Meet Stephen Szucs: Founder of SustainableJoes

What made you decide to do this trip across North America?

"It has always been a dream of mine to travel around and share my passion for a sustainable society with other people. My dream is to one day travel the world with the same purpose."

How long have you been on tour? How much longer?

"I've been traveling since June 4th and have accumulated about 2500 miles. I'll finish whenever my mission is done and I can engage as many people as possible. But my current plan is to end between American Thanksgiving and the Winter Solstice"

Where did the idea for the solar bike come from?

The bike was manufactured by Organic Transit and is sponsored by No Commission Annuity and multitude of other sustainable minded companies"

What big sustainability advance do you want to see in the next 10 years?

"I want to see all of our energy drawn from renewable resources as well as significant policy changes to our water and waste management."

Who would you say is your biggest influence when it comes to being green?

"Kids. Kids are the future and there is no reason they shouldn't have all of the greatest resources at their fingertips when they're ready to start making an impact of their own."

What book/article/tedtalk would you recommend to students?

"There are so many good TedTalks and books I could recommend because you should always be learning and expanding your knowledge. Definitely check out my website as well. Check out this Ted Talk as well!

How should we, as students, get involved in making a difference?

"College kids have more opportunity than anyone else. They have a vast amount of resources. It's a lot harder to find money outside of college. Use it while you're here. For a long time I didn't do what I was passionate about. I did well in high school and college, but didn't apply myself enough. If you're not happy with what you're doing or studying make a change and you will find new energy. Don't listen to what society wants you to do. Do what you want to do and you will find out it can change your outlook on life, as well as the way people perceive you."

What is your sustainability pet peeve?

"I don't really have a pet peeve. I may have a one point, but I realized that negativity just drains my energy. I want to encourage people I meet to apply sustainability into whatever their life style is."

What will you do after your tour is over?

"My dream is to have a tv show where I travel the world and share my passion for sustainable change with cultures and societies everywhere."

Stephen's Five E's when he engages with people on his tour.