Climate Action, Climate Change, Health, National Security, Nature December 21, 2019April 26, 2020

So Many Beautiful & Exciting Possibilities | Cutting Carbon

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 21, 2019
by Noreen Wise

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine to the soul.” ~Luther Burbank

And flowers cut carbon too! Flower boxes in the windows of our homes and businesses, and hanging baskets from street lights, will add yet another layer of nature to absorb carbon. We need as much help as we can get. It’s another exceptional tool in our climate action tool shed that will reap a wave of benefits, improving both our atmospheric carbon levels, and our quality of life.

Will flower boxes in the windows of the majority of homes and businesses increase property values? I guess we’ll find out as soon as we begin a window flower box campaign.

BrightSide-350SquarePocastLogo-NEWEST — PODCAST- daily conversation that focuses on how to turn negative circumstances into positives and land on the bright side.

According to BestLife, flowers:

Reduce stress
Elevate mood
Strengthen relationships
Increase memory
Certain flowers can help us fall asleep
Help us heal

Not only do flowers absorb CO2, they’re also air purifiers, absorbing pollutants such as benzene, acetone, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.

We can do this! Warm weather climates can begin today. The rest of us can begin planning today so we’re ready to spring into action as soon as the weather breaks. 🌺

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, National Security December 20, 2019January 7, 2020

EV Charging Stations | Retail & Restaurant Parking Lots ROCK!

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 20, 2019
by Noreen Wise

The new year is here. Thinking of all that can be accomplished on the Climate Action front makes my head spin. Way at the top of the list is EV cars, which means EV charging
stations are going to be on everyone’s minds.

Savvy business owners and managers who have parking lots can take advantage of this consumer need by installing a handful of charging stations in their parking lots. It seems that this is what everyone has been talking about at holiday parties this year. Where do you charge your car?

One woman I spoke with lives in a complex that doesn’t yet have charging stations, so she has to be sure to charge in town. She now LOVES Walgreens because they have charging stations. She makes plans to charge while she shops. It was likely that she rarely shopped at Walgreens before buying an EV, but now, it’s her favorite store in the world. And she always spends money, every single week.

Wide open green fields for marketing, literally. And the best part about this unique opportunity, is that EV owners who charge when visiting a store, feels immense gratitude. The most passionate, heartfelt kind of deep appreciation, almost an indebtedness, the way we feel towards heroes. They’ll likely feel inspired to say “yes” to a promotion opportunity rather than “no.”

When restaurants and retailers everywhere begin adding charging stations to parking lots, we’ll see EV sales go through the roof, and the atmospheric carbon levels drop. Win/win! In certain regions, businesses can find sizable grants to help cover the cost. Good Luck!~

America, Congress, House, Trump December 19, 2019January 7, 2020

Democracy Prevails | Donald J. Trump Impeached

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 19, 2019
by Noreen Wise

Wednesday evening December 18, 2019, the United States House of Representatives upheld their oath of office, moral conviction, and determination to protect our democracy by voting on two Articles to impeach Donald J. Trump, the 45th president of the United States.

Article I: Abuse of Power

230 Dems voted YES
197 GOP voted NO
1 Dem present, Tulsi Gabbard, but no vote cast

Article II: Obstruction of Congress

229 Dems voted YES
198 GOP voted NO
1 Dem present, Tulsi Gabbard, but no vote cast

In light of the clear and overwhelming evidence regarding Trump’s shakedown of the Ukraine president to undermine his political rival in the 2020 election, Joe Biden, as well as obstruction of Congress when they began investigating the matter, the unfortunate lack of GOP support for impeachment shows a unified GOP front to back the president rather than the Constitution. A very sad reality for America.

“A president who subverts both our elections and our constitutional system of checks & balances puts himself above the law. It’s Congress’ duty to hold the president, any president, accountable. It gives us no pleasure, no pleasure to stand here today. But President Trump’s conduct has put our next election at risk. President Trump’s behavior puts the integrity of Constitutional order at risk. And President Trump’s continued actions put the rule of law at risk.” ~Jerry Nadler, Chairman House Judiciary Committee, December 18, 2019, following the impeachment of Donald J. Trump

What I found to be the most powerful and inspirational moment of this historic day, was the morning impeachment rally on the Capitol side lawn in front of Mitch McConnell’s office sponsored by a coalition of grass roots advocacy groups to protect our democracy and unite us all together to confront this anti-American aggression. It was a carryover of the more than 600 Impeachment Eve rallies held across the country the night before, with horrified Americans pouring onto the streets from coast-to-coast to protest Trump’s behavior and defiance of the constitution.

The sentiments shared with the public by a host of guests speakers during the morning rally were the ones I grew up on. The same values my father believed in when he expressed to his children the importance of our democracy every July 4th. The ones the veterans recounted when they stood and spoke of their willingness to risk their lives to protect our democracy for all Americans, and challenged politicians to be willing to sacrifice their jobs to protect the Constitution. Other speakers outlined examples throughout American history, about the many contentious turning points, but reminding us that our democracy had prevailed because of our Constitution and rule of law.

The rally speeches were pure, untarnished American values and ideals that we all surely remember but haven’t heard much of during these three Trump years. It was the parting of the fierce, dark storm clouds with the bright beams of sunlight filtering through. A message of hope and belief and inspiration that conjurs up so many memories, for me it was the July 4th summer evenings, sitting on the grass at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut watching the fireworks with my many cousins. My father would challenge us to dream a big dream, because in America we can accomplish any dream, so shoot for the stars.

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, National Security, Nature, Oceans December 16, 2019January 7, 2020

Consumers Profit from Circular Economy

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 16, 2019
by Noreen Wise

Finally, the era of consumer profit has arrived. We’ve certainly earned this
unexpected windfall after nearly two centuries of corporate greed destroying our hopes & dreams by restraining our financial ability to achieve them.

Now that our golden opportunity is upon us, let’s try and maximize the amazing possibilities so we can quickly increase our disposable income and apply this boost to health, education and long term goals.

A circular economy is created through the principals of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. This requires a bit of imagination and resourcefulness, key characteristics of the creative, the artists and those with right brain strengths.

According to the Centre of Expertise on Resources, the tools for succeeding at a “no waste” circular economy are straight forward:

Refuse: try to eliminate using our natural resources when there are other alternatives
Reduce: lower the need for using natural resources, by reusing products already manufactured
Reuse: rayon paper towels can be washed and reused over and over
Repair: if the screen breaks on our phones, we simply repair rather than buy a new one
Refurbish: improving a product when it ages, ie repainting, polishing, etc
Remanufacture: improving an old product and using in a new way (broken outdoor shutters create beautiful indoor wall hangings… ART!)
Repurpose: reuse a product for a new purpose without having to change anything about it (glass jars are best example, buy pickles in a glass jar, when done we now have a storage container)
Recycle: reusing a products raw materials
Recover: use waste to make energy

HillReport12-16-19a — photography by AdobeStock

The most useful & effective reusable product that I’ve stumbled upon are rayon paper towels that can be washed, dried & reused indefinitely. They hold up well. I was spending $6 per week on paper towels, and now $0. That’s an easy $312 in my pocket.

We’ve got THIS!

National Security, Public Safety, Trump, White House December 9, 2019February 8, 2020

Trump Impeachment & GOP Twisted Spin

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 9, 2019
by Noreen Wise

This week is bound to be one of the most historic weeks in the 230 years since our Constitution was ratified in 1789. Facts, spin, misinformation and propaganda are all tangled together.

How do we keep it straight? Probably the best way is to focus on the mainframe. The skeleton of the impeachment inquiry. The basic facts. To do this though, we have to remove the spin that the GOP loyalists have unleashed in order to block the truth. Again, it’s the GOP Trump loyalists who are creating the spin, NOT all Republicans everywhere.

There are many Trump Administration officials who discussed removing Trump from office using the 25th Amendment back in 2017/2018. We all certainly recall the “Anonymous” NYT OpEd published on September 8, 2018, that outlined discussions about whether the 25th Amendment was the best method for dealing with Trump’s refusal to follow the rule of law and the Constitution. These dedicated, hard working, patriotic cabinet secretaries who were all Republican and hand chosen by Trump, confirmed by Republican senators, became so alarmed by Trump’s agenda and handling of affairs, that when they couldn’t go through with the 25th Amendment removal, many eventually resigned from their positions, deciding to align themselves with the right side of history.
If we all scroll the monthly headlines since Trump’s inauguration, the majority of us will be able to acknowledge the extensive layers of proof we have at our disposal to process the facts. We’ve known since the very first day, that Trump will use any means necessary to achieve his goals. The facts uncovered by the House Intelligence Committee when interviewing 12 critical witnesses, each outlining various aspects of Trump’s Ukraine bribery scheme, shouldn’t surprise anyone. They certainly didn’t surprise me.

We can pull up Trump rallies on YouTube and listen to Trump bribes at every single one. Several particularly alarming rally bribes are ones such as: “If you vote for me in 2020, I’ll give you a middle class tax cut of 10%.” Or how about, “Vote for me in 2020, and I’ll give you the medical care you want.”
This is simply who Trump is and has always been. Several cabinet secretaries who resigned much later the others admitted that they tried to be the guardrails that would keep Trump inside the lines, but Trump didn’t want that. Just like he didn’t want a guardrail like Ukraine Ambassador Yovanovitchkeeping him inside the lines when dealing with his theme in Ukraine. We get it. It’s a no-brainer unmanly levels.

But GOP Reps like Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan and Ranking Member Doug Collins have their marching orders. They are the Trump loyalists, the disrupters who seem intent on blocking the approaching bipartisan patriots on a mission to hold Trump accountable for destroying our national character, are well as our values and eroding the Constitution. Their twisted spin includes three main talking points:

“This is first partisan impeachment, with ONLY Dems onboard.” FALSE. For nearly three years, there has been a bipartisan effort to keep the checks & balances outlined in our Constitution in play and hold Trump accountable. As previously noted, GOP Cabinet Secretaries discussed using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. However, many patriotic GOP either resigned or were fired just like Yovanovitch.
GOP Trump loyalists claim Dems are trying to remove trump from office because they lost the 2016 presidential election. FALSE. This propaganda would only be believable if Trump stayed inside the lines. But since he doesn’t, and since he’s shouted to the public on many occasions that he’s above the law, and since numerous tell-all books have outlined just how far outside the lines he operates, this particular GOP talking point is more like a sick joke.
The Mueller Report found Trump innocent. FALSE. The Mueller Report did NOT find trump innocent. The Mueller report is a massive compilation of very dry, hard-core facts that state there was obstruction of justice. That Russia influenced the outcome of the 2016 election, implying that trump may in fact be an illegitimate president. And that Mueller wasn’t able to interview all the necessary witnesses (one of which wasTrump) to prove that trump colluded with Russia.

That’s basically it in a nutshell. Pathetic really. The trick is now getting the American public to see clearly through all the smoke and mirrors. We can do this!

I highly recommend Republicans read the book A Warning by Anonymous. Anonymous is a Republican, and A Warning appears to have been written for the silent Republican Senators and Congressional Representatives who refuse to stand up to Trump, as well as for Trump’s base. The message is very powerful. And convincing. ~

Climate Action, Climate Change, National Security, Nature, Public Safety November 30, 2019December 19, 2019

More States Banning Single-Use Plastic Bags | Reusables for Every Store

Washington (GGM) Analysis | November 30, 2019
by Noreen Wise

The holiday shopping season has begun. Packed malls and stores from coast to coast. American consumers are expected to spend nearly a half trillion dollars from Thanksgiving through December 25, 2019. But how many US shoppers will rely on their reusable bags at every store they visit?

Prior to 1977, stores offered paper bags to shoppers. But once the first plastic shopping bags appeared in 1977, the switch to plastic was swift and furious and by the end of the 1990’s, the vast majority of retail outlets across the globe relied on single-use plastic. According to The World Counts:

we consume 5 trillion single-use plastic bags per year
160,000 single-use plastic bags per second
but sadly, less than 1% of these are recycled
single-use plastic bags are made from oil, gas & coal which produce a significant amount of carbon
one ton of recycled single-use plastic bags equals 11 barrels of oil
the public’s seeming indifference to the extensive damage single-use plastic causes the environment, as well as it’s impact on climate change, has resulted in several states stepping in to regulate the use of single-use plastic bags

According to U.S. News & World Report:

Connecticut just passed a law that went into effect August 1 2019, banning single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and restaurants by July 2021. Some grocery store chains and restaurants have already begun transitioning patrons to the ban by ditching all plastic bags and charging shoppers .10 cents for paper bags, as well as passing along a discount to shoppers who bring their own reusables. Businesses that continue to provide singles-use plastic bags these next 19 months will charge shoppers a .10 cent tax for each plastic bag. This is an excellent model for other states to follow.

California was the very first state to ban single-use plastic bags back in 2014, and San Francisco was the first US city in 2007
New York jumped in and banned single-use plastic bags on Earth Day 2019; the ban will go into effective March of 2020
Hawaii hasn’t officially banned these deadly bags, but beginning in 2015 every county in the state has barred them, so Hawaii too is included in the count of state bans

The Center for Biological Diversity has provided a critical list of key facts about the harm of single-use plastic bags:

the average American household uses 1,500 sing-use plastic shopping bags per year
80% of the oceans’ massive toxic plastic island, the size of France, floating in the Pacific, comes from the plastic’s use on land
once it begins swirling around in the ocean, plastic is broken down into micro plastic fragments the size of rice and ingested by the majority of marine mammals
267 marine species are impacted by plastic
each year, 100,000 marine animals die from plastic consumption
once dumped in a landfill, it will take 500+ years for a plastic bag to degrade

It’s time to ACT. SAVE a LIFE this Holiday Season. There’s no need to wait for a ban in our states. Shop with REUSABLE bags at EVERY store beginning immediately.

Let’s GO. We can do this!

Climate Change, Health, National Security November 18, 2019January 7, 2020

Weather Bombs & the Superfund Sites

Washington (GGM) Analysis | November 18, 2019
by Noreen Wise

There’s no better example of climate injustice in the Unites States than those Americans living near Superfund sites. Superfund sites came to be in 1980, and are
labeled with this classification based on hazardous waste contamination.

The United States currently has 1,344 Superfund sites on the National Priorities list
An additional 48 sites are in the process of being added
There are 2 million Americans who live near Superfund sites
A large number of the sites are near populated coastal communities — Portsmouth, NH, Boston, New York City as well as both coasts in Florida.
Hurricane Harvey flooded over a dozen Superfund Sites in the Houston area

Following World War II, it was common practice for corporations to dump their waste into the ground. No one thought much of it at the time. But eventually, medical conditions began to spike, and we grew to learn that toxins cause major health risks and in many cases lead to cancer, heart problems and birth defects. So the EPA was tasked to clean up these life-threatening toxic locations.

And then along came climate change extremes. Weather bombs are fierce deluges over a relatively short period of time that result in major flooding. Flooding near a Superfund site results in water spreading the toxins far and wide, endangering the well-being of millions more people. The toxins are usually invisible. So, once spread, it’s nearly impossible to retrieve, and families are left unaware that they’ve now been impacted.

There now needs to be a major push in congress to address this calamity immediately. The health consequences of not moving quickly, are extreme and incalculable.

Climate Action, Climate Change, National Security November 17, 2019January 7, 2020

Ketchup & Climate Action

Washington (GGM) Analysis | November 17, 2019
by Noreen Wise

I was really proud of myself this weekend when I was grocery shopping. I promised myself on the way to the store that I would follow through with my commitment to cut plastic from my grocery list, and would no longer buy my beloved ketchup in a plastic container. I was even willing to pay more for the glass.

But when I arrived in front of the condiment section, wasn’t I shocked to discover that there wasn’t a single brand of ketchup in bottles. This was mind boggling, especially after making my way up and down the various aisles, and seeing so many products packaged in glass: BBQ sauces, pickles, jams and jellies, mustards, vinegar, salad dressing. I was cheering the success of the world’s sustained call to action to rid the planet of plastic. But, arriving at ketchup took the wind out of my sails.

In fact, I was in disbelief that ketchup leader Heinz had not responded to consumer demand and felt extremely frustrated. I’d even called Heinz a few weeks ago, and then tweeted about it. So this did not sit will with me. I had to make a change. There was no way I’d be able to drive home feeling ashamed that I wasn’t strong enough to follow through with my promise. I simply had to find an alternative. But, how is it possible to replace ketchup with something similar? What were my choices, salad dressing? BBQ sauce?

I backed up a few feet to reassess the BBQ sauce possibilities. Surely there was a flavor that would do the trick. I quickly scanned one row, then the next… then onto the third. Voila! Pioneer Woman BBQ Sauce – Apple Brown Sugar. Not only did this flavor look divine, but the shape of the bottle meant I’d be able to use a spoon. (Do you remember the Heniz commercials with Carol King’s Anticipation?) Twenty-four hours later, I can assure you this BBQ sauce is amazing. I’m so grateful to have discovered it. And now I feel wonderful knowing that by stepping out of my comfort zone in the grocery store aisle, I’ve had the pleasure of falling in love with a new product that I never would have ever had the good pleasure of being introduced to. But the ultimate satisfaction was realizing that this type of little everyday change can save someone’s life. It’s the easiest feel good ever.

I mentioned my exciting BBQ sauce find to a friend, and she surprised me by letting me know I could buy glass bottled Heinz ketchup on Amazon. Whoa, awesome! Yet, this new BBQ sauce is so tasty, I think I’ll do both.

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, National Security November 15, 2019January 4, 2022

Fire Drill Friday | Jane Fonda Keeps Us Focused On #1 Priority

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

It was an emotional day on Capitol Hill with defamed ex-Ambassador for Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, testifying in the second impeachment hearing for Donald J. Trump. The details outlined by Ms. Yovanovitch were critical and seem to have sealed Trump’s fate. I speculate he’ll be impeached by New Years Eve 2019.

Meanwhile, a few hundred yards away, in the warming sunlight, Jane Fonda rallied Americans with her sixth Friday Fire Drill. Her mission is to draw awareness to the Green New Deal and the important role fossil fuels have played on our climate’s demise.

Fonda was not arrested today, but she prides herself on the positive impact her protesting and subsequent arrests have had on the climate emergency cause. Today’s climate focus was on our oceans and rising sea levels as well as the urgent need to break free from plastic.

Although Fonda wasn’t arrested, two of her tag-along friends were: Marg Helgenberger and Robert Kennedy Jr. It seems these wonderful climate activists consider their arrests their red badge of courage.

The holiday shopping season has arrived. It’s imperative that we keep our resolve to act now on lowering atmospheric carbon levels by the choices we make during the holiday season. Every tiny decision will save a life. For example, it’s advised that no red meat for any festivities. Avoid plastic packaging. Buy grocery products in glass bottles. Let’s promise to keep our eyes wide open as we claw through the packed aisles, and make the right selections when we reach toward a store shelf.

Another positive choice is to buy local. It’s mind boggling how dramatic this simple decision can make. Again, it’s all about being aware, and making a commitment in advance to save our oceans and brighten our children’s futures. We can do this!

House, National Security, Politics, Trump November 13, 2019January 7, 2020

Cards Are Stacked Against Trump | Impeachment Exit Begins

Washington (GGM) Analysis | November 13, 2019
by Noreen Wise

After today’s opening public hearing, it’s mind boggling that Trump hasn’t resigned already. He now has everything stacked against him. And all of the typical lifeboats he’s used in the past to save himself from drowning — Russian Mob money, Deutsche Bank, criminal enterprise thuggery — have been cut off. So what exit strategy is trump concocting as the noose tightens?

The answer to this question that immediately pops into my mind is almost too scary to think about. Do Trump and his loyalists have something sinister planned? I personally fear that they do, but hopefully Department of Homeland Security is way out in front on this.

Being inside the hearing room today, and watching everything first hand, made it seem much more personal. I became acutely aware of the sacrifices William Taylor and George Kent were making for their country and the American people. This resonated in a profound way. An inspirational way that made me realize we’re all called on to do the same. Stand up, do what’s right, no matter what the cost may be.

There are endless news casts that are recounting the blow by blow play of the first two witnesses —Ambassador William Taylor, and Ukraine expert Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eastern Europe and the Caucuses George Kent. These valuable pieces include weighty new evidence, as well as an extensive history that provides the public with the appropriate context in which Trump & company executed Trump’s shakedown strategy.

But by the time I left the hearing room at 1:30 PM on this first day, the impeachment evidence against Donald J Trump was already rock solid and crystal clear. Trump is guilty. In fact, it’s so self-evident that the House will have no choice but to impeach the 45th President of the United States of America.

The key takeaways for me though, are less about the facts (that thankfully I don’t have to memorize, but rather can easily refer to) and more about the quality of the content :

Chairman Adam Schiff’s opening statement was exceptional. He clearly outlined the lens he was using to oversee the hearing. The Constitution and the Rule of Law. Period. It’s that simple. Cut and dry.
The two witnesses are like no others that I’ve ever seen or heard before. They’re incredibly skilled at tough discussions. This seems to be a big part of their professional life, tough negotiations with foreign leaders, many of whom are not necessarily allies. They’re also highly intelligent and were able to pick up on the fact that Nunes and Jordan were trying to undermine their testimony. They maneuvered perfectly, and phrased their replies expertly. It was impressive.

What became obvious during these antagonistic interactions though, is that this must have been very similar to what was going on behind the scenes during Trump’s shakedown timeline. Trump and Giuliani were trying to snake their way around rock solid diplomats who were ten times smarter than both of them. Diplomats who know how to maneuver and to block…. which is why we’re in the midst of impeachment hearings. Thus, not only do they know how to maneuver and block, they know how to win. They make me proud to be American again. They are exhibiting the very traits that resulted in the United States of America becoming the most powerful nation in the world. Their testimony is a testament to who they are, and what the State Department is all about. I can now see why America has been the bright light shining on the hill for other countries in the world to aspire to be like.
If all of the witnesses we’ll be hearing from work for the State Department, they likely will all have this same adeptness. So, a list of witnesses of this caliber, becomes a solid concrete wall that seems impossible to knock down, leap over, or tunnel under.

And then there’s Majority Counsel Daniel Goldman. I’ve never seen anyone like him before. I must have missed the article about the Majority and Minority counsel who were added to make everything smoother. He’s an expert, straight out of Central Casting. His tone is neutral and diplomatic. An excellent public speaker. All who hear him, trust him. He sets the bar, and in so doing, the Minority Counsel immediately falls below it. When I left the hearing, I was shaking my head wondering how the Minority Counsel Steve Castor could have been selected for his position. But then I worried that my low opinion of Steve Castor was formed in comparison to Mr. Goldman. The difference between the two is extensive. Trump must be panicked.

So, Adam Schiff has created a fierce, solid wall using the Constitution and the Rule of Law, and he too is straight out of Central Casting. The witnesses are a second wall. Mr. Goldman a third. So now, Trump is completely surrounded by unmovable walls, while he’s treading water in the deep blue sea without a lifeboat or lifejacket, sharks at every turn, in the middle of a hurricane.

Is this checkmate?