Peter Kim Frank
Thinking Out Loud
The World in Hyperspeed
This (admittedly short and casual) article explains why 2012 was the best year ever. They cite global improvements across metrics such as…life expectancy, poverty, disease, energy consumption, and more. Despite the major problems in the U.S. and across the world (which dominate a major portion of the news cycle), globalization and new technologies have meant more prosperity, better health, fairer opportunity, and much more. ¶ I’m struck by the human race’s velocity as we continue to hurtle forward. How’s this for perspective: If Earth’s history was compressed into a single day, dinosaurs don’t pop up until 11PM.
Peter FrankOct 12, 2015
Doing Well by Doing Good
Walking around last weekend, I noticed the results of NYC’s “Mulch-Fest.” Hundreds of Christmas trees had been “discarded” in Tompkins…Square Park (amongst other locations), where they were mulched and re-purposed to add nutrients to the land. What a win-win-win, I thought. These otherwise “worthless” trees have been conveniently disposed of by their “original” owners and taken to a nearby collection center. There, they are put back to use as a fertilizer of sorts — adding a fragrant and festive smell to the neighborhood to boot.Peter FrankOct 12, 2015