Preparing for the big 8.0.! (Part Two)

Most 80‑year‑olds I have observed or spoken to describe reaching that milestone as a mixed physical and psychological transition — not a sudden cliff, but a shift in identity, priorities, and bodily realities. And yes, there is solid research on how people typically think and feel at 80. What follows is a clear, structured summary of what I found, grounded in my observations and in studies from gerontology, psychology, and aging research. 

Turning 80 tends to sharpen awareness of physical limits, deepen emotional resilience, and shift priorities toward meaning, relationships, and simplicity. Research consistently shows that many 80‑year‑olds are mentally stronger than stereotypes suggest, even as physical decline becomes more noticeable. 

Typically, what 80‑year‑olds commonly think and feel are thoughts like “My body is changing faster now” and they mention slower mobility, reduced strength, sometimes more fatigue and more time spent on making and keeping medical appointments. There’s also the fear of falls, the subtle awareness of cognitive slowing (but not necessarily dementia) that’s not usually framed as panic, but more as acceptance mixed with frustration. 

Other will say: “I’m still me — just older”, that psychologists call identity continuity. Even with some physical decline, many 80‑year‑olds feel mentally intact, stable, and emotionally mature. When it comes to time, “It feels more precious” as the octogenarians shift their focus toward the present‑moment, appreciating small pleasures with less interest in long-term planning but more focus on legacy, family, and meaning. 

The good news is that older people “Don’t worry about the same things anymore” as there’s less anxiety, less social comparison, more emotional stability, gratitude and far less tolerance for superficial relationships. It’s also true that most 80‑year‑olds think about death more often, but their fear decreases as their acceptance increases and what really counts becomes dignity, autonomy, and relationships. 

In fact, many octogenarians experience a psychological renaissance with less pressure, more authenticity, more emotional stability, and a clearer sense of what matters. This is perhaps one of the most consistent findings in aging research — and it contradicts cultural stereotypes, so please, keep smiling!

Preparing for the big 8.0.! (Part One)

In a little over one year, god willing, I’ll be reaching the ripe old age of 80 and like many people my age, I see this as a significant milestone in my life. 

Finally getting there brings mixed thoughts about our own physical decline, mental reflection, and daily limits. From what I’ve been able to see from folks I know, I am liable to experience accelerated change in my physical body, mental outlook, and social ties. Maybe small things initially when everything else is fine like feeling slower, having less energy, and dealing with joint pain or weak muscles. 

Then there will be all the unavoidable health care developments with simple things like managing more daily medicines and frequent doctor visits to stay reassured, safe and healthy. Mobility issues might also rear their not-so-kind heads, like having to use much more prudence when walking on snow or slippery ground, or down the road resorting to the use of canes or walkers, and worrying about falling down. 

On the mental and emotional side of the valley of being 80 something, there will be plenty of opportunities to review a lifetime of past choices, including career high points and struggles, as well as family milestones with hopefully deep pride and satisfaction. At the same time, acceptance will become a welcome quantity when we’re forced to find peace with aging while facing the loss of close friends or family members. 

The key is to value each present day and moment while focusing more on peaceful views and good news than over future worries. Tomorrow we’ll explore ways to support a soon to be 80-year-old’s mental health with plenty of tips for safe physical activity and keeping an optimistic outlook past that monumental milestone!

A smoother path to eternity…

As the regular readers of this blog know, the Park City cemetery is an important section that we cross everyday during our morning walk. 

For years, the asphalted pathway have been showing its age, being summarily but poorly repaired, and it’s only last week that a new, thick and smooth coat of asphalt was finally laid down to rest, yes, to make our crossing much more enjoyable. 

Not only has the walking sensation greatly enhanced as it’s become like walking on carpet, but it’s also far less noisy for the residents that can now enjoy a hushed silence when someone (human or wildlife) ambles around. 

In many ways it now look like a pathway to eternity and offers a much more encouraging perspective to anyone whether planning a very long stay or just stroll...

A rare full month of vacation!

Fifty years ago, I was still working for Look ski bindings in France and for the second and last time in my working life, I would enjoy my second and last full month of annual vacation I would earn during my professional life. This is a perk French people find quite normal and cherish so much. 

I also remember that time because of that summer’s severe heatwave, particularly in August. I remember working in July at Look, with the our US distributor visiting staff on a technical manual for ski mechanics in a sweltering heat. Just like me, both Peter Juen and Ted Travis were sweating bullets and couldn’t not quite understand why there was no air conditioning in the brand new facility just built by Look’s owners. 

Still the 1976 heat wave couldn’t even come close to this summer’s. Even though it’s not quite over yet, the 2026 heatwave has been significantly more intense, hotter, more widespread, and more exceptional than the 1976 event—even though the latter remains memorable in the public consciousness due to its extreme drought and socioeconomic impact.

In terms of thermal intensity, 2026 holds a massive lead with a national peak intensity of 30°C against 25.5°C in 1976 (24-hour thermal index). In terms of geographic coverage, 1976 intense heat was primarily in the North, West, and Center of France while the South was less affected. In contrast 2026: extreme heat was felt across more than 40% of the country, with all-time records exceeding 40°C in many regions (Strasbourg 40.4°C, Noirmoutier 40.1°C). 

The nights are much hotter than in 1976, while 2026 has commonly seen nights above 20°C across 75% of the territory; up to 10 consecutive warm nights in Paris. These tropical nights significantly exacerbated the health of my countrymen. 

Finally, the 1976 drought was exceptional with dried-up rivers, a rainfall deficit of 50–70% and a major agricultural crisis that amplified tensions between President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and his Prime Minister, Jacques Chirac. The handling of the 1976 crisis exacerbated disagreements over economic policy, on how to manage the agricultural crisis plus growing personal and political rivalry. The heatwave was not the sole cause, but it brought a latent conflict to a head that materialized into Chirac’s resignation. 

We don’t know yet the 2026’s political aftermath, but expect something to hear it in the coming months. There was some drought still present this summer but perhaps less extreme, the dominant factor being heat, not water scarcity even though the Dranse creek in my hometown has been running dry in some sections, something never seen before. 

In conclusion, the 1976 heatwave was a major event, primarily due to its drought conditions and political impact. The good news was that 1976 was generally considered a banner year for French wines, depending on the region—despite (or thanks to) the extreme summer drought. 

However, the 2026 heatwave is clearly more severe in terms of temperature, featuring all-time records, unprecedented tropical nights, and an intensity unmatched by 20th-century episodes, not to mention a record breaking and violent wildfire season.

Fighting climate change (Part Two)

Yesterday, we open our toolbox and looked at the tool we could use to “significantly“ more the needle and see which methods are most effective. Today, we’ll try to rank them by their long-term impact. So let’s get started. 

1. Education and scientific literacy, even though their impact is in the long-term, are a necessary step that must become the backdrop to our effort to rein in climate change. 
2. Economic incentives that reward cleaner choices, like tax credit, rebates for renewable energies or devices using them. Technological innovation that can range from cold fusion, thermal energies all the way to turning dangerous materials into new sources of energy. 
3. Government policies and international cooperation. This is super important as individual countries’ action are meaningless and ineffective when the entire world must play from the same sheet of music. Short of a unanimous movement, nothing will ever work. 
4. Leading by example works very well for families and it should also work at the planetary level. Shaming bad actors should be part of the toolkit too. 
5. Consumer pressure and boycotts can work if they are well explained, fully understood and well followed. Continued peaceful public activism instead of violent revolt, that has little evidence of producing durable environmental progress and often causes additional social harm. 

Climate change presents a classic collective-action problem. Every nation benefits if everyone acts, but each has either a temptation or an incentive to let others bear more of the cost. Overcoming that dilemma requires making climate action not merely a moral obligation but also an economic and political advantage. 

History suggests that societies change most rapidly when environmental responsibility aligns with prosperity, security, and technological progress rather than relying on moral persuasion alone. Ultimately this issue is about human nature as much as climate science: How do we persuade billions of people and hundreds of governments to cooperate for the common good? 

There is no single answer, but the evidence suggests that the greatest progress occurs when education, innovation, sound economic policy, and effective leadership reinforce one another rather than acting in isolation.

Fighting climate change (Part One)

There is only one planet, yet more than 200 nations share responsibility for its future. Although nearly all governments acknowledge the importance of protecting the environment, they differ greatly in their willingness and ability to act. Some place economic growth, national security, or political considerations ahead of climate policies, while others simply lack the financial resources to make the necessary transition. 

The challenge is therefore not only scientific but also political, economic, and moral. So the question is, what actually can move the needle? History tells us that no single approach is sufficient. Progress usually comes from a combination of forces.

On paper, education is probably the most powerful long-term tool. It changes how future generations think, vote, consume, and innovate, unfortunately, it works very slowly. Leading by example can be surprisingly influential. When one country, city, or company demonstrates that reducing emissions can coincide with economic prosperity, others are more likely to follow. 

The dramatic fall in the cost of solar panels and wind power is partly the result of countries investing early and proving these new technologies can surprisingly work well at scale. This said, economic incentives are often more effective than moral appeals. Businesses and consumers respond to prices. Carbon taxes, emissions trading systems, tax credits for clean technologies, and subsidies for renewable energy have generally produced measurable changes because they align environmental goals with financial interests. 

It’s true that consumer pressure and boycotts can influence corporate behavior, especially when large numbers of people participate. Companies often react faster to changing customer preferences than governments do. However, boycotts are usually effective only when they are sustained and widely supported which need to be well explained and perfectly understood. 

In theory, international agreements like the Paris Agreement help establish common goals and encourage transparency, but they rely largely on voluntary commitments and peer pressure rather than enforcement. One big hope, held as a “Hail Mary”, is technological innovation that should ultimately be one of the strongest drivers. New technologies become attractive when they are cleaner and cheaper. 

The rapid adoption of electric vehicles, improved batteries, and renewable energy illustrates how innovation can change markets without requiring everyone to make sacrifices. Finally to end that list of tools, there’s always public protest and civil disobedience have historically drawn attention to important issues and sometimes accelerated policy changes. 

Their effectiveness depends on maintaining public support. Peaceful movements tend to have a stronger long-term record than violent revolts, which often polarize societies and distract from the underlying issue. 

Tomorrow, we’ll try to see, which of tools seem the most potent...

Altitude and temperature

Being both a mountain dweller and a skier, I’ve always thought that the rule for temperature change in relation to altitude was 3° Fahrenheit per 1,000 feet (or 6°C per 1,000 meters), but I wasn’t too sure and decided to dig a little deeper into a subject that’s becoming more important as we get into full global warming. 

Here’s what I’ve found, starting with what causes that change. Temperatures drop as we gain elevation simply simply because atmospheric pressure decreases and the air expands and cools. Now, let’s talk numbers for what’s called the Standard Lapse Rate.

In Fahrenheit, temperature drops approximately 3.5°F per 1,000 feet of elevation gain (or roughly 5°F per 1,000 meters). In Celsius, temperature drops approximately 6.5°C per 1,000 meters of elevation gain (or roughly 2°C per 1,000 feet). For example, if we climb a mountain 2,000 feet higher up, we can generally expect the temperature to be around 7°F cooler at the top than at the base.) Of course, while 3.5°F per 1,000 feet is the standard average, real-world conditions frequently break this rule. 

Let’s start with humidity and moisture. If the air is dry, it cools faster as it rises, at a rate that’s about 5.4°F per 1,000 feet (9.8°C per 1,000 meters). If, on the other hand, the air cools to its dew point and moisture condenses into clouds or fog, latent heat is released into the surrounding air. This slows the cooling rate down to roughly 3.0°F per 1,000 feet (5°C per 1,000 meters). 

Then we’ve got the temperature inversions, in which if temperature always decreases with height, during an inversion, the opposite happens as warmer air sits over a pool of cold air. This is very common in mountain valleys (Salt Lake City) during winter or clear, windless nights, where cold heavy air sinks into the valley floor while Park City’s higher elevation stays significantly warmer. 

Finally the terrain topography and wind also influence the system. Dark rock faces and exposed alpine terrain can heat up significantly under direct sunlight, creating warm microclimates high up that defy the surrounding free-air lapse rate. Conversely, strong alpine winds can pull down cold air masses (these are called katabatic winds) or enhance wind chill, making it feel far colder than the ambient lapse rate suggests. 

Now you know all the details about the whole altitude and temperature relationship!