Category: 2020

2020, Climate Action, Climate Change, Nature May 13, 2020December 10, 2020

No More Natural Gas| Berkeley, CA

Washington (GGM) Analysis | May 13, 2020
by Noreen Wise

It’s always the small things that make the difference in big transitional changes. So too with our transformation into renewable energy. If every household committed to replacing gas stoves and gas grills with electric in 2020, we’d be well on our way to converting our homes to solar and wind. Bloomberg Green’s recent article about this new trend highlights the pros and cons.

Realistically though, it’s all about taking the first step. We need to eliminate all fossil fuel usage including appliances. If we know that the elimination of fossil fuels is inevitable, (does anyone doubt that it is), then we should all immediately begin to replace easy to replace appliances. This is how progress is made. One step at a time.

Last summer, Berkeley, California became the first city in the United States to ban natural gas in new homes. The law was passed unanimously and went into effect January 1, 2020. Interestingly, Berkeley was also the first city in the United States to ban smoking in restaurants and public places back in 1977. There’s a saying in California: As goes Berkley, so goes California. Let’s be on the look out for more California cities to continue with this trend, creating the much needed momentum.

BrightSide-SquareNEWER-400 — Daily conversation focused on how to turn a negative into a positive and land on the bright side. A daily emotional 7 minute vitamin to boost your spirits. Podcast Host, Noreen Wise. Today’s Episode: What to do when the devil walks into your life.

Berkley of the East, Takoma Park, Maryland just passed a climate agenda in which they plan to become the first city in the United States to ban all fossil fuels. According to the Washington Post, the town’s 2020 Climate Emergency Response Act, was written in an effort to guide local officials in policy making in the upcoming years.

As always, the changing of the tides comes when one person, one town is willing to step boldly in the right direction. Thank you, Berkeley, California. May your small step with climate action be as successful as the revolution you kicked off when you banned smoking in 1977. Think of how many lives Berkeley saved. Cheers to the Butterfly Effect.🦋

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2020, circular economy, Climate Action, Environment, Nature May 11, 2020May 11, 2020

Redesign of Products & Packaging for Zero Waste

Washington (GGM) Analysis | May 11, 2020
by Noreen Wise

With an aggressive goal of zero waste in many personal products and detergents, new sustainability companies are blossoming, offering everyday essentials sold as solids instead of liquids, which can be packaged in paper or even more simply, without any packaging at all. One company in particular has an expansive zero waste product lineup, the Zero Waste Store.

Personal staples like shampoo and conditioner, and even laundry detergent, have begun capturing consumer attention. Recycling has been a challenge during the stay home orders, resulting in stronger consumer awareness of just how much plastic packaging households toss out daily, and how quickly it accumulates in garages, closets and cars.

I’m very particular in my preferences for personal products like shampoo and conditioner, and have been using one particular brand for many years. In fact, I have a huge crate of empty plastic shampoo and conditioner containers that I have to wash as soon as I have time. The problem is, I’ve become so busy that I never actually do have time. So, the pile keeps growing larger, creating a more daunting task, with no end in sight.

The Zero Waste Store is an online presence with exceptional shipping procedures from a waste perspective:

everything shipped using plastic-free materials
100% water activated paper tape
compostable shipping labels
recycled padded mailers
corn starch packing peanuts
everything 100% biodegradable

There’s no time to waste in confronting plastic waste. Covid has highlighted how imperative it is to be prepared and get out in front of life-impacting crises as quickly as possible. Switching to no waste products during covid, while we’re making so many other changes to our daily routines, is the ideal way to build strong habits during one crisis, that will help alleviate the impact of another crisis.

I can’t wait for my shampoo and conditioner to arrive so I can check it out. ♻️

2020, Climate Action, Climate Change, Nature, sustainability May 7, 2020

Change One Thing | Climate

Washington (GGM) Analysis | May 7, 2020
by Noreen Wise

There’s an amazing campaign underway in Europe, #Change1Thing. Brilliant. And even though we each need to change many of our daily habits to save the planet and our futures, if we begin with one small change, we’ll soon find how contagious it is.

My #change1thing is window boxes and adding as many flowers and as much nature around my home as possible. A friend suggested dropping wildflower seeds along fence lines and forest trails. Seeds are fantastic. They can easily be ordered online. They’re inexpensive and lightweight and a positive mood booster once they blossom.

Nature curbs atmospheric carbon levels by storing carbon. Our oceans are stuffed with carbon and overheating, so we need more nature to store the increased carbon emissions. Flowers and shrubs grow faster than trees, thus we can quickly raise the amount of carbon storage in the near term, by adding many more layers of nature around our homes and yards. Window boxes also increase property values. Eco Architecture is springing up across Europe, creating amazing nature wallscapes of live green up and down office towers.

Additionally, nature boosts serotonin, the feel good hormone that improves mental health. And flowers are pollinators which promotes biodiversity, resulting in a much healthier environment.

Let’s all jump in with #change1thing. Action is a healthy feel good during such a calamitous pandemic. If we can learn valuable lessons from covid, and apply to climate, we’ll be miles ahead and on the road to recovery and a brighter tomorrow.

Thank you One One World – Instagram! Change1Thing ✅

2020, Climate Action, Climate Change, sustainability May 4, 2020May 4, 2020

Ocean Waves Harnessed for Renewable Energy | Wave Power

Washington (GGM) Analysis | May 4, 2020
by Noreen Wise

There was a glimmer of hope on Friday when Bloomberg News reported that fossil fuels have been hammered by covid-19 and are experiencing a projected 9% decline in 2020, while renewable energies are surging ahead, tracking at an increase of 1% this year, despite the economy being rocked by 30 million layoffs. Covid-19 has resulted in quick transformations in key areas of our lives — education and work from home to name two. Let’s not stop there. Covid is the ideal opportunity to take advantage of the change momentum and leap into renewable energy solutions for municipalities, homes and businesses.

In addition to wind and solar, wave energy is an emerging renewable solution. Wave energy has proven to be an excellent way to flip around the disadvantages of rising sea levels and the devastating impact on coastal communities, and harness this powerful force by turning it into a renewable alternative. According to Smart Energy International, China just launched the largest wind energy turbine in the world in Wuhan, during covid-19 no less.

In the United States, Oregon is out in front on wave energy. According to Oregon Public broadcasting, a Portland industrial company, Vigor, created the very first “wave energy convertor, called the OE35 buoy” that will be tested in Kanehoe Bay, Hawaii for 12 months. Vigor has been involved in wave energy for a decade, so let’s keep our eyes on them in the upcoming months.

The American coastline is massive, it’s one of our greatest natural resources. In fact, it’s estimated that 64% of America’s energy can be powered by ocean waves.

A quick search on Twitter indicates there isn’t much conversation about the exciting potential of wave power. But if China is jumping in this boldly and aggressively, America should definitely take note. Besides, there’s something comforting about turning a negative into a positive, and harnessing these big giant blue waves. Waves that have been crushing us ever since Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans, and use their powerful force to destroy carbon instead, dramatically curbing global warming and calming the raging forces of climate change. 🌊

2020, Climate Action, Climate Change, Nature May 1, 2020May 4, 2020

Home Composting Essential for Climate| Especially During Covid

Washington (GGM) Analysis | May 1, 2020
by Noreen Wise

It was an exciting excursion to the grocery store today to see as many as 90-95% of shoppers wearing a facial covering and gloves. It spoke volumes. The grocery store itself was doing an amazing job of keeping the public safe:

huge roll of paper towels on top of carts with spray cleaner (yes, I washed my cart down)
repeated overhead announcements that there’s a global pandemic and that covid19 requires social distancing, “please stay six feet apart”
the self-checkout area of two parallel rows of five cash registers on each side, was spaced appropriately so that only four of the ten registers were in use
everyone waiting in line was six feet apart

It gave me peace of mind to see with my own eyes that the vast majority of us in Northern Virginia are paying attention and following directions. That we care about the well-being of others. We respect the advice of the experts: Governor Andrew Cuomo, Dr. Fauci, our own Governor Northam, and many others. And that we understand that as soon as we’re all onboard with these types of daily habits — facial coverings, gloves, keep our distance, respect of others, follow advice — we’ll be able to phase back into society and slowly restart the economy one step at a time. We’re showing by our actions that we’re ready to do what it takes.

Look how quickly we accomplished this. Less than six weeks. Commendable.

Let’s do the exact same for climate, nailing one component at a time. Home composting is ultra simple. Food scraps that we normally throw into the sink composter, get thrown into a covered plastic kitchen bin, that can be added to a larger yard or garage bin weekly or daily depending on how many are in our household.

Natural food waste recycling concept — See how easy this is?

It’s advised that once compost is tossed into the larger bin, that the heap should be turned once a week, and water added to speed up decomposition. It will take approximately one month for it to be ready to till into our yard and or forest soil. The breakdown of the larger garage or outdoor bin, should be one third green scraps — food scraps that include all foods, tea bags, coffee grounds and filter, egg shells, lint and grass trimmings — and two thirds brown scraps, made of leaves, twigs, shredded newspaper, and hay. The green scraps contain nitrogen, and the brown contain carbon. The ratio of one third green to two thirds brown is important.

According to Home Composting Made Easy, as much as thirty-five percent of our household waste can be reduced if we home compost. Waste management has been a thorny challenge during covid stay-at-home, so a reduction in the amount of waste to pick up will improve the well-being of these essential workers, conquering two challenges at the same time.

When home compost is added to the soil, the increase in nutrients enables the soil to sink more carbon. Further, the fungus and good bacteria found in the compost protects trees from deadly nematodes as well as other plants which increases the amount of carbon each can store. The compost nutrients nourish nature, enabling it to grow taller and fuller and in so doing, store that much more carbon.

Okay, let’s go! Can we all nail this in six weeks the way we accomplished covid facial coverings? Of course we can. I’ve been home composting since October 2019, and find that it’s a significant improvement in household waste management. I love how my kitchen garbage is so lean. I only need to empty once a month. Nothing stinky to worry about. I either recycle or compost, so the only garbage is plastic bag packaging, the kind that frozen vegetables are packed in. Good luck!🌱

2020, COVID-19, National Security April 30, 2020May 4, 2020

Improvising & Adapting to Overcome the Meat Crisis in the Heartland

Washington (GGM) Analysis | April 30, 2020
by Noreen Wise

It should be ingrained in our minds right now, that we all need to make the sacrifices necessary to to save lives and responsibly open up the economy in measured steps. Hearing the traumatic horror stories from the frontlines in the meat packing plants across the nation’s heartland, as well as the medical facilities located near the meat packing plants, is heart wrenching.

Doctors in Iowa were choking back tears as they described how painful it is to have so many covid cases. And one doctor’s account, shared on The Rachel Maddow show last night, in which she bared her greatest fear, that of one or more of her nurses becoming infected with covid and dying, is a wakeup call to consumers.

Six days ago, CBS news reported that 13 meat packing workers had already died of covid. Thousands are infected and have created covid hotspots in rural areas without the ability or facilities to treat and care for such a large volume of critically ill. President Trump responded to the growing crisis by demanding that meat processing plants stay open, invoking the the Defense Production Act to ensure that the plants would follow his directive.

But the emotional toll of the loss of life of family, friends and colleagues, as well as severe long term medical conditions for many who do survive, is not something any American should want to inflict on fellow Americans. Such lack of empathy and compassion is inhumane. Fifty meat packing workers walked off the job in Crete, Nebraska this week when Smithfield refused to provide safer work conditions.

Why did Smithfield refuse to adapt and adopt the CDC guidelines?

The refusal of meat packing plants to improvise and adapt in an effort to overcome the crisis is mind numbing. They received a huge tax decrease more than two years ago. Thousands of other businesses have improvised during covid to ensure employee and consumer safety.

The moral depravity found in this type of decision making is more disturbing than covid itself. Those plants who refuse to follow CDC guidelines are making a bold statement through their inaction that they do not value human life. There’s no middle ground here. Continuing to purchase meat, when we know it will harm fellow Americans and the medical community who are making such extreme sacrifices for us, should challenge our moral consciousness.

Just say, “NO” to meat until covid is over, although smaller facilities that adopt CDC guidelines should be safe.🌱

2020, circular economy, Climate Action, COVID-19 April 29, 2020May 4, 2020

Those Amazon Boxes are Vital for Supply Chain | Recycle

Washington (GGM) Analysis | April 29, 2020
by Noreen Wise

Back in 2017, according to Quora, Amazon was clocking a staggering shipping rate of 1,600,000 boxes per day. Today, in March and April 2020, it seems clear that Amazon’s shipping rate has substantially increased and may even exceed 2 million boxes per day. The actual shipping numbers aren’t currently available to the public.

Cardboard is one of the easiest materials to recycle, and recycled cardboard boxes are an essential component in the manufacturing of a number of American consumer staples. Just make sure to peel off all plastic labels and codes stamped on the box before recycling. The tape on most boxes is now paper tape. But if you see plastic tape, peel that off as well.

The following products are produced using recycled cardboard:

new cardboard boxes
cereal boxes
paper towels
printer paper
paper bags
tissue

Thus, recycling cardboard boxes, especially when millions are readily available, is absolutely imperative. We can’t have manufacturers reverting to chopping down trees to feed their supply chain. TheTrillion Trees Campaign was launched in Davos 2020, where nearly two hundred countries agreed to plant billions of trees in the upcoming months and years so that together we can achieve the goal of a trillion new trees on the planet.

Search online today to find out your community’s cardboard recycling policies during covid19 and add this to your list of “must do’s” during our global crisis. We are witnessing first hand how catastrophic a crisis can become if we don’t plan ahead and take precautions. The same is true for the climate crisis. These small steps today, will save thousands of lives tomorrow.♻️

2020, CDC, COVID-19, National Security, Trump March 31, 2020April 27, 2020

Trump’s Weird Response to COVID-19 Should Make Us Question the Bizarre Timing of Soleimani’s Death

Washington (GGM) Analysis | March 31, 2020
by Noreen Wise

There are no coincidences. Right? So then what are we supposed to make of this very bizarre coincidence?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was notified on December 30, 2019 of the alarming discovery in Wuhan, China regarding an “unexplained pneumonia” spreading across the city.

The information was shared across social media as Americans were eagerly looking forward to a special New Years Eve, the beginning of a new decade.
Additionally, the Articles of Impeachment had been passed in the House prior to the holiday recess, but Pelosi had the good sense not to send the articles to McConnell in the Senate and this was causing a ruckus. One of the contentious issues was the need to have witnesses at the Senate impeachment trial, specifically John Bolton.
Americans were blinded by a distressing curve ball that blew up the news cycle on January 3, 2020 when word came that Trump had approved the killing of a top Iranian military general, the number two man in the Iranian government, General Qasem Soleimai. This was so controversial, it was debated through every news outlet for the next two weeks, with the Pentagon and the FBI warning Americans to beware of retaliation in the United States.
Mike Pompeo, who as mentioned had already been informed about the coronavirus, and likely told Trump, was apparently the one behind the killing of Soleimani, urging Trump to go for it. It seems very plausible the two discussed both matters at the same time.
Meanwhile, also on January 3, 2020, in a dark corner of the White House, official word came announcing that something alarming was happening in Wuhan, China. But who would pay attention to this threat on the other side of the globe while a volcanic international crisis was erupting on our doorstep?
News of covid-19 was quickly buried under a stack of more pressing and immediate emergencies, with Iran immediately striking back in Iraq with repeated attacks following what some began calling the “assassination” of Soleimani. At one point during this maelstrom, Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian commercial flight taking off from an airport in Tehran filled with Iranian and Canadian citizens.
The heated conflict between Pelosi and McConnell and Trump’s impeachment trial continued, and remained the center focus of the news cycle despite the international chaos over Soleimani’s death.
As if to top off the month of horror and alarm, Sunday afternoon January 26, 2020 our lives were interrupted by yet another heartbreaking tragedy, the shocking death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, and everyone onboard their helicopter that plummeted from the sky, crashing into a canyon north of LA, and blowing up on impact.

In light of these agonizing twists and turns that just so happen to line up exactly with word of the coronavirus arriving in DC, I have a few simple questions: Why did Pompeo push to have Soleimani removed in such a dramatic and controversial take down when he was fully aware it would divert attention away from the coronavirus early warnings? No American leader would do this unless it was their intention to do so. Why was this their intention?

2020, COVID-19, Positivity March 27, 2020April 27, 2020

Positivity | How Do We Find the Bright Side?

Washington (GGM) Analysis | March 27, 2020
by Noreen Wise

With so much concern and worry and upheaval, layered on top of a traumatic health crisis that spans the globe, which impacts every single life on earth in some way, it’s hard not to feel completely overwhelmed and helpless. Many of our livelihoods have been uprooted and some smashed to the ground. We’re forced to abruptly move in a new direction and quickly master the challenges. That’s very easy to say, but much harder to do. In fact, how do we actually accomplish this?

One step at a time. The following are a few small takeaways that I learned from twenty-five years of surviving traumatic events. I often wonder if I hold the world record for how many life-altering extreme crises a human can overcome. I keep following this same procedure though, so I’m hopeful it will be beneficial to others.

Follow advice. When all the key experts say the same thing, and data highlights the validity, as well as our common sense, we simply must do it. In this case, stay home. With the concept being so easy to grasp, why are so many not following through? Probably because it’s difficult. Somewhere in our subliminal conscious we might feel frustrated that this is being forced upon us and we want to rebel.
Changing our perspective. I admit, I’m a very healthy person with a strong immune system and feel that I’ll likely not catch covid-19, although I might somehow become an asymptomatic carrier. I’ve convinced myself that if I stay away from everyone, I can still go out. I run on nearby trails and am very careful to leave a 6 foot gap between anyone I pass. However, while running today, a tiny gnat flew into my mouth. I quickly conjured up a mental image of the little critter flying along the trail, touching every person it passed and now it was in my throat. I was horrified. From now on, I’ll wear an improvised face mask when I run.
Using the right lens. But just because I feel relatively protected running on a trail, I have to check myself about other possible outings (Friday night takeout pizza for example). My rule of thumb is to ask myself, would I go for pizza if this crisis was Chernobyl? No, I definitely wouldn’t. So I tell myself that that’s what this is. Extreme circumstances. Sacrifice pizza. Easy.
Nature. Surrounding myself with nature, especially lots of trees, flowers, and green meadows, elevates my spirit every time, without fail. Beautiful trails are usually free.
Finding the silver lining. I’m sure many of us the first week had a long list of frustrations about why this is so maddening. I know I did, especially after 25 years of life-altering, unfair traumas. Not again, was all I could think. But since my normal routine is to search for the positive when I begin to feel negative, I happily racked my brain:
- There won’t be any school massacres this spring. This is a big deal. Back in January, I became very worried about a possible spring school massacre. White Nationalists had been gathering and seemingly plotting attacks, and with the 2020 election season beginning, I was fearful there would be another horrific slaughter. But now, no chance. This is a huge blessing.
- Students who are constantly bullied at school, will have a much needed break from all the cruelty.
- Be careful for what you wish for. I’ve been stressing about finishing several screenplays for over nine months, but haven’t had time to finish, and may have said a few too many prayers about this. Now I have plenty of time to finish.
- It seems highly probable, that many young people between the ages of 16 – 24, will find completely new career paths to pursue. By late summer 2020, they’ll be thanking their lucky stars for this unexpected curveball that altered their destiny.
Starting the morning on the right foot. Eating right is essential for positivity. I start every morning with 1/4 cup of organic, raw sunflower seed kernels. It’s the ultimate happiness boost. Once done, it’s ten times easier to find the bright side.
Getting a good night’s sleep. Deep sleep is very important. Eye shields that block all light, is the easiest way to get deep sleep, 6-8 hours being the ideal. I typically get 6.5 – 7 hours.
Exercise. A daily workout routine clears the mind, channels most frustrations and fills us with mood boosting endorphins.

Going through this list every single day and checking off each when completed, creates a daily routine that becomes habit. Focusing on these small details, changes our perspective. I keep adding more positives, since everyday something new seems to pop up unexpectedly. And because I’m not able to think of the negatives, when I’m focused on the positives (our brains can only think of one thought at a time), the negatives soon become very distant. I wake up one morning and realize I’m in a whole new world and it’s a wonderful and exciting place to be.

But during a deadly pandemic, following the rules really is essential. Staying home is the bright side. Being attached to a ventilator in a packed, makeshift hospital in convention center is definitely a negative that’s nearly impossible to overcome.🌱

2020, COVID-19, Health March 20, 2020April 27, 2020

Working Out While Stuck At Home | Fitness Matters During Pandemic

Washington (GGM) Analysis | March 20, 2020
by Noreen Wise

Time to order a jump rope from Amazon ASAP. There are a plethora of options. However, I don’t think suppliers have 300 million jump ropes in their inventory, so better hustle before it’s too late. BTW, the amazing jump rope I just ordered only cost $14.99.

The health benefits of fitness are immeasurable:

Strengthens immune system
Boosts mental health. According to cathe.com 5 critical neurotransmitters are released while exercising:
- Serotonin – the mood chemical that boosts positivity and substantially decreases depression
- Norepinephrine – the brain chemical that makes us more alert and focused
- BDNF – memory hormone that has a three fold increase through exercise, improving cognitive function
- Dopamine – the brain chemical that fuels motivation and reward
- Endorphins – the “feel good” chemicals
30 minutes of daily exercise improves sleep which strengthens immune system
Reduces stress
Burns calories and keeps us looking and feeling great

When something is this easy and has this many benefits, during such a critical, life-threatening time in American history, you have no choice but to just do it.

Let’s GO!