George Potts spent his life educating and teaching science in high schools and colleges for 48 years.
A few years ago, he created a project called Energy Green Household. The goal is to make homes greener by teaching people how to save energy.
“I first got interested in it because I’m concerned about climate change,” George said. “I have a long environmental history. Number one goal, I think, would probably be to reach all households in the country. I’ve always been a big dreamer. If every one of them became energy efficient, then it would cut the carbon footprint down a lot.”
His son Rolf Potts wanted to help him reach a wider audience, so they started a YouTube channel called Energy Green Grandpa about a year ago.
“We created this persona, Energy Green Grandpa, where he is a Mister Rogers-type character, teaching lessons about saving energy and money in the household,” Rolf said. “As a teacher, we are already using his skillset. He is a communicator, taking complex scientific ideas and making them more digestible. It’s one thing to read on a piece of paper, but it’s another thing to see this smart, funny guy teaching lessons about science.”