More feedback on my UT Austin event

In this issue:

  • More feedback on my UT Austin event
  • My debate with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is now on YouTube
  • Best of Power Hour: Judith Curry on the state of climate science
  • In case anyone is looking for a virtual executive assistant… 
  • The Human Flourishing Project: Mastering 80%

More feedback on my UT Austin event

I’m looking forward to sharing video from my UT Austin event in the near future. In the meantime, here is what people have been saying about the speech.

This note is from Bud Brigham, founder of Anthem Ventures, and one of the people who helped make the event possible:

The Alex Epstein event at UT Austin was standing room only, and Alex didn’t disappoint. It’s ironic that while energy is fundamental to every aspect of our lives, it is also poorly understood by so many today. The fog of biases and sloppiness in today’s energy and environmental discussions was lifted for those who attended.  I’m very grateful for Alex’s ability to illuminate issues around energy and the environment with such exceptional clarity.  

And here’s part of what Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. president Todd Brooker had to say about the event:

It was one fantastic Monday evening in Austin with energy theorist Alex Epstein, oil and gas professionals and #universityoftexas students and professors! . . .

Mr. Epstein has been advocating for “human flourishing” since his book “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels” (Penguin, 2014) was published, and he argues (well) that this should be the guiding principle of industrial and environmental progress.

I strongly encourage you to read his book to understand all sides of the energy story, and give some sincere thought to understand how fossil fuels have allowed humans to flourish. The event also received criticism from environmentalists. The Daily Texan published a piece by Robert Hendricks, the co-chair of the Austin Climate Change Committee, and George Wunch, the founder of Students Fighting Climate Change, criticizing the university for allowing me to speak. Here’s how it starts: I [sic] am extremely disappointed the University has legitimized the anti-science, anti-humanity and pro-fossil fuels message designed not to discover the truth but to advocate for the fossil fuel industry. UT invited Alex Epstein to lecture Monday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.  If you are connected with a university and would be interested in supporting an event, let me know.  

My debate with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is now on YouTube

I heard from a number of people who couldn’t view the Facebook video of my debate with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The debate is now available on YouTube. You can view and share it here.

Best of Power Hour: Judith Curry on the state of climate science

On this week’s Power Hour “best of” episode, climate scientist Dr. Judith Curry, Professor and former Chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech, President of Climate Forecast Applications Network and proprietor of the blog Climate Etc., joins me to discuss how she went from being a mainstream climate scientist to one of the most controversial figures in the field–and what her experience tells us about the state of the climate science profession today. We also discuss the attempt to use anti-mafia laws to prosecute “climate deniers.”

In case anyone is looking for a virtual executive assistant. . .

Those of you who have worked with me on speaking, consulting, or media over the past 5 years have often remarked on the capability and professionalism of my long-time virtual executive assistant, Nikki Norris.

Over the last year I have transitioned to mostly using an in-person assistant, so Nikki (who lives in Colorado, not California) is only working for me part time. If you’re looking for a virtual executive assistant I highly recommend reaching out to her. I’ve shared a note from Nikki below. -Alex

Hi, everyone!As many of you know, I was Alex’s virtual executive assistant for several years until I transitioned to my current part-time role with contracts and billing. I currently have openings for new clients—in either a full-time or part-time capacity—and I’d love to work with some of CIP’s friends and supporters. As your virtual assistant I can dramatically lower your stress levels and improve your productivity by assuming responsibility for a wide range of tasks, both business and personal. I can handle business tasks such as:

  • Calendar management and scheduling, including all the back-and-forth via email, sending reminders, etc.
  • Inbox monitoring and filtering to ensure you see the most important and/or time-sensitive emails first
  • Customer service interactions regarding products and services, questions and troubleshooting, etc.
  • E-course management, customer service, and troubleshooting 
  • Digital file organization and maintenance
  • Travel reservations catered to your preferences
  • Data entry, analysis and summaries
  • CRM organization and management
  • Financial tasks such as: purchasing, bookkeeping, expense tracking, account monitoring, payroll administration, financial reports, coordinating with the accountant
  • Social media content creation, monitoring and maintenance
  • Video editing in iMovie
  • Research tasks with succinct results and recommendations. 

I can also handle personal tasks such as:

  • Research and purchasing of gifts, clothing, household items, food and/or supplements, etc.
  • Email/calendar/personal schedule monitoring (I’ll remember for you!)
  • Coordinating local errands and tasks such as movers, grocery delivery, car maintenance, and more (you’d be surprised how much of this can be done virtually!)
  • Personal financial management such as budgeting, account monitoring, paying bills.

One of my most valuable skills as a virtual executive assistant is the ability to know and adjust for the personalities of the executives I serve. As I get to know you, I’ll do everything according to your preferences. For example, I’ll learn:

  • which information is most important to you in a financial summary
  • how you prefer to interact with clients and potential clients via email and over the phone 
  • what type of emails you’d prefer to see immediately, and what type can wait
  • which personal interactions/anniversaries/birthdays/events you need help remembering
  • what I can do to streamline our interactions to make it as easy as possible to communicate with me and to access the information you need. 

Please send me an email at nikki@industrialprogress.net if you’re interested in working together. I have several options available for either full-time or part-time assistance and we can determine which fits best for you. I look forward to working with you!

Nikki

The Human Flourishing Project: Mastering 80%

On the latest episode of The Human Flourishing Project I discuss what I have learned about the “80% strategy” during a particularly intense two months of work.

Alex