United States

Got Oranges? May Be the Only Fertilizer You Need

Well over a decade ago, two ecologists came up with an out of the box idea: allow an orange juice company to dispose of its orange peels and pulp in a "largely deforested area nearby" in exchange for "donating a portion of unspoiled, forested land to...a nature preserve in the...northwest [of Costa Rica]". Within the course of a year, "over 12,000 metric tons of sticky, mealy, orange compost [were poured] onto the worn-out plot". Last year, one of the ecologists sent a graduate student to find the plot and (after multiple struggles to find the area) came across quite an astonishing result. The area that was dumped with "orange peel deposit" 20 years prior, was so "thick with vegetation" that it was hard to believe. 

It took over a combined 65 trips for the ecologist and graduate student to find the original sign marking the land, which was overgrown with vines. This in itself goes to show the difference that could be made "in many parts of the world [where] rates of deforestation are increasing dramatically" just by incorporating nutrient-rich waste (over half of all produce in the United States is sent to a landfill).

Syrian Chemical Warfare

As many have seen over the past few days, chemical warfare is becoming an increasing threat from the Assad regime in Syria. "The United States said Tuesday that it has observed Syrian chemical warfare personnel visiting known production facilities, suggesting that President Bashar al-Assad’s government is preparing fresh strikes on the rebel-held north of the country.  The White House warned late Monday that the Assad government would pay a 'heavy price' for any such strikes, indicating publicly for the first time that it believes the Assad government is capable of launching new chemical attacks." Yesterday U.S. military struck a Syrian airbase after their use of sarin in the northern rebel-held portion of the country, killing many civilians and hospitalizing even more. Sarin is a colorless, odorless gas that acts a nerve agent and is extremely potent. The large amount of remaining inventory of this chemical was considered by a European official to be "one of the worst-kept secrets in international diplomacy." Governments worldwide continue to monitor the Assad and many are forming synergistic strategies for the road ahead.  

Oil Futures Fall into Bear Market

Stubborn inventory both at home and abroad are giving analysts reason to believe that this could just be another "summer of cratering" for the oil and gas industry. Reports of increased Libyan production to 900,000 bbls/day, "it's highest level in four years", along with increased US production and high inventory levels have caused prices to return to the low $40's. This price is critical for many E&P companies here at home - as this is the breakeven for many regions throughout the states. Another telling sign? Oil futures have declined by 20% from January's high and entered into a bearish market. This may not cause an immediate reaction by oil & gas operators, but could create a significant impact for 2018 drilling schedules. 

Putting North Korea in "Full Court Press"

Dennis Rodman, former NBA player, is at it once again with another trip to North Korea; this one being the first during the new presidency. When questioned about any discussions with President Trump prior to his travel, Rodman stated, "Well, I'm pretty sure he's pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need." However, Rodman didn't enlist specifics on his goals of his trip and government officials have said he's traveling as a private citizen. "Rodman tweeted that his trip was being sponsored by Potcoin, one of a growing number of cybercurrencies used to buy and sell marijuana in state-regulated markets." Despite discussions of North Korea ousting Amsterdam in pot tourism, the country still considers it a controlled substance to the likes of heroine and cocaine and "likely could not expect leniency if the country's drug laws were violated". Rodman has been criticized in the past for not using his influence in a country like this and only time will tell if this round will be any different. 

Mr. Down to Business

President Trump has been the center of the media's attention for quite some time now; however, there's one thing he has yet to do - back down on hardly any of his promises made on his road to election. As widely-known, the President comes from a deeply rooted business background without any formal political education (he received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania). His business-driven acumen has largely served as the foundation in developing his agenda and guiding his decisions both here at home and abroad. 

Most recently, President Trump made the decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, a consolidated effort across member countries to reduce the impact on global warming. Granted, this was a bold political move (which aligns with much of his days in presidency), this also stays true to his goal of bringing jobs back to America, in particular for the manufacturing industry. Additionally, the most recent unemployment data released today, shows numbers are at an all-time low (4.3%) over the past 16 years. This has sparked conversations of raising interest rates due to higher employment as well as discussions of reaching labor capacity. 

Whether President Trump was a personal choice or not, the man should be applauded for getting things done and gaining momentum towards an improved economy overall.

2,300 MPH is Now a Speed of the Past

Challenging early on due to friction and heat, "hypersonic" spacecrafts are now on the United States Military's project radar travelling anywhere from to five to ten times Mach 1. "The new Lockheed Skunk Works project, called the SR-72, is a proposal envisioning an unmanned aircraft that cruises at Mach 6—roughly twice as fast as the 2,300-mile-per-hour SR-71—meaning 'an adversary would have no time to react or hide,' Lockheed Martin says in its promotional materials." These efforts would not only allow for worldwide access within three hours, but also offer commercial benefits for many companies looking "to launch constellations of small satellites...[such as] Elon Musk's SpaceX."

Adulting is Hard, Anxiety is Harder

Today's post comes from a place closer to home rather than the latest news or technology endeavor: "Anxiety disorders affect nearly 1 in 5 American adults each year." That's 20%! As many that know me would attest, I tend towards logical thinking rather than emotions; however, a few years after college that changed - anxiety hit me like a brick wall. I thankfully had a strong support system and sought help in learning how to cope from day to day; it's amazing the turnaround I saw just by practicing simple daily techniques that I previously would've scoffed at. For those who have it, it's not just one step - it's one of thousands and an everyday fight, but most importantly, know that you're not alone. (After all, 64.28 MILLION of us deal with anxiety here in the US!) And, lastly, feel free to call me if there's anyway I can help.

RESPECT THE POSITION

A group of Notre Dame students recently walked out during Vice President Mike Pence's commencement address at his Alma Mater. This outrages me; at the minimum, be respectful of the man's position. As many know, I'm a business driven republican who has his fair share of opinions, but in 1997, I had the fortunate opportunity to hear President Bill Clinton speak and even spend five minutes talking to him after his event. It was a highlight of my life! I may not have voted for him (I was too young), but I still respected his position enough to listen to him. Sometimes sitting on your hands is harder than throwing them up in protest, but find sound reasoning worth doing so. Do we as millennials really want to be known as the generation that, when we didn't get our way or our participation trophy, we protested? 

Respect the position and find the positive.

North Korea Bought Time with Letter & Fires Test Missile

Did I call it? (Referencing previous post). North Korea fired a test missile early Sunday morning that soared around 30 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan. Although not posing a direct threat to the United States, millions of lives remain at risk should an all out attack prevail. President Trump seems to understand the weight of the situation citing that "North Korea may be more important than trade" in discussion of China's continued assistance to the North via their trade relations. However, our government needs to act quickly before anyone gets hurt.

North Korea Changes Up Message Medium

What a rare occasion - North Korea sent a letter to Congress calling recent US sanctions a "heinous act against humanity". For the first time in quite awhile, the country chose to use words rather than test fires to convey a message. However, I bet they are just using this as a distraction to buy time for something...

Life expectancy by geographic location within and outside of the US.

Life expectancy has been a longtime indicator of increased quality of life throughout the world. However, in some areas, life expectancy can vary greatly - even here at home in the United States. Within the US, there can be as much as a 20 year difference referencing poverty, lack of exercise, and no access to health care as the key cause for this gap. It will be important over the next decade for our healthcare industry to focus in on how we can improve our system.