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The Nett Report - September 4, 2020
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Welcome to the twelfth 2020 edition of The Nett Report. Given the uncertainty of the coronavirus crisis, we are publishing this report to provide our clients and friends with new perspectives and insights in hopes of stimulating creative thinking in the weeks and months to come. Feel free to share with friends! Links to the first eleven 2020 reports can be found here.
And the dominoes keep falling
As we have reported before, the dominoes falling since the advent of the coronavirus have been unexpected, although perhaps they shouldn’t have been, turning and falling on each other in unexpected ways. From virus to economic lockdown to people in financial stress to peaceful marches turned violent by an unrestrained few to police shootings and federal intervention to calls for greater use of enforcement to cries to defund the police to bring attention what some have called systemic racism in the police forces and society, the dominoes keep falling … with no clear answer as to who can pull away the domino that will stop the trend from escalating further.
As a result, the pandemic sometimes seems less of a health pandemic and more of a political pandemic. As our survey of Nett Report readers revealed, their number-one solution to get back to normal is leadership at the national level – either by a coordinated effort to address Covid-19 or replacement of leadership. Of note, after reading the survey results, one reader said I think your readership might be left-leaning. My response was, that the readership, our clients and friends, are Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and those who are unaffiliated with any party. Further, these thoughtful people are well-informed and solution-oriented. If their responses seemed to lean left, perhaps that’s where the solutions lie. Time will tell.
Speeches from the Republican and Democratic Conventions
The question of leadership will be decided on November 3, 2020, less than two months from now. To help our clients and friends assess their choices, we have provided links to both the audio and the transcripts of speeches given by key leaders at each party’s convention. We encourage you to listen to them or read them, free from the analysis of politically-charged pundits. Ask yourself this question: which of these people, as human beings, would I want to lead the country or to be a trusted friend? It’s all about people.
The decision we must make as a nation reminds me of the lament by Graeme Edge in the Moody Blue’s song “Knights in White Satin.”
- Cold-hearted orb that rules the night,
- Removes the colors from our sight,
- Red is gray and yellow white,
- But we decide which is right,
- And which is an illusion?
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Politics
People are trusting business more than government
According to September 3, 2020, CEO Daily, an Axios/Ipsos poll asked people how much trust they had in various organizations “to look out for the best interests of you and your family.”
- 72% said they had either “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of trust in their employer,
- 60% for local government,
- 53% for state government, and
- 34% for the federal government.
“The employer result has remained above 70% since March, while all levels of government have seen sharp declines. And in a Gallup poll, 77% gave their employer strong marks for communicating the 'right amount' of information about the pandemic.“
What party benefits from mail-in voting? Neither
Science Magazine reports that despite the debate over mail-in voting, “two independent studies suggest there’s little historical evidence to support that fear.” However, the article says that “scientists warn that by making vote-by-mail a partisan issue, Republicans could lose mail-in votes and benefit Democrats in the midst of a caustic and pandemic-marred election season.”
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Products and Solutions
Ions that make Covid-19 inactive
Global Plasma Solutions has created a technology that constantly generates a high concentration of positively and negatively charged ions that attach to particles and clean the air. After 30 minutes, 99.4% of Covid-19 particles become inactive. Other viruses, bacteria, mold and mildew in the air, and animal and cigarette odors are removed safely even while people are present. For home use, the product can be installed in the HVAC ventilation system for about $1,000. The company claims notable users of its products include the White House, Google, Harvard University and many others. For more information, listen to a podcast on AWESome EarthKind Energy.
GM and Ford near completion of government-ordered ventilator production
General Motors and Ford Motor Co. were ordered by the federal government to manufacture ventilators in response to the surge in coronavirus cases. According to Automotive News, production is close to completion, and both companies “are ramping down or exiting the operations.” Many of the ventilators have gone into a U.S. government stockpile.
Staying home is good for Lego sales
Crain Alerts reports toy sales are up since the pandemic began. Toy maker Lego's consumer sales grew 14 percent in the first half of 2020 compared with 2019. “‘When COVID-19 closed stores and offices, our colleagues did everything they could to stay safe and bring play to children and families around the world,’ CEO Niels B. Christiansen said. Lego also launched the ‘Let's Build Together’ digital platform to provide learning to children unable to attend regular classes. The company said the program reached more than 80 million unique users globally. In addition, Lego converted injection molding machines to make more than 500,000 face shields for front-line workers and donated more than 250,000 Lego sets to children in need.”
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Protection and Prevention
How our brains numb us to covid-19’s risks — and what we can do about it
The Washington Post reports that our emotional response to long-term threats like the pandemic ultimately are numbed, and as we get more used to the danger we begin to change our behavior. That’s happening for many people as they respond with less caution to the pandemic over time, even though the threat remains. The article suggests renewal of tough government mandates to reduce the spread and advised “pivoting from emotionally driven gut reactions to making decisions based on careful analysis of the evidence” or “to trust experts who understand the situation.”
When it comes to COVID-19, let’s not screw this one up
Loyola Law Professor Jessica Levinson writes in a Calmatters Opinion that wearing a mask to keep safe during a pandemic is like using an umbrella to keep dry when it’s raining. She warns that when we have good news about declining Covid-19 infections that is not the time to let our guard down. As with an umbrella, if we get wet without using one, then dry off, we should remember that we will get wet again if we don’t use the umbrella the next time. The same goes for masks and other prevention measures during a pandemic. “The way to stimulate economic activity is to create an environment that allows us to resume economic activity. As it turns out, there is in fact a magic formula for this. Physical distancing, mask wearing and the avoidance of indoor gatherings. Simply put, more restrictions now mean more freedom later. Let’s not screw this one up. And let’s talk about whose responsibility it is to stay the course. Spoiler alert – all of us.”
India’s lockdown screwed things up, sacrificing its economy and with rising cases
In a September 1, 2020, article, Fortune says India’s 21-day lockdown in March was one of the strictest in the world, but it hasn’t worked. “India—far more than its peers—is now getting the worst of both worlds. Its economy is experiencing its deepest recession since it started publishing gross domestic product numbers in 1996, and it has the fastest-growing number of coronavirus cases of any country on earth.” The article says “some economic hardship was certainly expected, given the nation’s lockdown, but the way in which India imposed its coronavirus restrictions undercut any public health benefit and complicated any rebound.” When the lockdown was lifted, there was no mask mandate, “with people crowding together, seemingly unworried about the spread of the virus.”
Will new CDC guidelines result in more deaths?
USA Today on September 2, 2020, reported that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) revision of COVID-19 testing guidelines has baffled and angered some experts. “The new update states that asymptomatic people may not need a test, even when they could have been exposed to the virus. The president of the American Medical Association says that this revision will result in more coronavirus spikes” and that “the change goes against what many experts recommend and could hurt contact tracing efforts.”
Nothing out there as effective as wearing masks
Fortune reported on August 23, 2020, that “a coronavirus-carrying woman visited a Starbucks in South Korea and infected 27 customers, but none of the outlet's four mask-wearing employees. Now the incident is being closely studied. Infectious diseases expert Ma Sang Hyuk: "Masks may not provide 100% protection, but there's nothing out there that's as effective."
Why COVID deniers and climate skeptics paint scientists as alarmist
What do Covid deniers and climate skeptics have in common? According to an August 13, 2020, story in Grist, “people trying to obstruct action deny the severity of the predicament, say it’s too hard or too expensive to fix, and complain that their freedom is under threat. Denying the science requires dismissing what scientists are saying, and the easiest way to do that is by questioning their motives, impartiality, and rationality. “If we don’t trust scientists or medical experts because we see them as alarmist or hysterical or as contributing overreaction, then we don’t trust the info they’re giving us,” said Emma Frances Bloomfield, an assistant professor of communication at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.”
How does Covid-19 compare to past pandemics?
GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, in a June 1, 2020, article, says Covid-19 is most often compared to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. However, there have been three other major pandemics since then and the story compares the coronavirus pandemic to each of them in terms of death, government response, and economic impacts.
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Quotable
“This is the only pathogen I’ve ever seen that has such a wide range of manifestations that you have to scratch your head.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Instagram Live
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Nettleton Strategies - Helping You Navigate the Big Reset
This is a challenging time for all of us, in a way we have never experienced before. Here are some things you can do to move forward.
Take this time to imagine your future. We encourage you to imagine a post-coronavirus future when you can begin to realize your dreams in a sustainable way.
Assess your current and future status. At Nettleton Strategies, our philosophy has always been that we need to know two things to find solutions and move forward:
- A clear understanding of the status of the current situation.
- A clear vision of how you want your world to be in the future.
With those two benchmarks, you can create a path from your current status to the future imagined status, eliminating the obstacles and identifying processes and resources needed to reach the future state.
Let Nettleton Strategies help! We long ago discarded our flip charts and have facilitated client needs using digital tools. Now we have successfully facilitated client strategy sessions on Zoom. We can do the same for you! Let us help you:
- Clarify your unique value proposition as an organization
- Identify clear goals that are measurable
- Align what you do with available funding
- Determine who should be responsible for next steps
- Help you to emulate best practices in your field
If you would like help navigating your way forward, contact us to learn more about how we can help!
Carl Nettleton is an award-winning writer, acclaimed speaker, facilitator, and a subject matter expert regarding water, climate, sustainability, the ocean, and binational U.S. Mexico border affairs. Founded in 2007, Nettleton Strategies is a trusted source of analysis and advice on issues at the forefront of public policy, business and the environment.
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