Joshua Kearns holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and environmental engineering from Clemson University and a master’s degree in environmental biogeochemistry from the University of California-Berkeley. He has worked as a researcher and activist in the fields of ecological economics and sustainability science both in academia and in the non-profit NGO sector. Josh is certified in permaculture design, and has studied and practiced a variety of sustainable and self-reliant living techniques throughout the US and Asia including natural building and ecological agriculture.

His interest in local self-reliance and appropriate technologies led him to found Aqueous Solutions in June of 2007 – a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research, development and promotion of inexpensive, low-tech and sustainable drinking water purification systems.

Josh is also a prolific writer, developing themes in topics as diverse as agrariansim, ecology, social responsibility in science, Buddhism, Taoism and Eastern philosophy, criticism of economics, globalization and ‘development’, local self-reliance, and adventure and eco-travel. His articles and essays have been widely published both on- line and in print media.

Josh is an avid endurance athlete and enjoys long-distance trail running, road and mountain cycling and bicycle touring, and open-water swimming. Josh is a homebrewed-beer enthusiast and also a bluegrass musician – he plays mandolin and guitar, sings lead, and on occasion attempts to sing harmony. Among his professional aspirations are to build a log cabin in the mountains using only hand tools and to farm using power from draft animals.