Discussion with Adam Levine

As a kid, Adam Levine was heavily influenced by the drought in the 80’s and joined the energy club in school which met to discuss the worlds energy problems. From that point on, he has felt a deep connection to the natural world around him and has made it’s protection his life’s work. These days, amongst other things, Adam is a consultant and historian for the Philadelphia Water Department(PWD). He played a seminal role in the creation of their Interpretive Center, an educational facility located at the Water Works center along the Schuykill River. I met with Adam last Thursday to get a better understanding of some of the more pressing issues that the City of Brotherly Love faces in regards to its water supply. While we discussed everything from the Marcellus Shale fiasco to the newly-appointed Water Commissioner of Philadelphia, Howard Neukrug, there were several specific topics which seemed most relevant.

How Recycling Became "The Norm"

Rethinking: The Standard Faucet

Everyone wants to tell the user how much water they're using but for some reason it always requires an LED screen and a power cord. Why can't it be simpler and therefore, easier to implement?

Rethinking: The Hardware Store

Daily Water Usage (US)

Walmart Supply Model

History Lesson: How Walmart and the Government Changed America's Light Bulb Standard

As we delve further into the challenge of changing consumer behavior, we find it useful to research methods used in the past to foster the adoption of new standards. It turns out that Walmart played a huge role in promoting the widespread adoption of CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs). How did they achieve this?