Category: sustainability

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.

BrightSide-SquareNEWER-400 — Daily conversation focused on how we can turn a negative into a positive and land on the bright side. A daily emotional vitamin that will boost your spirit. Podcast Host, Noreen Wise. Today’s conversation, can one small act of kindness change the trajectory of someone’s life?

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. 🌊

Climate Action, Climate Change, COVID-19, sustainability April 27, 2020May 4, 2020

The Golden Rule & Covid-19 | Recycling and Waste Management

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

“Do unto others as you want them to do to you.” ~ The Golden Rule

It’s exciting to see that recycling has been deemed an essential service during covid-19, but keeping these dedicated waste management employees safe during the global pandemic is equally as important.

With everyone stuck at home, there’s now more home garbage than ever before. Further, the vast majority of us are ordering the bulk of our purchases online, and having it delivered, so there’s likely a mountain of recyclable cardboard boxes associated with each household. And how about glass bottles from our favorite alcoholic beverages? Many manufacturers rely on these particular recyclables to produces their products. Cardboard and glass are two of the more essential components of the supply chain for recyclable manufacturing.

So, how is recycling being handled during covid-19? There seems to be conflicting accounts depending on the state and local municipality.

Here’s what we know according to The Recycling Partnership:

even though deemed essential, many communities are suspending curbside recycling pickup so please check with your town’s waste management website
if your locality has drop off recycling, please try and take advantage of this, while maintaining the safe protocols of a facial covering and gloves, manufacturers are desperate for these materials
cities will have much tighter budgets in the new fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, many towns are discussing cutting back on curbside recycling pickup, so we have to make plans each week to drop off recyclables at drop off centers
states and municipalities are still trying to work out the best way to handle plastic PPE and recycling, hard plastic can be recycled, but it can be dangerous, (more information below)
Wipe garbage bin handles down before rolling to curb, and wear gloves when pushing the bin to curb

Additionally, there are specific rules regarding how to handle waste and recycling if anyone in the household has tested positive for covid-19.

No garbage brought to the curb during the 14 day quarantine period
add an additional 72 hours to the 14 days for recycling

Our individual actions are life and death for many in our communities. It’s very important that we follow the guidelines to keep everyone safe. The golden rule has never meant more than it does right now. Do unto others as you want them to do unto you. ♻️

circular economy, clean water, Climate Action, COVID-19, sustainability April 5, 2020April 27, 2020

Finding Our New Groove | Weaving in Green While We’re at It

Washington (GGM) Analysis | April 5, 2020
by Noreen Wise

Every day is another step in this new, weird world we’re adapting to. And because we were blindsided, and thus had no preparation, we’re missing nearly every safety necessity, which forces us to be incredibly resourceful, and improvise, if we want to overcome these circumstances and stay alive. Sadly, despite all our efforts, many will still perish.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. …is a military motto. Makes sense. I can totally picture improvise-adapt-overcome being the daily practice when the military is out in the field. And the military’s story of reality on the front lines, is now our reality as we stand on the front lines. With so much adapting and improvising taking place 24/7, it’s an excellent opportunity for us to absorb the big picture and make all the changes we’ve been promising ourselves for days, months, and even… years.

Climate reality.

I remember the incredible opportunity I had after the townhouse I lived in was flattened by a tornado. The first few weeks were traumatic, of course. The structure was deemed a total loss. My then-husband and I had to live in temporary quarters, while it was rebuilt. I was so grateful to have lived through the frightening experience (I survived by running into a closet when I heard the train coming, and when I opened the door after the huge KABOOOOM, everything was gone). I thus wasn’t going to complain about any of the inconveniences or hardships that followed.

I think what kept me so positive, was that I could suddenly make all the changes I’d been dreaming of. Be careful for what you wish for. Be careful for what you wish for. Be careful for what you wish for. Seriously, I must have said that a million times. When life is suddenly helter skelter, I could finally fully grasp what Newtown’s first law of motion was all about: an object at rest stays at rest, or an object in motion stays in motion at the same velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.

Carpe diem. Seize the day. I became the whirlwind of change, quickly implementing the home designs I’d been planning for years. I upgraded the floors in several rooms with upscale tile, and top of the line carpeting in others. A few months after moving back in, the upgrades enabled us to sell the townhouse in record time during a down market at asking price and relocate across the country to California. I also began a writing course at some point during all this craziness, which set me on a new path to become the writer I had dreamed of becoming ever since I was a child. Those eight months were an endless blur of activity, the equivalent of the shifting of a kaleidoscope where every single spec shifts.

I feel the exact same right now. There’s safety with all of us suffering the same grim fate together. It reminds me of my father’s chain saw accident when he slipped and fell and accidentally sawed his leg down to the bone (it was amputated at the hospital). The doctor explained that what saved my father’s life was slicing all the way through the largest vein in his leg, causing it to clamp shut on its own. Apparently, if he had nicked it, he would have bled out.

So, too with us. We’re all in this together. Let’s make the most of this incredible opportunity and commit to implement the many changes we’ve been promising to make for climate… as well as removing corrupt, lawless politicians who’ve degraded our American principles and undermined our Constitution, which we all now hold so dear.🌱

2020, Oceans, sustainability February 18, 2020April 27, 2020

How Cool Is This? | Loop Shopping for Zero-Waste

Washington (GGM) Analysis | February 18, 2020
by Noreen Wise

The vast majority of plastic waste is product packaging. If our goal is to have a sustainable circular economy, and rid the environment of as much plastic waste as possible, we have to find a series of solutions to overhaul the way we package consumer products.

So why hasn’t Loop become a familiar buzzword and pathway for all of us to take advantage of for waste free weekly shopping? It’s quite brilliant.

No membership is required
We just pay a small one-time fee at the start for the returnable durable Loop Tote
We’ll use the Loop Tote with each shipment delivery which will eliminate the cardboard waste
All the products are delivered in reusable containers that are returned when we’re through
Most containers are stainless steel, while others are glass
Loop will sanitize each container and reuse

Loop has even managed to solve the toothpaste crisis, which has always seemed too tricky for a feasible alternative. Many of our favorite name brands are Loop partners. But most importantly, Loop is an excellent fix for personal care products that we use everyday and create the bulk of plastic waste.