep saying I'll find the time to squeeze it out onto paper.

Food

I like to eat simply (some people say I simply like to eat), and I have developed some recipes which accommodate my tastes.

I have a passion for exotic fruits. When I first began seeking them out, I was amazed at how many varieties there were that I had never heard of. Most people assume that the only fruits in existence are the ones you find in the supermarket. Now I wonder how anyone can consider their life complete on just supermarket fare. There's so much more out there! Unfortunately, in this country, exotics are hard to find. But if you happen across a cherimoya, a guava, a jujube, a mangosteen, or even a durian, give it a try. The good news is that some fruits are becoming more popular, including mangos, papayas, plantains, pomegranates, figs, kiwis, kunquats, and persimmons.

Shelter

I plan to build a geodesic dome on some land in Northern Maine. When it is complete, I will use it as a vacation home. I could use some help building it. If you have construction experience, I'd like to hear from you. In exchange for your time and expertise, I would be willing to timeshare the property with you. For more information, please see the DomeShare Project.

Work

I got my start in the environmental field through the Environmental Careers Organization in 1989 (back when it was known as the Center For Environmental Intern Programs). They got me an internship at Arthur D. Little, which developed into the position I have now. If you would like to investigate ecological job opportunities, I highly recommend them.

I've been learning Java, and writing some applets. The first one shows world population increasing over time. The second is a unit conversion program. The third is an animated graphic to help publicize my company.

Leisure

I occasionally watch television, but try to limit myself to two shows per week. Even then, I'm not fanatical about it; if there's a more interesting alternative, I'll do that instead. At various times I have been hooked on Star Trek serials (the original series, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine), Mad About You, coverage of the Tour de France, Sixty Minutes, and Touched By An Angel. My current favorites are Dawson's Creek and Felicity.

If you're interested, here is how I spent my summer vacation.

Philosophy

• If you want health, peace and tranquility, don't eat animals or animal products.
• Beware of those who claim to pursue truth, justice, and the American way. Check their facts. Make sure they are dealing in substance and not symbolism.
• Always tell the truth. For one thing, it's a lot less complicated than lying.
• Marry for love. It's the only force strong enough to resist all the things that drive people apart.
• Chip away at mountains. As you work, you may find your tools to be far more powerful than you thought.
• Avoid war, death, killing, and other horrors (in art as well as life). They will obsess and ultimately consume you.
• Buy for the long term; never sell.
• Believe in God. It's a first step toward understanding that He believes in you.
• People are animals too. Like them, our proper maintenance requires motion and exposure to the elements. Get outside and get moving!
• Learn to say "I was wrong." Practice it with feeling. It's a skill you will need frequently.

There have been   visits to this page since September 1997.

My electronic mail address is gwilcox@buncombe.main.nc.us

Last updated on June 25, 2000.