This evening: Guest appearance on 20/20

Hi, folks. I’m back in town and glad to be back on the blog.

This weekend, Americans will observe Earth Day. ABC is getting started early, airing a daylong look at the state of our planet today (see preview).

I am especially anxious to tune into 20/20 tonight. I am told I will be featured on two segments: an interview on solar energy and a panel discussion on global warming.

The panel discussion was really fun. I and six very impressive folks – ranging from the CEO of Duke Energy, Jim Rogers, to my predecessor at Environmental Defense, Michael Openheimer – gathered at a studio overlooking the Hudson River. They sat us around an up-lit glass-plated table with cameras all around us, and then let us talk for 3 hours. There was no moderator and we were pretty much left to wander in whatever direction our conversation took. Occasionally, when the discussion got too far afield – like when we turned to the need for space colonization in the 22nd century – the producer would interrupt and refocus. I will be interested to see how the producer boils that down into a few nuggets of wisdom for the broadcast.

If you tune in, let me know what you think!

Update (April 23, 12:27 PM): If you tuned in to 20/20 Friday night, I suspect you had a hard time catching me on the small screen.

Apparently, despite spending more than 3 hours in the studio  & our staff providing them with the statistics they used on their “7 ways to save the planet” I was cut out at the last minute.

Ah well, left on the cutting room floor once again. That’s show biz.