Evan is retired from a varied career as an electrical engineer, mostly specializing in radar systems. His last job was as a co-founder of a company doing earth observation using space based radar. These systems can collect near real time data on flooding, ice caps, ocean wave size, forests status, wildfires— all types of information important for understanding the climate crisis. He has a long, impressive history of volunteerism for many organizations and causes, including Third Act, which he joined about a year ago. Like other Third Actors he participates in several other climate action groups, including his local Ithaca chapter of Extinction Rebellion.
When Evan is asked what motivates him to volunteer, he smiles and says, “I blame my mother.” His mother was a college educated farm girl from southeastern Kansas who grew up in the Depression and the Dust Bowl. For her, the biggest sin in life was to waste anything, especially water. She was very active in her community and she made sure her four children understood that community is what is important in life. When Evan and his two brothers went out to shovel snow for neighbors to earn a few bucks, there were always one or two addresses they were told to take care of and to not take any money. They did occasionally get cookies!
Being a lifelong science nerd, he has watched as the science and public awareness of climate change have grown. This growth accelerated in the mid ‘90’s: from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through the 2015 Paris Accords continuing to today’s impassioned activism and organizations like Third Act. Throughout this time, Evan’s personal commitment increased to the point where, a few years ago, he committed to making the mitigation of climate change his ‘second career’.
Since 2006 he has been a very active member of the Rotary Club. He was extremely pleased when the Rotary Foundation Trustees and International Board of Directors unanimously approved an additional focus for Rotary: supporting the environment. Since 2020, Rotary, an international organization with 1.4 million members, has become increasingly involved in climate issues. Currently Evan is working in the Central New York Rotary to raise climate awareness. When he served as a Rotary District Governor, 21-22, his District Conference focused almost exclusively on climate change.
Third Act came to the forefront of Evan’s mind at the NYC “March to End Fossil Fuels” in September, 2023. He had heard of Third Act, but seeing Third Actors in action among the tens of thousands of protestors made an impact. Since joining Third Act what has impressed him most is the level of professionalism. “The web site, the e-mails, the messaging, the leadership are all top notch,” he says. He had investigated other organizations which seemed well-intentioned but lacked the ability to put together “a well-oiled machine.” “Being elders means Third Actors have been out in the real world as professionals with responsibilities and jobs that give them the tools to really accomplish things.”
As a Third Actor, Evan has gone all in. He was fully committed to go to Washington DC to join Bill McKibben and other Third Actors to protest Liquid Natural Gas production. He attended the online nonviolent training sessions and was prepared to get arrested if it came to that. Then Biden did the right thing and put the LNS on hold. But Evan is hoping to put his training to use when the next opportunity arises.
More recently Evan joined TA-UNY Rochester folks in a rally at the Chase Bank protesting their financial support of the fossil fuel industry, and he attended the climate storytelling workshop at the Chautauqua institute, an intergenerational collaboration sponsored by Third Act Upstate New York.
With the relentless grind of daily climate news, both bad and good, Evan recharges his batteries by running, occasional open water swims, and repairing broken, useful objects giving them new life.
The primary reasons Evan is committed to climate change work are his three adult children, three grandkids, and several great nieces and nephews. “What little I can do,” he says, “to make the world a better place for them, I try to do.”