Jim Motavalli (born 1952) is a

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

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

sustainable energy Energy system, Energy is sustainability, sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the e ...

. He writes for ''

E–The Environmental Magazine ''E–The Environmental Magazine'', or simply ''E'', is an environmental magazine aimed at a readership concerned about the environment, and those who want to know what they can do to make a difference. It has won and been nominated for 13 Ind ...

'' as a senior writer, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

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

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

, and Mother Nature Network.

Biography

After serving as its editor for 14 years, Motavalli became a senior writer for ''

'', 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 free-form radio station, staffed by volunteer programmers presenting a wide variety of music and pub ...

, and speaks often on

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

'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, an ...

, ''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 university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2023, the university had about 5,000 full-time undergraduate students and 1,200 gra ...

and the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...

; the latter is his

alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

. 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