covid

  1. Lifestyle

Cue the Billy Joel music... I'm movin' out. The limits of urban confinement are undeniable. The Suez Canal crisis is the latest excuse to leave big cities and invest in flyover country.

I've spent the past year exposing unsustainable lifestyles in major US cities. Urban efficiency in energy and transportation is now overshadowed by the literal garbage required to live in unnatural environments. Fewer people are commuting to cities. Can't make that argument anymore.

Plus, sustainable energy, agriculture, and transportation are more affordable than ever.

Dig deeper → 2 min

  1. Politics and Policy
Busy? Try the speed read.

The scoop: The World Bank projects extreme poverty to rise for the first time since the 1990s, while 270 million people are at risk of starvation (2x higher than 2019).

Lockdowns and inequality: 20+ million Americans are still unemployed. 160,000 US business have closed. Despite that, Amazon, Wal-Mart and Costco (for example) are posting record high online sales.

What can we do? Go beyond SBA loans and stimulus checks. We should like, actually be doing everything we can to keep small business owners afloat.

Local coffee shops > Starbucks, Thrift > Marshall's, Art galleries for Home Decor > Amazon.

Bottom line: We can clean up this institutional mess by creating a new structure around congressional term limits, monopoly break-ups, whistleblower support, and free speech... or we can allow the same actors to weave the world we've grown to love and hate.

Dig deeper → 3 min

  1. Business

What they do KAJ is a B2B entertainment consultancy that offers full service solutions ranging from brand experience; marketing, strategy, sponsorship and content creation and more.

Talking points

  • Forbes inc. estimates a $7 billion dollar revenue loss for the US concert and live event industry. This will inevitably lead to the downfall of startups like KAJ. 
  • PPE prices have more than tripled in price as a reflection of increased demand from COVID 19.  

Why it matters PPE shortages are increasingly likely, and life threatening.

The pivot KAJ partnered with ApeironMed, a PPE supplier to co-sign a fundraiser to supply PPE at cost for Canadian hospitals in need.

For the people It’s important for small businesses and community members to do their part. KAJ listened to their community and saw an opportunity to connect a network to a cause. To learn more how they did it dive a little deeper below.

Dig deeper → 3 min

  1. Business

Current score Sports are still ‘cancelled’ - thanks COVID - but this ‘stoppage of gameplay’ presents an opportunity to improve sustainable business practices.

Quantify it Waste Management (WM) estimates that the four major professional leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) generate approximately 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year from their fans’ waste activities alone.

Big picture The sports world is rife with possibilities to convert to more sustainable practices that would strengthen bottom lines and increase public perception and longevity of their industry.

Why it matters Sports’ influence extends far beyond the reach of their stadiums, fields, rinks, and media presence. They impact cities’ transportation infrastructure, boost local economies and can significantly affect their regions’ environmental systems.

Next steps Say bye to hot dogs, and hello to better AC.

  • The pandemic draws attention to the meat industry and indicated essential changes necessary in the ‘food space’ 
  • Plant based alternatives can help pivot from factory farming and more towards a plant based future. 
  • Another adjustment will need to come in the live event arena where improved HVAC technology and design will reduce air pollutants and filter bacteria while increasing energy efficiency and lowering costs. 

Bottom line This pandemic will give fans and consumers a rare opportunity to play a role in systematically changing the operations of the sports industry. Our past has revealed that human beings can quickly adapt to changing environments.

The sports industry as a whole should reflect on this opportunity and make significant changes needed to forge ahead and prevent history from repeating itself.

Dig deeper → 2 min

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