OPINION: COVID-19 the Climate Changer

While I was reading a book published in 2014 about climate change, it re-occurred to me that COVID-19 is mother nature's way of combating climate change on her own. This isn't the first time I've thought this.

There's a section that describes the tug of war between capitalism and the economy versus the efforts of climate change experts and environmentalists. My understanding is that the ideals of each side are contrary to each other, making their efforts inversely related. 

With COVID-19, although it's a health issue, the impacts to capitalism and the environment are both positive, actually. How so? 

In terms of capitalism, the stock market (not that it's a great indicator or all encompassing) is booming. There is significant unemployment currently, but I think it's a stepping stone towards future sustainable growth and development. The housing markets affected by low interest rates are great for buyers and sellers can profit from the demand. Construction continues to build and improve in growing areas. And despite small business failures due to health restrictions, I believe they will rebound because those who suffer and survive will learn and grow. 

In terms of the environment, the reduction of daily commutes, daily flights, and the constant movement of floating waste factories has all been minimized. Pollution on a grand scale has been reduced significantly. More people are working in their yards due to travel restrictions and boredom. Less people are driving daily. More people are growing their gardens for the same reasons. There's more time to tend to these basic things now that the economy is on temporary hold. 

In a way, COVID-19 is a climate changer in itself. It's changing the climate of capitalism. And it's helping to change the actual climate of the world. Looking at the positives rather than the negatives, COVID has been helpful. Some will say that it's at the expense of others' well-being and health, and I agree. It's tragic and sad. And I feel terrible for those who are suffering and being challenged physically and mentally. Everyday we hear about these things and it doesn't change the somber mood, but hey, I'm trying to look at it from a different angle. 

Where Did Spring Go?

I used to have really bad Spring-time allergies. Watery, itchy, swollen eyes. Stuffy / runny nose. Constant sneezing. If you’ve got allergies, you know what I’m talking about.

Strangely, I have not suffered from the itchy eyes recently. Although, I have been sneezing a good amount and blowing my nose constantly. So I have some symptoms of the pollen-driven reactions, but not all of those I’m used to experiencing.

I narrowed it down to 4 possible reasons.

1. After LASIK eye surgery, the laser must have burned off the ability to sense irritation in my eyes. 
   
2. I have spent so much time outdoors and being exposed to different environments that my body, eyes specifically, has developed an immunity to the irritants. 
   
   
   
3. My mostly organic diet has improved my resistance to pollen allergies. Specifically, my consistent daily intake of carrots has strengthened my eyes in more ways than one. 
   
4. Climate change is real. Spring no longer exists or has been severely curtailed. Pollen is not as abundant in the environment, leading to less plant life that would normally absorb the CO2, in effect allowing greenhouse gases to grow in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. 

Or maybe all of the above.

What do you think?

Reduce Plastic Use - Receive Compliments

I was recently at the checkout line of my local grocery store, and I was paid a very nice compliment by the cashier.

She said, "I like your shopping bag. It's the good kind. Very durable."

I thanked her for the compliment, and took it as an indication that I've been doing the right thing.

Over the past few months, we have trimmed our household use of plastic as well as increased our habit to recycle the plastic we do use. At one point, we used to collect plastic shopping bags after each grocery haul. In a single trip, we might have accumulated 12-15 bags because we'd ask to double bag the heavier items. Now, we're down to nearly nothing, thanks to these bags. (I will occasionally use a plastic bag if we've purchased meats to avoid any leakage issues.)

Also, if you recall, I helped implement the plastic recycling initiative in our condo development. A couple of my neighbors have actually thanked me for that as well. Another good sign. Not sure why they didn't start the movement, but glad it's caught on. I often seen the dedicated dumpster filled with recyclables.

These habits have become seamless to us. They are a part of how we carry our lives now. It's just a matter of making the change / transition.

This post comes on the heels of an article that I recently read about the consumption of plastic by marine animals. It was a reminder that we have to do better to protect wildlife around our planet. It was a reminder that plastics can be harmful. And it was the 3rd sign that our household's determination to curb plastic use is a step in the right direction.

Next step... composting?

Update: Walk For Health

...and the environment!

On alternate days of the week, I have continued to walk to the gym. Yes, I'm still doing that. And yes, even through the winter. I'm always prepared to trudge through the cold, wind, rain, and sometimes snow. I just layer up and protect my otherwise exposed skin. I walk the 1.1 miles in 15 minutes, workout for an hour or so, and then walk the 1.1 miles back.

Here's a breakdown of just my walking to/from the gym for the past 9 months:

• June - December 
• 4x per week = 8.8 miles per week = 35.2 miles per month = 246.4 miles
  
• January - February 
• 3x per week = 6.6 miles per week = 26.4 miles per month = 52.8 miles
  
• TOTAL = 299.2 miles

I've lost 1 gym day per week due to the studying I've been doing. Not bad for just walking to/from the gym! 

And according to the carbon footprint calculator I would have emitted 0.11 metric tons of CO2 had I driven the 300 miles. That's like releasing 242.5lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. So not only do I continue to benefit my health, but I've also continue to consciously help the environment around me. 

Have you been doing your part? 

That's One Small Step Climate Change, and One Giant Leap For ME And Our HOA

It's a small step in the right direction, but every little bit counts.

Today I was informed by a board member of the Home Owners Association (HOA) that the board voted to have a new dumpster situated in our complex to recycle plastics!  To be accurate, they will be replacing the cardboard dumpster with a cardboard/plastics dumpster, presumably with a divider to segregate the two recyclables.

I'm pleased to hear this because I requested that this initiative be taken back in September. It took a couple of follow-up emails, but I'm glad that we're moving forward on the issue of recycling and doing our part to save the environment.

Step Master & The Environment

We've been home from our travels abroad for nearly 5 months now. Since then, I've gone to the gym on average 4 times per week. The gym is approximately 1.1 miles away. That being said, I've walked just about 176 miles in the past 20 weeks. And that's just going to the gym. If I include all my other walks, randomly around the neighborhood, to/from the park and basketball court, to/from the grocery store, and to/from my cousin's house then I've most likely broken 200 miles. I only drove to the gym once because it was raining.

How does that compare to someone who walks 10,000 steps each day? Well, according to The Walking Site, there are on average 2,000 steps in a mile. So 10,000 would be 5 miles. If you walked 5 miles per day, 5 days a week, then over the past 5 months you should have accumulated 500 miles or 1,000,000 steps!

Keep in mind, the 200 miles I've racked up is just from walking alone. That doesn't include the running on the treadmill, climbing the stair master, cycling, and other exercises that count towards that 10,000 steps per day goal. Nor does it include any other strenuous activity like playing basketball, biking within an 8 mile radius, or other sports.

The 200 miles of simply walking to the gym and other nearby errands / places is 40% of the pie already. Do I achieve the other 60% from all the other activities combined? I have to believe that I do.

How many #steps do you get each day?

— Jesse Go (@jessereynesgo) October 25, 2017

In addition to the health benefits that I'm reaping, I've saved money on gas, wear and tear on our car, and most importantly reduced my carbon footprint and emissions. The carbon footprint calculator estimated that 0.07 metric tons of carbon would have been emitted had I driven the 200 miles instead of walked. It might be small, but every little bit of help the environment can get is worth it. And it only cost me 30 minutes per day.

How much walking have you done for your health and the environment? (346)

A post shared by jessereynesgo (@jessereynesgo) on May 2, 2013 at 4:03am PDT

(Flashback to that time we made it to Mt. Everest Base Camp)
(Time: 14 days | Max Altitude: 17,602ft / 5365m after 9 days | O2: 50% less than sea level | 80 miles round-trip)

My Investment Compass

Yesterday I spent most of my day tinkering with Excel and putting together tables. My analysis was for some investments I plan to make in the near future. It was a reminder of how analytical I can get sometimes. I started out with ABC up and down the X axis, and XYZ on the Y axis and populated the cells with various formulas. Then I would rearrange the line items or add / delete lines all to get the right amount of detail.

In the world of corporate tax (my profession), it's rare that we have to put together a table from scratch. Most of the time, the data is already provided to us and it requires manipulation. Often times it's as easy as performing a VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP or simply using a Pivot Table. But there's just so much information to analyze. The trick is to know what you need for a narrow down the dataset to those categories.

The data I came up with yesterday was based on reading and research I did about various investment products which I plan to place bets on. For me, my interests are currently in:

• Blockchain technology
• Cryptocurrency
• eSports
• Environment
• Renewable Resources / Alternative Energy

The potential for each of the above is sky high. I think we're going to see Blockchain become the accounting of the future. Plenty of businesses are currently analyzing how to implement and make use of the technology. From the success and safety of the Blockchain, cryptocurrency was developed potentially to make financial exchanges easier, non-centrally governed, and safer than transactions with intermediaries. It is yet another factor that will shrink the world and create a common denominator to create business across borders. Imagine being able to pay for your meal in a foreign country safely without having to exchange currency or use a credit card and be subject to foreign transaction fees with just the click of a button on your mobile phone. It's potentially that easy. 

Then there's eSports, and if you've read my previous posts you already know what I think. It's sports digitized and the market is only growing. I can only see an upside financially. The downside is going to be getting your kids outside for fresh air to play like the old days of activity and exercise. I'm sure the world will find some health detriments, and we should be sure to combat them and set limits. But the trend is upward for eSports. And like anything that requires moderation, it will be a matter of parental guidance and reasonableness that helps mitigate any health concerns. 

The environment and renewable energy also go hand in hand similar to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. It's easy, the bet is that renewable and alternative energy sources will improve the environment that we live. And those who create a greener lifestyle should and will benefit in more ways than just financial - health-wise too. Solar energy is really making a statement these days. The tech has been around for years but Tesla and other solar manufacturers are really making it easier and cheaper to be environmentally friendly. Wind is also rising but less publicly. The new turbines on and offshore will have been providing electricity for a while now but drawing much less attention. Similarly, hydroelectric energy has also been around for a while but with few water sources to plug up with dams, it too doesn't get the recognition it deserves for as long as it has already served us. And the remaining alternatives include biomass, geothermal, and tidal have yet to really make a profound impact but again, the potential is great. 

I suppose over these past few months of unemployment, the experiences I've lived through, the reading I've done and the interests I've developed have helped me realize what my future holds. I know better who I want to be and how I want to carry out that lifestyle. For now, the next investments I will make are just a stepping stone for the future I want to build. And like the past few months, I'm sure these investments will be rocky at time but the long term results should be upward trending. (700)