Sound Economics

In my last post, I discussed how harmful the fast fashion industry is to the environment, even though it is very affordable. When looking for more environmentally friendly options I found that sustainable brands and thrifting are the most popular alternatives to fast fashion. Sustainable clothing brands are great alternatives to shopping fast fashion because they use environmentally friendly methods of production. This means that the actual material the clothing is made out of is environmentally friendly, the labor is humane, and the packing methods are sustainable. Shopping for sustainable brands is a great option for those who can afford Continue reading Alternatives to Fast Fashion→

In the upcoming weeks, Disney is facing one of the biggest challenges to them since the beginning of COVID. Throughout the last couple of weeks, Disney has been going back and forth with the Disney world Employees to find a reasonable contract proposal that works for both parties. The challenge for Disney is the majority of these employees within the company are unionized, meaning that the workers within the corporation have organized and collaborated on pushing an agenda of improving the condition of their workplace and quality of treatment towards them. This union within Disney worlds workforce is around 45,000 Continue reading Disney: analyzing the externalities→

Exactly one year ago today, Russia initiated its attack on Ukraine, instigating a large-scale international dispute that has resulted in nearly 200,000 casualties and millions of Ukrainians being displaced from their homes (Cooper, et al., 2023). It should be noted that both of these figures are estimates as it is notoriously difficult to accurately predict casualties and displacement in conflict zones. In response, economic sanctions were issued against Russia, effectively removing them from the western hemisphere’s oil and tech markets. These sanctions have had a devastating impact on Russia’s oil market as a result. Their crude oil exports are estimated Continue reading How the Russia-Ukraine Conflict has Impacted the World’s Petroleum Markets→

At the end of last year, OpenAI, an AI laboratory invested by Microsoft, released a powerful AI language model ChatGPT, which can simulate human language behaviors and interact with users. However, Microsoft’s recently promoted new Bing combined with ChatGPT has fallen into arguing. In fact, ChatGPT replies that it understands multiple languages and code writing. Someone builds system diagrams using ChatGPT. It even writes different poems on the same subject. For each question, ChatGPT will provide different answers every time, not just one standardized answer. Its flexibility is indeed surprising. ChatGPT’s poems about Spring: ChatGPT can quickly become popular all Continue reading Is ChatGPT a milestone in AI technology?→

Fast food has become a staple for nearly every American’s diet. The relatively inexpensive and quick food option seems like a great alternative to cooking at home, but is it really better? Approximately 37% of American households eat fast food once a day. With that high proportion, Americans roughly spend the same amount of their income on fast food as they do on home-cooked food. Although fast food is seemingly quick and inexpensive, it does have some hidden costs as well. Fast food is relatively high in sodium, saturated fat, and calories. This high consumption of red and/or processed meat, Continue reading Fast food vs. Home Cooking→

Environmental damage is a growing concern worldwide, and rightly so. The world has never been warmer than it is today, and the acceleration of global warming will only continue as humanity fails to change its ways. It is no longer a suggestion to reduce our emissions but rather a necessity that governments have been forced to acknowledge and address. As a result, many industries have begun re-imagining their production methods in an effort to reduce the size of their carbon footprint on the environment. The automotive industry has made the most noticeable changes with their focus on electric vehicles, or Continue reading Are EV’s really the future?→

Fast fashion has become popular in recent years and has become a topic of moral debate. Fast fashion can be identified as “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market in retailers in response to the latest trends” (Oxford Dictionary). Due to their inexpensiveness price tags and quick turnover, these brands are often popular. Fast fashion gives consumers an affordable option to get in on current fashion trends. However, their affordability and quick turnover to keep up with trends come at a high price. Fast fashion companies are known to exploit their workers and release high amounts of pollutants from production. Clothing Continue reading Fast Fashion: Affordability at a Cost→

The other day I was grocery shopping at my local Safeway. I have been very aware of what I have been purchasing recently to budget successfully this year, as it was a goal I set at the start of the new year. I have been looking carefully at each dollar I can spend crafting. A plan on how much I can spend on gas, groceries, and leisure each month. One staple within my diet has always been eggs. The excellent protein content and healthy fats at a relatively low price have always been a staple on my list. However, on Continue reading The eggnomics of the Avian flu→

With the introduction of many different advanced AI technologies, there has been a divide between creative minds and the creators of the technology. Many of the creators of these digital technologies have started to get into conflicts with many artists. Many lawsuits have begun to emerge on the charges that the machines and automated art creators have used forgery and plagiarized the works of these artists’ stylistic choices and ability to commercialize, exploit and turn something of beauty into profit. To fully understand this, we need to take a step back. This conflict has started to emerge due to the Continue reading AI vs. the artist, the economics of the art market→