Category: Environment

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, National Security, Nature October 15, 2019January 7, 2020

Setting Up Our Home Compost Bins ASAP

Washington (GGM) Analysis | October 15, 2019
by Noreen Wise

For the millions of us searching for effective next steps in reducing atmospheric carbon, as well as lowering our personal carbon footprints, having a home compost bin is a significant step forward. The best part, is how easy compost bins are to step up and maintain.

According to Exploring Green , Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, 51% of trash is compostable. This food that is thrown away in landfills turns into methane. Methane increases global warming 21 times that of CO2. But when food waste is composted and then layered into the soil, the soil becomes so rich with nutrients that it substantially increases the amount of carbon the soil can sequester, which lowers our atmospheric carbon level, and reduces the global temperature.

Homes, restaurants, and large dining facilities — whether that be school cafeterias, hospital and corporate cafeterias, mall foodcourts, and large banquets and conference centers — should all be tapped into the simple compositing process. Be on the lookout at restaurants in your area. Most healthy and organic venues now have compost bins.

There are many ways composting space can be set up. It all depends on where you live and whether you’re able to have a larger outdoor bin.

In the kitchen, it’s best to have a small bin, with a handled bucket that can be lifted out of the lidded container.
All food scraps we normally stuff into the sink disposal, will instead by placed in the compost bin.
The small compost bin should be emptied each night into the larger bin that is either stored in the yard or garage.
It’s important that the large bin is ventilated, and turned with a large stick once a week.
Air enables the compost to process faster.
An official compost bin has a lower hatch close to the ground, that can be opened when the compost is ready, and easily removed to place in soil around the yard.
If you live in a condo or apartment and want to keep everything light, you may want to try a small lidded container on your porch or patio that you can empty by layering into a nearby forest floor regularly.

Hands emptying a container full of domestic food waste — photography by AdobeStock

Schools Districts have jumped into the act in a big way, transforming the composting process into a learning lab. Many schools share their composting efforts through social media and it’s very exciting to see students energized by being part of this planet saving effort.

Teachers really enjoy these interactive, climate action learning labs, too. Win/win experiences are positive and invigorating, making learning fun and joyful. What parents doesn’t love that?

If you don’t have time or yard space to set up and maintain your own compost bin, a whole new industry is starting to take shape. CompostNow.org is a compositing service for home, office, and restaurants.

They provide heavy duty plastic bin.
They pick up full bin each service day, and leave an empty one.
They track waste & compost creation by the pound.
Members earn compost! Very easy and rewarding… literally.

So, take the leap. It’s super easy and will instantly contribute to carbon reduction!

Climate Action, Environment, Health, National Security, Oceans October 2, 2019December 22, 2019

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch & ‘The Ocean Cleanup’

Washington (GGM) Analysis | October 2, 2019
by Noreen Wise

The simple fact about cutting carbon, and saving our civilization and returning to 350 PPM, is that if everyone does their little part now, we’ll succeed. And if not, we won’t. It’s that basic.

Knowing this, it becomes super exciting to see individuals, families, groups, corporations and innovators dive in and act, and quite infuriating when corporations that I love from a consumer perspective, do nothing. In fact, I feel extremely disappointed with the “do nothing” sector, and if it’s a corporation, quickly search to see whether their top competitor is moving more quickly with climate action.

Saving our civilization is going to take grit and sacrifice, two vital traits that require practice to make perfect. Both become charged when inspired. The story of 25-year-old Dutchman Boyan Slat, and his seven year journey of bringing a dream to life, drawing a diagram on a napkin while in high school, and having his boat The Ocean Cleanup set sail from San Francisco, CA on September 9, 2019, is quite dazzling. He’s young, lives across the globe, yet he was the one who became so infuriated with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that he moved into high gear and took action.

The Ocean Cleanup is testing it’s theory that the ship can use ocean currents along with a massive boon and skirt to collect the plastic from the garbage patch — that’s twice the land mass of France — and harvest it. Slat had to make the huge personal sacrifice of foregoing his studies in aeronautical engineering to follow through with his vision. But his sacrifice paid off. And we’ll be able to follow the success of this determined humanitarian. Mr. Slat recently became the youngest winner ever of the UN’s greatest environmental honor, The Champion of the Earth award. Congratulations!

Our contribution to this noble cause of saving our oceans which then saves humanity is very simple. We all MUST:

Use reusable bags INSTEAD of single use plastic
Reusable water bottles
Metal straws
Fly kites instead of balloons

Nominal cost, maximum gain. It doesn’t get any easier than this. #ActNow

Environment, National Parks, Trump August 6, 2019February 2, 2020

It’s Criminal to Destroy Our National Parks | They Belong to The People

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | August 6, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

There’s very little that the American public seems to have anymore. Three trillion dollars of historic and cherished assets lining our coasts are in the midst of being destroyed before our eyes as a result of the climate crisis. Every year, many millions of American families have found memorable, quality, family time visiting our national treasures, our National Parks. These travel experiences are powerful, therapeutic, and inspirational. Strong emotional and mental attitudes serve our country well. The fact that our nation was blessed with these natural wonders has brought much comfort to previous presidents, as well as state and national leaders. The belief that nature can nurture an entire population at a very low cost is a significant advantage in maintaining a healthy and productive population.

“…The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not repaired in value.” ~ President Theodore Roosevelt

Further, tourism is a $3 Trillion industry in the United States. Protecting these valuable natural assets is not only the right thing to do morally, but also economically. It’s therefore unfathomable that our president and GOP leaders would confirm David Longly Bernhardt , an oil lobbyist, to run the Department of the Interior, particularly when his self acclaimed mission is to carve away 12 million acres in our National Parks for oil drilling.

The apparent reason why Bernhardt is on a mission to destroy millions of acres of public land when the oil boom is now behind us, and the public is transitioning to renewable energy, is because Trump and Bernhardt refuse to have oil left in the ground when it can be pulled out immediately and converted to cash before the opportunity disappears forever. The extreme greed of a few, at the expense of 325 million Americans, is dehumanizing and infuriating.

America’s natural wonders are irreplaceable. They can NOT be refurbished once decimated. They become lost, lost forever.

CALL TO ACTION: Please call elected Representatives ASAP and demand that our National Parks NOT be destroyed to line the pockets of a few.

Climate Change, Environment, National Security, Politics August 5, 2019February 2, 2020

Clean Water is Vital | Trump Gives EPA Green Light To Poison Water With Coal Ash

Washington (GGM) | Analysis | August 5, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

Clean water shortages around the world are considered a civilization altering condition that threatens the survival of millions, perhaps billions of global citizens. Prolonged heat waves and sustained droughts are already creating unlivable zones in large swaths of the world, and increasing the demand for clean water in areas that currently have an adequate water supply. More people trying to sustain themselves on less water often escalates conflicts and violence and has the potential to become a national security threat.

In light of the extreme water shortages resulting from climate change, it’s now more important than ever that the water we do have, remain protected and pure. Thus, it’s incomprehensible that Trump would insist the EPA rollback Obama’s regulations on coal ash removal and storage, established to protect ground water, and allow coal manufacturers to use coal ash for leveling in unrestrained quantities, as well as store in unlined ponds without liners.

Every single irresponsible, life-threatening Trump decision like this one, is a call to action. Constituent phone calls to Congressional Representatives make a significant difference. Climate change further exacerbates an already dangerous situation, spreading the thick coal ash hundreds of miles beyond the original site. For example, Hurricane Florence in North Carolina last year, with 1,200 roads flooded, and an epic spreading of hazardous waste such as coal ash, was so alarming, the state still has no conception of the overall extent of the harm to human health. Only time will tell.

Coal Ash‘s impact on health:

Contains: arsenic, lead, mercury, chlorine, and many other heavy metals
Causes cancer
Impacts Nervous System
Cognitive deficits
Developmental delays
Behavioral problems
Birth defects
Heart damage
Lung disease
Reproductive problems
And more…

The writing is clearly on the wall, however. Regulations for the storage of hazardous materials during a time of shrinking water supply, and increased weather extremes, is an absolute imperative. Trump increasing profit margins for a few cronies, while destroying the health and well-being of millions of Americans, seems criminal.

I urge you to please let your Representative know how strongly you object to your water supply being contaminated and your health compromised.

Environment July 29, 2019February 2, 2020

Botanic Mysteries & Our Founding Fathers | Climate Action

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | July 29, 2019) – Gallant Gold Media is very excited to announce our new public events to be held Saturdays on Capitol Hill.

Botany and nature and the American environment were of supreme importance to our Founding Fathers, and became the vehicle used to foster strong relationships with opposing forces as they tried to forge a path through the wilderness to build the framework of what would become the shining city on the hill, the United States of America.

Botanic Mysteries & Our Founding Fathers:

One and a half hours, interactive adventure through US Botanic Garden and portions of the Capitol Hill landscape. Discover the connection between our Founding Fathers and botany, and the secrets & mysteries that link botany to the passing of the US Constitution as well as several other significant historic events. The adventurous walk of discovery is more about our Founding Fathers’ deep connection to botany and how botany became the lens through which they established our nation’s foundation and framework, than it is about the science of botany.

Understanding how botany connects with the importance of planting trees and shrubs and all things green as a necessity in cutting carbon levels, will inspire a passionate resolve for the majority of us to reach the ideal individual carbon footprint.

We can do this. I hope you’ll join us Saturdays on the Hill…

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, National Security July 8, 2019February 2, 2020

EMERGENCY | Curbing Personal Carbon Footprint, 4 Key Areas to Nail

Washington (GGM) Analysis | July 8, 2019
by Noreen Wise

Climate expert Dr. Joseph Romm has made carbon reduction super easy for all of us by organizing our decision making into four manageable categories.

The only way for the United States to SAVE our East Coast landscape – our beautiful, fabulous cities and all the homes, businesses and assets contained within – is to RUSH on minimizing our individual carbon footprints by taking advantage of numerous green solutions under each category.

HOME: one of the easiest and fastest ways to cut carbon.
- Solar Panels: take advantage of one of the many offers being floated in 2019 where the Solar Energy provider will install solar panels with no $ down.
- Replace all lightbulbs: all traditional lightbulbs in the home should be replaced with either LEDs, halogen incandescents, or compact fluorescent lamps. These cost more, but they last 3-25% longer, so we’ll save money in the long run.
- Turn Off Lights: so basic, turn off lights whenever we leave a room.
- Buy Smaller House (if moving): it’s no longer cool to have a huge house. The new life-saving logic is to have a smaller home with more land, beautiful gardens, and plant as many trees as possible.
- Use cold water for laundry: washing clothes uses a lot of water, warming water wastes energy. Get used to cold for washing whites. New normal.
TRANSPORTATION: Hybrids and EV options have been transformed in just a few short years. Much longer range. Super fast charge. Many more charging stations. More affordable. One of these must be on our list when we replace existing cars.
- Hybrid: prices have come down and range is up to 280 MPG.
- EV: Significant price reduction, with one model as low as $30,000, range is now at 200 MPG.
- Walk, Bike, Scooter, Public Transportation, Carpool: Attend monthly Town Legislation meetings and work to get walking/bike trails set-up maintained.
- Run all errands at same time: awareness of who our actions impact the survival of other people will make us more organized about how we time manage simple things like grocery shopping and going to bank.
DIET: surprisingly, cows add as much carbon to environment as fossil fuels.
- Switch to white meat & fish: turkey & chicken, etc.
- Minimize dairy: this may also cure several health conditions that stem from high levels of antibiotics and pesticides found in dairy.
- Vegan: finding the right protein is a climate solution. Beans, lentils, eggs.
STUFF: Stuff we buy, Stuff we cart around, Stuff we store. Who knew that our “stuff,” particularly the vast accumulation and management of, is a significant factor in global warming.
- Carting around stuff, results in buying larger cars than necessary.
- Buying more stuff than we need or can possibly use, results in buying a larger house that uses more energy
- There’s substantial carbon emissions involved in the manufacturing and transporting of stuff.
- American consumerism has been a global frustration since the 1980’s.

In 2019, America’s population is only 4.6% of global total, however we are now ranked #1 in carbon emissions. We are responsible for the deaths of thousands. Let’s jump on this so we can save lives and save our country as well as the world.

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment June 7, 2019February 2, 2020

Exxon In Pitched Battle With the World

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | June 7, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

A growing number of world leaders, and state attorney generals, are taking off their gloves and flexing their muscles in an effort to drive home the point with Exxon that they aren’t backing down. In fact, they plan to ramp up their resolve, and persevere through to the next level and pry the appropriate climate action commitment from Exxon. Not only that, the world’s prepared to continue bringing charges against Exxon for climate fraud.

ExxonMobile Corp is the world’s largest publicly traded oil company. Back in 2015, during the build up to the 2016 presidential election, documents leaked revealing that Exxon had intentionally kicked off a misinformation campaign for the purpose of undermining climate science in the hopes it would steer decision makers to continue with the massive use of oil for automobiles and energy. Since the 1970’s, Exxon has known that oil production causes global warming and has continued to mislead consumers, failing to warn of the hazards.

Now, 40 years later, we see Exxon’s misinformation campaign worked. Carbon levels have risen significantly – 335 PPM to 415 PPM. Thousands of innocent people have died as a result.

The state Attorney General’ who have and/or will be filing climate fraud charges against Exxon:

Massachusetts
New York
Rhode Island
Washington DC – tentative

Foreign Nations are leveling penalties against Exxon through the European Parliament.

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, Nature, Politics May 4, 2019September 22, 2019

House Passes Climate Action Now Act | HR9

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Opinion | May 4, 2019) – The Climate Action Now Act (HR9) was passed by the House on Thursday May 2, 2019. Very encouraging event in the midst of a tumultuous week of shock and disappointment related to the William Barr Hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

This is the first climate crisis legislation to pass the Congress “in nearly ten years,” according to Bill sponsor Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL). HR9 will keep the US commitment outlined in the Paris Agreement, to reduce carbon emissions in the United State by 26-28% by 2025. HR9 prevents the Trump Administration from leaving the Paris Agreement. There’s a bipartisan group of 23 governors, nearly 300 cities, and 2,000 businesses who have all pledged a commitment to stay in the Paris Agreement. The US House of Representatives has now been added to this list.

HR9: To direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes.

HR9 gives the President 120 days to submit the United States Climate Action plan to assigned congressional committees as well as to the American people.

House Committees: Foreign Affairs and Energy and Commerce
Senate Committees: Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, and Energy and Natural Resources

Despite the Trump Administration announcing it was pulling out of the Paris Agreement on June 1, 2017, the United States went of to reduce carbon emissions by 42 million tons in 2017 the largest reduction by any one country on the globe. Our massive landmass and population can successfully tip the carbon scale. If we can stay committed on a daily basis to do everything in our power to cut carbon – all those very small everyday choices: recycle, reusable bags for all shopping not just grocery shopping, LED lights, tighten faucets after using so no dripping, plant a tree with family and friends once a month, walk more drive less, solar energy – it will become so engrained in our way of life, it won’t feel like extra effort.

We can do this! Let’s go for a carbon reduction goal of 100 million tons in 2019. Next step for HR9 to become law, is passing the Senate.

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment March 29, 2019September 3, 2019

Fallen Trees in Forest | Time To Reforest

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Opinion | March 29, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

I run along the winding forest trail every evening, headphones blaring, so many things on my mind. I notice the fallen trees. I marvel at how massive the roots are, stunned by the way they seem to creep beneath the surface as deeply as they grow tall.

Today it suddenly dawned on me, that when we see fallen trees in a forest, we should plant new ones in the same vicinity. More than one perhaps. We don’t even have to wait for anyone to direct us, although I guess I’ll inquire at town hall just to be on the safe side. Who would actually notice if a tree-loving, anti-Global Warming citizen planted a barrel of trees, though.

It never really occurred to me before that:

“Reforesting & restoring mangrove forests are a key solution for Climate Action. They act as a barrier against floods & storm surges caused by rising sea levels, erratic rains, land degradation & erosion.” ~UN Environment

Any Climate Action project that’s this simple, easy, economical and fun is going to be a winner. A newly planted tree is like a new friend. I can’t wait to watch it grow. I’ve read that trees can communicate, so this will be another positive benefit. I can conduct tests. Scientific experiment of sorts. For example, if I stop and talk to the tree every day after I run, will it grow taller faster? Will it be stronger than otherwise? It’ll be exciting to find out.

“Trees exhale for us so that we can inhale them to stay alive. Can we ever forget that? Let us love trees with every breath we take until we perish.” ~Munia Khan

You know something’s a really big deal, when citizens from the state with the Senator who’s the strongest anti-environment advocate in the Legislature, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are hosting their 20th annual “Reforest the Bluegrass” event tomorrow March 30, 2019, the last Saturday of the month. Good luck and have fun, Kentuckians! You may want to plant ten times as many trees as other states to offset all the coal carbon. Again, thank you!

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” ~Chinese Proverb

Budget, Constitution, Corruption, Environment, Trump March 19, 2019September 3, 2019

Cakeism |Why Good People Support an Evil Leader (Trump)

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report |Opinion | March 19, 2019) – This phenomenon that we’ve been witnessing for nearly three years now – friends, family and colleagues who we get along with very well, many of whom we even admire, supporting Trump, and we can’t figure out how they can be so blind – can be explained. Cakeism. We’ve seen it before. In fact, illustrations of this are everywhere. Securing a new credit card and jetting around the world. Buying a fancy car when the existing one only has $35,000 miles. Eating delicious cake. Cake is so delectable. Does anyone doubt this? It’s certainly my weakness.

“Let them eat cake.” ~ Marie Antoinette, 1789

When good things are good, they can’t be bad, right? Take low unemployment rate as an example. It’s certainly wonderful. No one can deny it. Who doesn’t love an excellent job market? I’ll take doubles, even triples. Trump announced at CPAC, that the unemployment rate is so low we don’t have enough skilled Americans to fill the open positions, so we need immigrants. Yes, Trump did emphatically state that we desperately needed immigrants, even though he’s demanding a wall to keep immigrants out. He clarified. According to Trump, we need the right kind of immigrants.

If a low unemployment rate is good, how can it be bad? Very easily. There’s always a downside to a short cut. Consequences are inevitable. Increasing our national debt by a trillion dollars a year, will lead to the death of America unless a fierce and noble leadership team steps in to quickly fix this disaster. Cutting environmental protections, as well as all the regulations that keep our landscapes and health safeguarded, will have very serious repercussions to our food supply, our tourism industry, and our physical well-being. Our crumbling infrastructure can’t be ignored. Modernizing requires public funds. Taxes. The downside to our low unemployment will quickly become our worst nightmare in the not so distant future.

Cakeism. The belief that there’s only one side of the coin, the good side. The upside. The belief that there are never any consequences for bad decisions or short cuts.

So yes, low unemployment rate is sensational, the same way chocolate ganache cake is to die for. We can absolutely thank Trump for this. Thank you, Mr. Trump. But an increasingly polarized country, with the far right demanding a civil war (what they mean by this, is slaughtering innocent liberals and their families with assault rifles, the same way the New Zealand terrorist slaughtered innocent families at the Mosque) is a frightening traumatic reality. A corrupt cabinet that undermines our future. A president without a moral code, leading through fear, serving himself, bettering himself, at the expense of everyone else. Extreme weather conditions that will only grow worse, flattening towns, destroying thousands of square miles of personal property, killing thousands of Americans, eliminating our coastal communities and many of our most important military bases.

Destroyed American landscapes. Unattended superfund sights. Gargantuan national debt. Crumbling infrastructure. An entire generation of undereducated. Alarming healthcare crisis. Our cherished institutions, the very pillars of our democracy, smashed. Extreme wealth disparity. Out of control white collar crime. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny,” ~Aristotle, 322 BC

Excellence is what America has always reached for. Excellence has been our collective purpose for two straight centuries. Excellence is what propelled us to become a global titan. Excellence, not cakeism.

I’m sure many of us have family, friends and/or colleagues who’ve made comments to the effect, “I like a lot of his policies, but I’m not a big fan of Trump.” We can now simply reply, “Cakeism. The belief that you can have all the advantages, and never have to deal with the disadvantages.” Cakeism isn’t rational of course. Bad decisions will always have negative consequences, despite the momentary short term gain.