There is no bigger nor better purpose than the pursuit of a sustainable society. In a time when the term seems to mean something different to everyone, having a shared understanding of sustainability is a critical first step -- including ecological, social, and economic systems. Simply asking "how will this affect my kids, grandkids, and the many generations to come?" with each decision will go a long way.
Hailing from the heart of the USA, agriculture has been in my family's blood for generations. Where our food comes from and how it is raised has huge implications -- for our health as individuals; for our collective health and culture; and for the long-term sustainability of our species.
<-- My family farm, circa 1980
Energy is fascinating! It is the thing that drives the world. The sun's energy drives the ecological world; 'buried sunshine' drives the technosphere. One of the major challenges of our time will be transitioning away from fossil-based fuels toward something more aligned with a sustainable society.
At it's simplest, data is a bunch of 0's and 1's. These are represented by the presence or absence of energy. And from these 0's and 1's, we derive all of the digital data that exists, including all of our digitized mediums.
