Jim Motavalli (born 1952) is a

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

, author, and speaker who specializes in environmental issues, particularly green cars, climate, transportation, and various aspects of

sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as green ...

. He writes for '' E–The Environmental Magazine'' as a senior writer, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' as a blogger and columnist, and for various other publications including ''TheDailyGreen'',

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

, and Mother Nature Network.

Biography

After serving as its editor for 14 years, Motavalli became a senior writer for '' E–The Environmental Magazine'', a bi-monthly publication which aims to bring attention to environmental problems. He currently writes and blogs for ''

'' as a member of its "Automobiles" section and has a syndicated column called "Wheels", hosts a show on

WPKN WPKN (89.5 FM) is a non-commercial radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to Bridgeport, Connecticut. WPKN is a freeform radio station, staffed by volunteer programmers presenting a wide variety of music and publi ...

, and speaks often on

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

's (NPR) Car Talks program. He also contributes to

Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense) is a United States-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on issues including global warming, ecosystem restoration, oceans, and hu ...

, ''TheDailyGreen'', and Mother Nature Network works, and he has twice won the Global Media Award from the Population Institute. Motavalli has authored four books – ''Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery'', ''Forward Drive: The Race to Build "Clean Cars" for the Future'', and ''Feeling the Heat: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Climate Change'' – and edited three others. He previously served as a professor of journalism at

Fairfield University Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time a ...

and the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

; the latter is his alma mater. He lives in Connecticut.

Works

Forward Drive

''Forward Drive: The Race to Build the Clean Car of the Future'' is a 2001 publication that explores the interlinking history of

and the automobile industry. It analyzes modern dependency upon oil.

''Feeling the Heat''

''Feeling the Heat: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Climate Change'' was published in 2004; it tracks the phenomenon of global warming and its effects on the environment and in communities.

''Naked in the Woods''

''Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery'', published in January 2008, is a biography that follows the sensation surrounding Joseph Knowles and his alleged survival in nature alone without resources. Knowles was later debunked for having stayed in a log cabin with food for two months.

''High Voltage''

''High Voltage: The Fast Track to Plug In the Auto Industry'' was published in November 2011 and examines the market competition for electric cars as well as the changes in the automobile industry.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Motavalli, Jim Writers from Connecticut Journalists from Connecticut American environmentalists 1952 births Living people University of Connecticut alumni