Who Is Zach?

Hello!

Looking for a little background, eh?…

Of course, all of this is just the external, but take it for what it is:

I’m currently the director and editor of Cleantechnica.com (the #1 most-visited cleantech or clean energy site on the internet) and Planetsave.com (a leading all-around-green and science site).

You can find my work all over the internet, including on Scientific American, Reuters, and most Important Media sites.

I have a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and sociology (from New College of Florida, the Honors College of Florida), and a master’s degree in city and regional planning (from UNC-Chapel Hill).

I have been blogging professionally for the past 4 years. Before that, I was the executive director of a nonprofit organization promoting sustainable development and clean transportation in the Charlottesville area. And before that, I was an urban research consultant, I worked in a couple of government positions (in city planning and environmental education), and I worked in natural foods stores (ranging from small co-op markets to corporate giant Whole Foods Market).

I currently live in Wrocław (Poland), but have also lived in Groningen (the Netherlands), Sarasota & Bradenton (Florida), Chapel Hill & Carrboro (North Carolina), Sunnyvale (California), Ithaca (New York), and Charlottesville (Virginia). I’m originally from Sarasota, FL.

  • smithjim1961

    Zach,

    I really enjoy reading Cleantechnica. I’d rather focus on solutions than argue with climate change deniers.

    I wonder why there is very little discussion about methane leakage among environmentalists. Why is this topic not covered by Cleantechnica?

    • http://zacharyshahan.com Zachary Shahan

      hello, thanks for the note. are you referring to methane leakage from natural gas fracking and use? or something else?

  • smithjim1961

    I’m no expert but I’ve read that natural gas leakage occurs from fracking and from other leaks. Sometimes I see the local gas company trucks fixing leaks and I’ve smelled the odor of natural gas (or the stuff they put in natural gas to make leaks detectable) as I drove past.

    I first learned about natural gas leakage from NPR.

    http://www.npr.org/2011/04/14/135417679/natural-gas-may-not-be-clean-energy-source

    http://www.npr.org/2012/05/17/151545578/frackings-methane-trail-a-detective-story

    Natural gas probably causes as much or more warming than coal. I’m concerned that this HUGE issue is being ignored by environmentalists.

    • http://zacharyshahan.com Zachary Shahan

      yeah, we’ve covered it a bit. we just don’t spend much time on natural gas, in general.

  • http://MrEnergyCzar.com/ MrEnergyCzar

    Great background Zach…. this field will become a greater issue in the coming years….

    MrEnergyCzar

    • http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan

      Definitely. Happy to now be in it.

  • Fay

    Hey Zach – Just launched a new iPad magazine which focuses on how we can make intentional choices that make a difference from sustainable living to voting. Would love you to check it out: http://www.deliberatelifemag.com

    • http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan

      Thanks. Looks great. Unfort., i don’t have an iPad, but good luck! :D

  • http://www.facebook.com/garry.gentry Garry Gentry

    Our local Technical College had a course in installing solar on homes/farms but lost the grant. I am in Southern GA and wondered if you are aware of any reputable on-line courses in that field.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ev-Yves/1047613834 Ev Yves

    Please visit evdomains.com and let me know if you are interested in jointly developing a name of your interest.

  • http://www.facebook.com/sid.abma.1 Sid Abma

    Natural gas as stated at the World Energy Conference in Madagascar is becoming the worlds most important energy source. The drilling and transporting leakage is being dealt with by individual states and the EPA.
    Now America and the world has to learn that natural gas is an energy that can be consumed to near 100% energy efficiency. Cool exhaust into the atmosphere instead of hot. Greenhouse gas and CO2 reduction in big numbers, and this fuel can be combusted so efficiently that the Water can be recovered from the exhaust gases, and this distilled water is very usable.
    Check out the technology of Condensing Flue Gas Heat Recovery.
    Commercial buildings and industry and even the power plants can all be applying this technology.
    30 years of Proven operation.

    • http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan

      Natural gas leaks are anything but simple to take care of, and certainly aren’t adequately addressed today.

      The GHG reductions are highly debatable still.

      As far as efficiency, I’m not sure where you’re coming up with that claim. Could you provide a link? That, again, seems incorrect.

  • Mike Diethelm

    Zachary, the last two posts I’ve read have had spelling errors. I was wondering why that would happen on such an important site. But the real kicker was the ‘fight back Obama on abortion rights’ ad. It was on your pro Obama story from today! I was really wondering if I was seeing things then. Can y’all not discriminate on ads or is that a cleantechnica.com desired ad. Do you agree that abortion is a bad thing or is that a sell out? It’s the first time I’ve wanted to leave your site and decrease your user hit count so that maybe an ad like that wouldn’t appear due to the numbers. Kinda want to fight back on that one. My disregards on that ‘choice’ as you would so elegantly write. As I rechecked my sanity on cleantechnica before posting this, I noticed lots of anti-Obama ads. Wow. Cutting off the hand that feeds us. No hard feelings… I reckon. Then again, maybe a reality check is what I’m implying.

  • Jesse Cardinal

    hello Zach, i would like to talk with you, how can i get in touch with you. Thanks Jesse

  • http://www.facebook.com/gus.escher Gus Escher

    Hi Zach -
    Great bio and nice post. We “agents of change” need many more like you !
    But why live in Poland? Come and join us here in New Jersey – the per
    capita solar zenith of the world. Best regards, Gus Escher (Princeton, NJ)

  • yuval Brandstetter

    Dear Zach
    Good article regarding the Blue car, and an answer concerning the issue of batt lease. Better Place incorporates the lease into the mileage charge so that you do not “feel” being taken for a ride during months in which you do not use the car as much. I pay about 15 cents a mile regardless of how many miles i actually travel. Having cut the price of transportation by about half i no longer get stingy about driving longer or taking an extra trip.

    • http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan

      Thanks. Interesting. Sounds like a nice approach!

  • ally leather

    this sucks

    • lewis townsend

      i know! i thought this was a porn site!

      • george trick

        try saveplanet.com