Doug Fine grew up in suburban Long Island, and after graduating from Stanford University, he strapped on a backpack and traveled to five continents; to the places where the world’s moneyed media venues weren’t sending their people.

As a young freelancer, Fine reported in this manner for the Washington Post, Salon, U.S. News and World Report, Sierra, Wired, Outside and other venues from little-visited jungle war zones like Burma, Rwanda, Laos, Guatemala.

Fine recognized that he felt most alive while living and loving in wild ecosystems. Following this impulse he moved to extreme rural Alaska to see if a former suburbanite could survive away from Costco – happiness and self-awareness were the goals. This resulted in his award-nominated first book, Not Really An Alaskan Mountain Man, a book that has been well-reviewed across the country as a wildly-humorous and meaningful adventure narrative.

Now living in rural NM – Fine has written another book called “Farewell my Subaru” which chronicles his efforts to live off fossil fuels and find his own salvation in the process. From solar panels to goat husbandry to driving a veggie oil truck, Fine is exploring whether an American can live a green life without becoming overwhelmed by electrocution or contradiction.

 

 Doug Fine and the Sustainable Life [26:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download