But here we are, the counties will be established and councils will be elected, and there’s not much to be done about it right now. Except to vote. Because let’s face it, if you live in a representative democracy and you’re handed the right (but not obligation) to vote, it would be arrogant, lazy, and stupid not to vote.
Read MoreA Stoic approach to frustration over gym closures
I’ve been really, really frustrated about the gym closures, because hitting the gym 2-3 times a week has been very important for me. Dealing with this frustration got me thinking about the dichotomy of control, a Stoic practice that basically states that some things are within our control and others are not. It gives us a framework to be effective at solving problems by dividing them into segments – things we can control and things we can't.
Read MoreKicking off 2022 with Sober Curiosity
How does it feel when a weekend doesn’t kick off with after-work beer or a glass of red wine? Does it feel uncomfortable attending a dinner party (or any other social event for that matter) completely sober? Will there be any alcohol cravings after a few weeks?
I’ve decided to go through January without any alcohol. This challenge is known by many different names, e.g. Dry January in the UK and Dropless January in Finland. It’s not my first time doing this, but I’ll have to admit it’s been many years since the last time.
The reason for going through a voluntary one-month drought is quite simple. I think it’s useful and healthy to occasionally stop and think about your alcohol consumption habits, and perhaps to some extent also re-evaluate your relationship to alcohol, our social drug of choice.
Read MoreThe single most important job of the Chief Product Officer
One way to build a successful company – perhaps the best way – is to solve a big and relevant problem in the real world. For software companies, the solution to the problem is almost always deployed as a product, which customers hopefully will find useful and valuable enough so that they are willing to buy it. Given the importance of the product, it’s no surprise that most tech companies have a C-level executive who is responsible for the strategy and execution of all product-related activities, the Chief Product Officer (CPO). Whether the title is CPO, Head of Product, VP of Product, or something else, doesn’t much matter. There needs to be someone who is responsible for the strategic product direction and who leads the product organization.
Read MoreMy version of the snooze proof wake-up strategy
There’s a special place in hell for the person who invented the snooze button. It’s a terrible invention and if there’s one within arms length when an alarm goes off, I will surely hit it. Early mornings have always been a struggle for me. That’s why I’ve developed my own version of the snooze proof wake-up strategy.
Read MoreHow do humans cope with prolonged heatwaves?
Obviously we need to do something about global warming if we want to prevent heatwaves and other weather extremes from becoming more and more frequent in every region across the globe. The best way to do it is to stop adding CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the air as soon as possible and develop new technologies for removing large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. I seriously hope that sufficient efforts for reaching carbon neutrality can be coordinated globally before a truly devastating and deadly heatwave occurs. That would be a terrible wake-up call.
Read MoreHow bad is 415 ppm of global atmospheric CO2 concentration?
Another data point that keeps popping up in climate science is the global atmospheric CO2 concentration, which currently is around 415 parts per million (ppm). The IPCC report that was published yesterday didn’t say anything new about the 450 ppm threshold and it remains to be seen if the upcoming deliverables from working groups II and III will have anything to say about it. Whether of not 450 ppm is the correct threshold number is, however, not the main point. The point is that there’s a clear link between global warming and atmospheric CO2 concentration.
Read MoreNo doubt that humans are responsible for global warming
Today an important new United Nations scientific report on climate change was published. It begins by concluding that there’s no doubt that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Nobody is surprised, but it clears the air (pun intended) to have it stated in black and white by the U.N. The report, specifically the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), highlights a number of other interesting, and unfortunately mostly alarming issues, too.
Read MorePadel – much more fun than I thought
One might think that a person with my background would welcome any new racquet sport with open arms. Unfortunately, that was not the case with me and padel. Despite the fact that padel came to Finland already in 2003, I never came around trying it until today. I always thought it looked a bit funny, almost childish, and I had a hard time regarding is at a “true racquet sport”, whatever that means.
Read MoreScope 3 emissions is what matters for financial institutions
The financial services sector is absolutely critical for enabling us to reach the targets set by the Paris Agreement. The simple truth is that money talks, and when FIs cease to fund or insure polluting businesses, major changes can be achieved. There’s widespread adoption and acceptance of TCFD recommendations among FIs and therefore it’s critical that the recommendations are regularly updated to reflect the dire climate situation we’re facing and the latest science. The upcoming guidance is a great leap forward, both in terms of clarity and ambition level, but fact of the matter is that they could’ve been even more ambitious.
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