sunnuntai 15. maaliskuuta 2020

Boeing 737-8 MAX accidents in 2019 as my personal Game Changer


Boeing 737-8 MAX accidents in 2019 as my personal Game Changer

Boeing 737-8 MAX was grounded 13th March 2019 due to fatal accidents caused by identified software bugs. The really bad thing about this is the Boeing´s internal cover up that last for months before and after the accidents.I flew to Helsinki on the 12th March, landing 8.15 pm onboard a 737-8 MAX. Close to 10 pm. The very same plane took off for the Canary Isles, arriving early morning the following day (when the flying ban was already in force, globally).Bloomberg reported 6th of Feb. 2020 about another software bug that has been discovered in January in Boeing´s  737-8 MAX test flights. 
The 13th March 2019 was a kicker for me. My air miles with a fatalistic attitude are done. I have not had a single flight for a year. Call me a coward, I do not care. In free world we have the right to make choices.



I call the Boeing-gate a game changer in my life.
There are companies offering personal CO2-compensation credits. Some are legal, some are just hoax with even negative CO2 impact. I think it is wrong, that one can sweep personal pollution under the carpet with few dollars. Air travel is the worst example. Who seriously believes that an air ticket Helsinki-London (1850km) can cost less than 100€? There is no tax on air fuel, but still.

I have lived now exactly a year assessing my way of daily living and taking into consideration the ecological matters. Not dead seriously, but with common sense. Ok, as a retired but still an active citizen, I have more options than an “ordinary working man”. However, read below and have a thought about your way of living.

My “Thesis and Findings”:

-        Do not use air travel unless absolutely necessary.
Result: Zero air miles in 12 months. True zero emissions!

-        Use public transport instead of private car.
Result: I have made ca. 10 + 10 long distance train and bus trips in 12 months. With good planning the travel time is close to a private car, and you “arrive at better shape”.

-         Plan your weekly car usage. Where?, When?, Why? Cut unnecessary miles. Motto: for all travel less than 2km, let´s walk!
Result: Annual mileage was decreased from ca. 24´000km to 8000km. I.e. the mandatory car inspection is more frequent than an oil change and maintenance!

-        Cook homemade food from fresh ingredients. Avoid packaged, prefabricated food.
Result: Plastic packing materials and other food container waste was cut by 80%.

-        Sort all waste to glass, plastic, metal and other household waste.
I take ca. once a month the sorted waste to a local recycling station.
Result: The rubbish bin emptying cycle went from one to two weeks. Less logistics, less cost, less CO2 emissions. (N.b. We are not doing home composting, yet)

-        Buy no paper books.
Result: As an eager reader, I have become (again) a frequent visitor of the public library. E-books are part of my reading habits, too. Every book should be published as an e-book first!

-        Try to fix your broken home electronics first before dumping it to recycling.
We all know, that modern electronics are made cheap and “beyond worth repair”.
Result: With a good help of Google & YouTube´s “how to fix ….” , and own (rusty) engineering skills, I have managed to bring life back to cameras, audio equip., medical electronics etc. I am proud and family is happy!

-        Be part of tree planters.
In Finland we plant ca. 80 million trees a year, commercially and privately together.
Result: I have joined the movement in our small farm and forest. Grandchildren can enjoy the results…
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N.b. If you do not own a forest, call your friend and have a tree planting day!

“If I knew that I should die tomorrow, I would plant a tree today.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.

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