October 10, 2020

by drplasticpicker

I forgot why I did not write last week’s Hopeful Wednesday post? Let me think. [pause] Yes now I remember. I had been a bit overwhelmed on Tuesday with some HR issues and an avalanche of environmental work. The mood in the country was dark with the coronavirus as well. This week I had been getting semi-harassing text messages from a climate leader in a different part of the state. One of the climate groups is trying to get a letter with thousands of signatures. In principle I completely agree, but there has already been multiple letters written and the New England Journal of Medicine published a definitive editorial and endorsed a Biden administration. It seems like everyone is doing the same thing, and everyone wants to get their voice heard. I listened to the other physician climate advocate who is retired, but I felt semi-harassed. I honestly have a network of folks but I don’t want to exhaust them. Most of us work, and getting another thing to do which I’m not sure even makes a difference is not high-yield. Plus we had nothing to do with the content of the letter and they just want our signatures without any input. I’m not of the top-down environmental movement approach. Our committees are just our friend-group, so we have to do things together organically and make it fun. Plus the letter and the speaker was kind of preachy. Dr. Plastic Picker does not like preachy.

This week was discombobulating. But it’s Saturday 525AM and I’m looking forward to finally getting to the beach to do some beach cleaning. This week has mostly just been quick picks around the neighborhood. Although yesterday I did do a good job. I told Mr. Plastic Picker I’m going to really try to practice what I preach and get 30 minutes of “hot and sweaty” exercise at least 3x a week. I’m much healthier in general, but it’s mostly been by doing a lot of walking while litter picking. Today I will jog. In that vein of starting the week happy, and since I didn’t publish last week Hopeful Wednesday post – I have written a Hopeful Wednesday post on Saturday! Plus I need to delete the screenshots and Mr. Plastic Picker told me I need to download all my pictures to clear by iPhone. Our HMO is issuing new iPhones. So here it is

Five Reasons to be Hopeful 10-10-2020

1. More Electric Buses are Coming to San Diego. This was sent to me by our eco-warrior Co-Founder of San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air. Accordingly to the American Lung Association, San Diego has the sixth most polluted air in the country despite our idyllic coastal location and weather. To combat this, MTS Board has plans to electrify the fleet of buses fully by 2040. This last week, some of the first electric buses were on display at the Old Town Trolley Lines. The local NBC station reports ‘ “MTS has been testing six electric buses in revenue service over the past 10 months, and we’ve been very pleased with their performance,” said Sharon Cooney, the transit system’s CEO. “The performance data makes us confident that we can make a transition to an entire fleet of zero-emissions buses over the next 19 years, and continue to provide the highest quality of service our passengers expect and deserve.” . . . Some key components of the plan include cutting the agency’s greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 43% over the next 19 years, rolling back the planned purchase of five compressed natural-gas buses in 2021, and purchasing electric buses instead and prioritize zero-emission bus implementation in disadvantaged communities, which often experience the most negative impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental health.” https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/mts-board-approves-plan-for-all-electric-bus-fleet-by-2040/2407715/
2. Pandemic Is Driving a Boom in Investments to Fix the Climate Crisis. From CNN Business, ” Green bonds may have a starring role in the recovery from the coronavirus recession. Interest in green bonds has increased in recent months as investors seek out securities that can generate returns and help the environment. at the same time. Governments are offering green bonds to help meet ambitious climate goals, and companies are using them to reduce the impact of their business on the environment.Green bonds are similar to traditional fixed-income securities, but the money they raise must be spent on climate, environment or renewable energy products. The bonds first arrived on Wall Street in 2007, but the coronavirus pandemic has led to a new surge in interest. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/investing/green-bonds-climate-crisis-coronavirus/index.html
3. California Governor Newson Signs Executive Order to Preserve 30% of California Lands by 2030. “California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday called for the conservation of 30% of state lands and waters by 2030 to protect unique species and preserve ecosystems that are key to fighting climate change . . Newsom’s executive order also directs state agencies to craft policies to boost carbon sequestration on state lands so it can be removed from the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Newsom spoke in the middle of a California Walnut Grove, “Climate change is not just about greenhouse gas emissions emanating from tailpipes of vehicles, but it’s the opportunity to sequester in our soils,” Newsom said at a news conference held at a walnut orchard in Winters, California. “This is a critical part of the climate change conversation and it so often is omitted when we talk about climate change.” Did I mention that he is by far my favorite politician? Go California!!! https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-california-climate-idUSKBN26S38X
4. Canada Banning Single Use Plastic Bags, Straws, Cutlery and other Single-Use Items by 2021. There are two parts to this story. 2021 banning of single-use plastic items, and by 2030 increasing the recycled plastic content of other more durable items. “Under the newly unveiled list of single-use plastics being banned in Canada, plastic grocery bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery and food containers made from hard-to-recycle plastics will be out of use nationwide by the end of 2021.” and then the Canadian “federal government has a target of at least 50 per cent recycled content in plastic products by 2030.” This is amazing. And it’s amazing that Canada was a Minister of Environment and Climate Change. https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/canada-banning-plastic-bags-straws-cutlery-and-other-single-use-items-by-the-end-of-2021-1.5135968
5. Mr. Plastic Picker Stops Single-Use Tobasco Sauce Packets. My dear husband sent me a picture of his tobacco sauce glass container he now has at his office. He stopped getting the single0-use tobasco sauce packets in the HMO cafeteria. This was truly wonderful.

It was great to write this post, because I realize now that the other climate advocate wasn’t trying to harass me – but that I really don’t like getting text messages for non-urgent work or non-family. I think I’ll just block her phone number. We are on connectivity overload but the connectivity needs to be streamlined. I just emailed a good friend and asked her to email me rather than texting me about a certain activity. This will compartmentalize my life more and I can actually respond to emails better. It’s like my office phone voicemail. I haven’t checked that thing in months. Who leaves voice mails anymore on office phones anymore?