CURRENT MISSION Thinking global and acting local: studying global change while sipping red wine. ABOUT ME I'm one of the many European scientists, who come to the US to have a look, and then stay a lot longer than planned. I can look like the stereotypical young academic: beard, corduroy jacket and a bit of precociously grey hair. Essentially, I'm doing what I can to avoid becoming Prof. Smith of PhD Comics, minus the glasses (if you have never read PhD comics, you should). In politics I verge to the left back home in Europe, i.e. I'm a raging pinko here in the States... I am more open minded than most: I cannot think of many things which could make me blush... PHILOSOPHY Dilettantism is underrated: it's a great pleasure to enjoy a wide variety of activities, without aiming at 'being a professional': - photography - mountaneering - cooking - debating - exploring